NineDot Energy and Ferment Energy joined together in August to take a step toward a future of clean and cost-effective electric energy.
The business placed three bidirectional EV chargers in a garage in Red Hook, Brooklyn, and connected them to Nissan Leaf electric vehicles that are a member of the Revel car-sharing program. But what makes this hook-up special? These chargers, also known as Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) chargers, are capable of redistributing energy from the vehicle battery to the local power grid.
According to Karen Alter, chief marketing officer of NineDot Energy, in an email, the initiative has successfully shown that it is possible to link bidirectional electric vehicle chargers to the Con Edison grid and securely and consistently export power back during times of high demand.
In essence, the bidirectional charger will transfer energy from the battery to the main grid, which is managed by Con Edison in New York City, during periods of peak energy usage, such as in the summer. The 45 kilowatts of energy from the battery storage will be sent back to the grid, claims Fermata Energy, the firm that created the charger. Although this quantity might appear insignificant, if it can be scaled up, the power returned to the grid will only increase, saving consumers money on their electricity bills.
Because Con Edison charges more to export energy back to the grid during summer peak hours, each can be worth thousands of dollars in NYC, according to to Alter.
David Slutzky, an entrepreneur who has also worked at the White House on sustainable development and is a member of the University of Virginia faculty, founded Fermata. Around the nation, Fermata Energy has been engaged in more V2G projects. Another effort is being run by Roanoke Electric Cooperative in Roanoke, North Carolina, where Nissan Leafs are plugged into bidirectional chargers and sending power back to the grid.
Eight electric school buses from a nearby school district are connected to the San Diego Gas & Electric grid utilizing bidirectional chargers outside of San Diego thanks to a partnership with the IT firm Nuvve. This is Nuvve, a manufacturer of V2G chargers, a second initiative using electric school buses in the San Diego region.
The bus, charger, and grid are essentially communicating with one another when a V2G interconnection takes place, according to Gregory Poilasne, founder and CEO of Nuvve. This communication via our GIVe platform is crucial because it keeps track of how much energy is being transferred to the grid and makes sure there will be enough for drivers to finish their trips the following day.
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However, even modest initiatives hint at a more comprehensive American energy policy. The U.S. Department of Energy unveiled a Vehicle to Everything (V2X) Memorandum of Understanding back in April of this year (MOU). The DOE, unions, worker’s associations, power operators, and energy companies—mostly on the West Coast—have joined forces to launch this program. Another signatory was Fermata Energy.
The MOU is an example of a government organization assisting public and private firms in hastening the transition to a cleaner transportation future even if it is not a piece of legislation. The knowledge encompasses innovations in vehicle-to-building and vehicle-to-load in addition to V2G:
Bidirectional plug-in electric vehicles ( PEVs ) present the potential for increasing the country’s energy security, economic vitality, and quality of life. Bidirectional PEVs, including plug-in hybrid electric and all-electric vehicles, could play a key role in the country’s transportation future and present an opportunity to support the electrical grid as part of a broader approach to vehicle-to-grid integration.
One alternative for EV battery chargers is vehicle-to-grid. The bidirectional charger can also be used to charge other objects, such as other electric vehicles, tools, or your home. The fact that Ford’s new EV, the out-of-production F-150 Lightning, has a bidirectional charger that can be used to power your home may be the largest boost for this emerging technology. Even though it requires installing a pricey wall unit, this illustrates how the infrastructure and charging sector has developed. GM, Hyundai, and VW are also researching V2G possibilities.
Fleet owners with vehicles like those Revel cars in Brooklyn will be one of the target markets for bidirectional charging. Having a fleet of electric taxis or ride-sharing vehicles that are putting electricity back into the main grid would appear to make a lot of economic sense, even though Teslas do not yet have this kind of charger.
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According to Alter, this use case may be most alluring for a fleet owner who can oversee and ensure that the cars are ready for discharge at the specified windows.
But as more people start driving electric vehicles, the strain on the electrical system will only grow. And bidirectional charging may end up being one of the key benefits of owning an electric vehicle, relieving pressure on the potentially overloaded electric grid.
According to Karen Alter of NineDot Electricity, “V2G projects will serve as a great resource to lower peak demand and to better utilize the grid’s energy that is produced with less emissions.”
