Vehicle-Grid Integration (VGI)
How EV fleets and passenger vehicles can support the energy grid
What is VGI?
Vehicle-Grid Integration is a broad term that covers all the different technologies and programs designed to use electric vehicles and their batteries as tools or assets to benefit the electric grid. When charging (or discharging) of EVs is coordinated with energy systems, it can create efficiencies that increase the adoption of zero emission renewable energy and electric transport, and reduce costs for drivers and energy consumers.
Get VGI charging for your home or business!
Also known as managed charging, or smart charging, V1G can be implemented with
a unidirectional, OCPP-integrated charger equipped with a charge management
system such as ChargePilot® or through vehicles telematics such as our eyond®
product.. V1G programs incentivize charging schedules to be shifted in harmony
with supply and demand on the energy grid through programs such as time-of-use
rates, demand response, dynamic rates, and demand charges. Using Automated
Load Management (ALM) to defer grid upgrades at a site can also be considered
a cost-saving V1G technique.
Learn more about how managed charging
can save capital and operational costs in this customer story from
NYCSBUS.
Grid operators and electric utility providers can use flexible interconnection
to enable reliable charging of EV fleets in constrained distribution systems.
Flexible interconnection allows EV charging to safely exceed the capacity of
an electric service panel and/or utility infrastructure limitations within
agreed-upon operating parameters, allowing utilities to plan and install or
upgrade necessary grid components while accommodating charging requests with
more flexibility. This can allow customers to avoid years-long delays and
potentially prohibitively costly grid upgrades.
Learn more
about
The Mobility House’s Fast & Flexible Interconnect (FIX)
Program
The first commercially available AC V2G system in the world
Owners of the electric R5 from Renault in France and UK can activate the Mobilize Power package including bidirectional charger, V2G energy contract, and Mobilize mobile app, powered by The Mobility House’s technology.
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Also known in some cases as vehicle-to-home (V2H) or vehicle-to-building
(V2B), this is when an electric vehicle’s battery is used to support critical
loads in the event of a grid outage or interruption. This requires a
bidirectional charger and transfer switch that is capable of completely
disconnecting from the grid, or “islanding the site.”
Learn
more about our
V2B Oakland project, using transit buses to provide backup power to community climate resilience
centers.
V2G enables electric vehicles to both receive and deliver power back to the
grid, supporting grid services. V2G requires a small generation
interconnection with utility that authorizes a vehicle to discharge to a
building, or directly to the grid. Once interconnected, EVs can also provide
energy services such as solar self-consumption, time-of-use rate arbitrage
peak shaving, and more in areas where utilities and system operators
compensate for them. Providing these services to the grid can unlock new
revenue streams for EV owners, creating a pathway to zero cost, zero emissions
charging.
Explore our
V2G programs
across the world.
EV charging can be integrated and co-located with distributed energy resources such as solar, storage, backup generators, or a microgrid. These systems can be configured for different value objectives, such as resilience, cost savings, or sustainability.
Learn more about EV charging and DER systems integration in our white paper.
NYCSBUS
Get VGI charging for your home or business!
Do you own an EV, or a fleet of EVs? Apply to signify your interest in a VGI-capable charging system.