Featured Post from University of Delaware

Multi-sector partnership leads to first practical pilot of vehicle-to-grid power

Electric utility fleet of EVs will begin providing power to balance electric grid

Oct 3, 2024

4 min

Willett Kempton
CaptionResizeWrap TextRemove


A multi-pronged effort led by corporations, industry associations and an academic research institution has launched the first practical pilot project of “vehicle-to-grid” power (V2G) set up so that industrial participants can scale it at low cost.


Invented by the University of Delaware, V2G uses batteries in parked EVs to support the electric grid or to provide backup during power failures. This pilot is the first targeted toward large scale expansion, because it follows standards (by SAE and UL), uses production EVs (with UD modifications), complies with utility requirements, and qualifies for wholesale power markets. The pilot has been implemented by Delmarva Power (an Exelon Company), working with UD.


The project has set up an electric utility fleet of EVs to begin providing power to balance the electric grid, using Ford Mach-E EVs in the Delmarva Power fleet, and following new rules of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for distributed energy resources. These Delmarva Power fleet vehicles are driving for utility operations during normal work schedule and provide wholesale grid services for PJM Interconnection when parked.


The cooperative effort was organized by Prof. Willett Kempton, originator of the V2G concept. Kempton said the resulting demonstration is significant because it shows a cost-effective pathway for standards based, regulatory-compliant, mass-manufactured V2G.


“Our close collaboration with Ford Motor, based on our joint Memorandum of Understanding, was very productive. Ford engineers’ advice helped us fully integrate the car’s CAN communications with LIN-CP,” Kempton said. “Ford already markets a production EV with home backup power, and they have a sophisticated understanding of potential EV synergies with the electric power grid. We hope that collaborations like this will also help OEMs like Ford to see a path to incorporation of these new standards and technologies into production EVs.”


The new standard for V2G signal definitions were finalized and approved just this year thanks to UD Research Professor Rodney McGee, Task Force Chair of the SAE standards development for J3400 (NACS) and J3068. (SAE was formerly called Society of Automotive Engineers.)


“These standards define the signaling to standardize low-cost AC charging, with all the functionality needed for safe operation of V2G and backup power from an EV. Both these standards implement a signaling method that is new to EV charging, called LIN-CP, yet is built from easy-to-implement automotive technologies,” McGee said.


UD’s MOU with Ford Motor Company allowed the two parties to cooperate on implementing sophisticated signaling for low-cost, high-functionality V2G. UD designed a retrofit package for proof of concept. The design was led by UD Postdoc Garrett Ejzak and used a bidirectional on-board charger and the new LIN-CP commands to make the Mach-E capable of sophisticated V2G. After testing at UD, the design was installed in four Delmarva Power fleet Mach-Es, to test these systems in a real-world fleet operating environment.


In addition to proving these new SAE standards, this project also shows that EVs can be high-value grid services providers to the electric system under the new FERC Order 2222 regulations. This new Federal rule enables small resources to collectively participate in electric markets to make the electric grid more reliable and more capable of incorporating fluctuating renewable power sources. PJM Interconnection, which manages the electric grid over 13 states, is participating under a Pilot Project agreement with the Delmarva Power demonstration, as an early proof of PJM’s new rules to meet FERC Order 2222 compliance.


“The use of virtual power plants, such as aggregations of electric vehicles, is an emerging resource type that can contribute to managing the energy transition by providing flexibility and other services needed to reliably operate the power grid,” said Scott Baker, Sr. Business Solution Analyst – Applied Innovation for PJM. “We look forward to working with Delmarva Power and the project team to test the technical capabilities of V2G electric vehicles and understand how this use case integrates with PJM’s new market construct for virtual power plants and DER Aggregators.”


Delmarva Power’s parent company, Exelon Corporation, is also a partner providing support for the project.


Project partner Nuvve Holding Corporation (Nuvve) updated their charging stations for full LIN-CP and V2G capabilities. Then project partner Delmarva Power installed four Nuvve charging stations at their facility in Newark, Delaware. The four individual Mach-Es are virtually combined into one V2G “power plant” by aggregation software from Nuvve Holdings. Nuvve CEO Gregory Poilasne described this:


“Our Nuvve charging stations now talk LIN-CP and implement the new SAE standards. This enables our GIVe aggregator software to tap high functionality V2G EVs,” Poilasne said. “By combining EVs as a single power resource, our technology is already serving as a “Distributed Energy Resource Aggregator” as specified by FERC Order 2222.”


The EVs’ performance and provision of grid services will be monitored over the next year by UD and Nuvve to provide documentation on their use both as fleet vehicles and as grid resources.

Connect with:
Willett Kempton

Willett Kempton

Professor, Marine Science and Policy

Prof. Kempton invented vehicle-to-grid power (V2G); he researches, publishes and lectures on offshore wind power and on electric vehicles.

Vehicle-to-Grid PowerOffshore Wind Policy

You might also like...

