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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

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.

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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

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Experts on Hurricane Preparedness, Public Health and Community Recovery

When hurricanes threaten communities already facing social and economic challenges, the need for effective disaster preparedness and response becomes even more critical. University of Delaware disaster research experts can discuss the challenges communities face before, during and after hurricanes, including Hurricane Isaias and its potential impacts across Alabama, Mississippi, the Florida Panhandle and other parts of the northern Gulf Coast. The following experts from UD's Disaster Research Center are available to discuss the public health consequences of hurricanes, disaster preparedness and community recovery. Sarah DeYoung, associate professor of sociology and criminal justice, can discuss the needs of refugee and immigrant communities before, during and after disasters, including challenges accessing information, assistance and essential resources. She worked for several years with refugee and immigrant communities in southern Alabama through a grant-funded project. Jennifer Horney, professor of epidemiology, can discuss the public health consequences of hurricanes and other disasters, including evacuation decisions, the risks posed by inland flooding and the challenges communities face during recovery. She was part of the public health response to Hurricane Harvey and can discuss how communities still recovering from major storms may face additional challenges when another hurricane threatens the region. Jennifer Trivedi, associate professor of anthropology, studies how disasters affect marginalized communities. She can discuss how disasters compound existing challenges for people struggling to meet basic needs, particularly when flooding disrupts housing, transportation, food access and other essential services. Tricia Wachtendorf, co-director of the Disaster Research Center, can discuss the social impacts of hurricanes and inland flooding, including evacuation, preparedness, community response and recovery. She can also discuss how storms that are not the most powerful can nonetheless cause significant damage and disruption. To reach these experts directly, visit their ExpertFile profile and click on the "contact" button. Interested journalists can also contact MediaRelations@udel.edu.

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How should journalists cover politics when democracy is at stake

Political coverage often centers on the president, but according to the University of Delaware’s Dannagal Young, journalists can sometimes provide more meaningful coverage by focusing more on democracy and less on the commander in chief’s every movement. Young calls this approach “democracy-centered reporting.” Instead of treating every presidential announcement or provocative statement as the central event, democracy-centered reporting asks how political actions affect democratic institutions, constitutional principles and Americans’ ability to exercise their rights as citizens, Young says. Young, professor of communication and director of UD’s Center for Political Communication, says “access journalism” has an important role, but an overreliance on access can also make political leaders the organizing principle of coverage. In moments when executive power is expanding, she argues, journalists should consider whether their coverage is inadvertently amplifying the power they are trying to scrutinize. Young can discuss: • How journalists can cover presidents without making the president the center of every story • The benefits and risks of access journalism • How coverage of political conflict affects public understanding of democracy To arrange an interview with Young, visit her profile and click on the "contact" button. Interested reporters can also send an email to MediaRelations@udel.edu.