The National Electric Energy Agency (Aneel) launched a public consultation for energy distributors to begin monitoring electric vehicles and batteries connected to the grid, potentially allowing remote control in certain circumstances.
This proposal, opened on Thursday (10) with contributions due by November 9, updates Module 3 of the Electric Energy Distribution Procedures (Prodist) and establishes a unified methodology for Distributed Energy Resources (DERs).
DERs encompass distributed solar generation systems, storage devices, electric vehicles, and loads capable of adapting their consumption to grid conditions.
Instead of imposing distinct rules for each equipment type, the preliminary document categorizes these resources based on their interaction with the grid: whether they inject energy, absorb electricity, or are capable of adjusting their operation upon command.
Based on this classification, minimum requirements for monitoring, communication, response capability to commands, as well as standards for protection, energy quality, and injected power control will be defined. These requirements may be adjusted according to the size and impact of each resource on the grid, which should exempt smaller residential installations from the most rigorous obligations.
Aneel emphasizes that the proposal focuses on expected functionalities, without specifying brands or solutions, aiming not to restrict future technologies.
In practice, this means that the electric vehicle will cease to be seen merely as a load, integrating into the same scope as stationary batteries. However, nothing will be implemented immediately, as the text is only a draft, and the rules will only come into effect after the consultation period ends and the agency's board deliberates.
An important aspect attached to the consultation is a Regulatory Impact Analysis Report, which discusses the application of interoperability requirements to existing distributed systems, such as previously installed chargers, batteries, and solar systems. This report is the main focus for contributions from manufacturers and industry associations.
The conception of this proposal resulted from joint work carried out by the National Electric System Operator (ONS), in collaboration with Aneel itself and researchers from institutions such as the Federal University of Santa Maria (UFSM), the Federal University of Uberlândia (UFU), and the State University of Western Paraná (Unioeste).
The context for this change is overcoming the unidirectional flow of energy: a residence with solar panels can switch between consuming from the grid and supplying surpluses, and a battery can store electricity to release it hours later.
The consultation will remain open for a period of 60 days, allowing consumers, distributors, manufacturers, universities, and other interested parties to submit their suggestions via email.