Zero waste docked mode

Zero Waste Docked Mode, ZWDM, is a term used to describe the use of a plug-in hybrid electric road vehicle as a combined heat and power plant, which can be as part of a smart micro grid.
When used in ZWDM the engine of the vehicle (which can be an internal combustion engine designed to run on petrol, diesel, biofuel, hydrogen, or any other fuel) will normally only be operated when the vehicle is stationary and docked.
When the vehicle is docked it is connected to an electricity supply (for example the Grid), a thermal energy harnessing system and an exhaust gas collection and processing system.
The electricity supply connection can be used for both uploading and downloading electricity. At times of electricity surplus, such as when wind turbines are generating during times of plentiful wind, the vehicle can be used to store electrical energy. Normally however, the electricity supply connection will be used to allow the vehicle to upload electricity it generates when its engine is running. Many such vehicles uploading 13kW of electrical power can reduce the demand of electricity from distant power stations and can reduce the number of power sastions needed. Most buildings have a Grid connection capable of transferring 13kW.
When the engine is running in ZWDM it powers an electrical generator and the electricity being generated is used to charge the vehicle's own batteries and upload electricity to the Grid. The heat produced by the vehicles engine is captured and used by a nearby building.
The exhaust gases are filtered for particulate emissions and other combustion products, and the thermal energy content can also be extracted. Notably the carbon dioxide gas can be captured and stored or put to use, for example to create biomass that can itself be converted to fuel.
A book published in 2017 describes ZWDM together with Zero Waste Transit Mode which is a related method for harnessing waste thermal energy from vehicle engines when the vehicles are in motion.
Some calculations have shown that ZWDM can reduce the energy consumption and carbon emissions for a household by around 40%.
Claimed benefits of ZWDM include a reduction in fossil fuel use, a reduction in carbon emissions, reduced heating energy bills for buildings and less particulate pollution from vehicle engines.

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