Sekisui House's "Kankyo": A Smart Home Concept

In today's world, where concerns about power conservation and anxieties stemming from natural disasters persist, electric vehicles offer a new potential: their batteries can serve as power storage units for homes, helping to curb oil consumption and address global warming. This is drawing significant attention.

Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. has now unveiled a system that connects directly to a household's electrical panel (a box integrating the circuit breakers necessary for safe electricity use) and, by plugging a connector into the quick-charge port,the electric vehicle LEAFcan supply electricity stored in its drive battery to the home. This system is called "LEAF to HOME."

This system was installed in the smart house "Kankyo," constructed by Sekisui House as a demonstration house for the "Smart Network Project," an initiative commissioned by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.Sekisui House's "Kankyo": A Smart Home Concept.

Capable of Supplying Approximately Two Days of Daily Electricity Use

Regarding storage capacity, assuming the average Japanese household uses 10-12 kWh of electricity per day, the LEAF's 24 kWh lithium-ion battery is said to be capable of supplying approximately two days' worth of daily electricity for an average household.

Furthermore, by charging the LEAF with nighttime electricity or renewable energy and using the stored power during peak demand hours in the daytime, the system can be expected to provide a stable electricity supply to homes and help reduce peak loads.

Nissan aims to commence sales within fiscal year 2011, collaborating with a wide range of partner companies interested in development and sales.