> When talking about the electrical grid you have to be able to generate energy in any amount whenever you want.
Not exactly. It is possible to manage the demand side to some degree.
For example, Octopus Energy in the UK has a "Intelligent Octopus Go" contract which offers much cheaper night rates, in exchange for giving up control over when and at what rate your EV charges. You just tell them what battery percentage you need by what time in the morning. They plan the charging within this constraint and get paid by the grid operator to balance the grid.
Another example are dynamically priced contracts where the prices vary hour by hour based on the day-ahead market prices. I have such a contract and I charge my EV only during the cheapest hours when other demand is low. Sometimes I postpone charging for a day or more because I have sufficient charge for my needs and I expect lower prices later, e.g. based on weather or upcoming weekend.
Not exactly. It is possible to manage the demand side to some degree.
For example, Octopus Energy in the UK has a "Intelligent Octopus Go" contract which offers much cheaper night rates, in exchange for giving up control over when and at what rate your EV charges. You just tell them what battery percentage you need by what time in the morning. They plan the charging within this constraint and get paid by the grid operator to balance the grid.
Another example are dynamically priced contracts where the prices vary hour by hour based on the day-ahead market prices. I have such a contract and I charge my EV only during the cheapest hours when other demand is low. Sometimes I postpone charging for a day or more because I have sufficient charge for my needs and I expect lower prices later, e.g. based on weather or upcoming weekend.