Check out some other posts from University of Delaware

1 min

Beneath the bed: The psychology behind America's fascination with monsters and why we love being scared

Have you ever wondered why we just can't get enough of the creatures hiding beneath our beds and lurking in the shadows? Whether it's watching a spine-tingling horror movie or telling ghost stories around the campfire, Americans have a long-standing love affair with all things spooky and scary. But what's driving this fascination? Persephone Braham is a Professor of Spanish & Latin American Studies at the University of Delaware and has those answers.  She can talk about monsters in a variety of ways including the following: Monsters are therapeutic. They act out our fears – and our fantasies. We love to hate monsters. They channel our anxieties and expose our desires. Monsters sneak into our dreams, stalk us in the dark and make us scream. Why do we love them? Have you hugged a monster today? Why do we need monsters? They keep us from crossing the line. Who believes in monsters? Anyone who considers themselves human. What are monsters, and why do we need them? From ghosts to vampires, every culture has its favorite monsters. Halloween scream: Why we like to play vampires. Who decides what a monster is? You do! Why do zombies want your brains? Monsters and eerie tales serve as representations of our internal anxieties and societal fears. They act as metaphors for the complex emotions and situations we encounter. Braham can give this context and more. She can be contacted by emailing mediarelations@udel.edu.

3 min

New path to combating global malnutrition found in soil

A new University of Delaware study has found that a naturally occurring soil microbe can boost protein-building amino acids in wheat. The finding by UD's Harsh Bais and others could pave the way for nutrient-rich staple crops — helping combat global malnutrition as fluctuations in weather reduce crop quality. In the study, published in the journal Frontiers in Microbiology, Bais and a team of researchers from UD, Stroud Water Research Center and the Rodale Institute investigated how a bacteria naturally found in the soil that is beneficial to human health can enhance the levels of the amino acid and antioxidant ergothioneine in spring wheat.  The researchers grew the spring wheat — one of the most widely consumed cereal crops — in a laboratory. After letting the seeds germinate and grow for seven days, they added a strain of bacteria called Streptomyces coelicolor M145 to the spring wheat roots. After combining the bacteria and the plant, they separated the plant’s leaves and roots. Then, they extracted the amino acid ergothioneine from the samples, working to determine how much protein was in the plant’s roots and shoots. They found that 10 days after S. coelicolor had been added to the spring wheat roots, the bacteria was able to inhabit spring wheat’s roots and shoots, producing ergothioneine, bypassing the plant’s innate defense mechanisms, and fortifying the spring wheat. Wheat roots were inoculated with the benign bacteria Streptomyces coelicolor. The image shows the presence of bacteria on the root hairs on day 5. “It’s unusual," Bais said. “Unless there is a mutual advantage for either the plant or the microbe.” The findings suggest that an alternative plant breeding approach could be utilized to associate plants with benign microbes to increase protein content in staple crops. All of our cereal crops are very low in protein. Think rice and breakfast cereals, common foods people eat, derived from these crops. “This approach of harnessing a natural association of microbes with plants may facilitate fortifying our staple crops, enhancing global nutritional security,” Bais said. Bais said he believes using microbes to transport nutrients depends on the microbes’ relationship with plants’ roots. He continues to work to catalyze the colonization of plant roots by beneficial microbes. "Establishing a partnership with the appropriate types of microbes or microbial consortia for plants represents a method of engineering the rhizosphere — the region of the soil near plant roots — to foster a more favorable environment for either microbial associations that stimulate plant growth traits or enhance nutrient availability, which is the path forward,” Bais said. Bais, a professor of plant biology who was named a UD Innovation Ambassador earlier this year, said plants’ “below-ground” traits, such as how nutrient-dense they are, have long been overlooked. “As far as food security, we will have significant challenges by 2050 when the world’s population doubles,” Bais said. “We incentivize our farmers for crop yield; we don’t incentivize them for growing nutrient-dense crops. Growing nutrient-dense plants will enable the population to be fed better and avoid any potential nutrient deficiencies.” The study was funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research. Scientists have become more interested in soil bacteria as a means to solve issues with malnutrition and nutrient deficiencies. Alex Pipinos, the lead author and a UD Class of 2025 graduate with a master’s in microbiology, said environmental conditions are one factor diminishing protein content in plants. “Essentially, crops are becoming less nutrient-dense,” Pipinos said. “The more nutrients in crops, the more healthy humans can be.” Pipinos points to a strong link between soil microbes, plant health and human health. Ergothioneine, she said, has already been shown to lower the risk of cardiovascular disease. It’s also been shown to combat cognitive decline, with a strong link to healthy cognitive aging. “By enhancing ergothioneine in plants, we can improve human health,” Pipinos said. To reach Bais directly and arrange an interview, visit his profile and click on the contact button. Reporters can also contact UD's Media Relations Department.

1 min

From field to festival: How pumpkins grew into an autumn symbol

Type “Halloween” into your phone’s emoji search bar, and you’ll get three icons: a skull, a ghost, and a jack-o'-lantern. The skull and ghost make sense — but how did the pumpkin carve out such a starring role in our fall celebrations? Cindy Ott, associate professor of history and material culture at the University of Delaware, has the answer. She literally wrote the book on pumpkins, exploring how this humble orange gourd grew from a survival crop to a powerful symbol of American identity and nostalgia. Today, pumpkins dominate the fall season — from pumpkin pies and soups to the ever-popular pumpkin spice latte. Ott’s research uncovers how the pumpkin’s transformation from practical produce to cultural icon reflects broader shifts in American history, values, and traditions. To schedule an interview with Professor Ott, contact MediaRelations@udel.edu.

View all posts
Powered by