Accelerating V2X Technologies: Best Practices and Insights for Utilities Managing Bidirectional Charger Interconnection

Those in the electric utility and energy space have likely heard about ‘Vehicle-to-Grid’ (V2G) and ‘Vehicle-to-Home’ (V2H) technologies with varying predictions on their benefits to customers and electricity providers. These technologies fall within the emerging category of Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) bidirectional charging systems “which can discharge from the electric vehicle (EV) battery to serve a customer’s onsite load or export to the grid while providing for mobility needs” (VGIC).

The topic of V2X is finally emerging from the hallways and speaker podiums at EV-focused conferences to reach everyday consumers. The eye-catching advertising for the Ford F-150 Lightning’s ‘Intelligent Backup Power’ and GM Energy’s recent announcement of its Ultium Home Charging System have pushed these technologies further into the spotlight.

Electric utilities are also excited about the potential of bidirectional charging systems, with several utilities like National Grid recently launching V2G pilots. As part of their upcoming report ‘The State of Bidirectional Charging in 2023,’ the Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA) surveyed 37 utilities, of which 14 already have some form of V2X program underway, while eight are in the process of planning to implement V2X programs.

From a technical perspective, a bidirectional charger has the ability beyond a traditional charger to discharge from the EV battery to the home or the grid. For the home scenario, installation is akin to the process for backup generators, while the grid scenario may require a different utility approval process from traditional EV chargers. In fact, as some electric utilities and installers are discovering, the interconnection pathway for these exporting chargers is very similar, if not identical, to the process for Distributed Generation (DG) or Energy Storage systems. Throughout this article, we will share best practices to streamline the interconnection of V2X bidirectional charging systems, and by extension, distributed energy resources (DERs).

COLLECTING THE RIGHT INFORMATION TO FACILITATE FAST TRACKING

Bidirectional charger projects have key technical differences compared to installing traditional EV chargers. Ensuring that installers understand the information they need to prepare for the interconnection application process and closeout is key to streamlining the project’s energization. By providing a comprehensive overview of interconnection requirements upfront, utilities can significantly reduce the amount of back and forth with installers and expedite project reviews.

Below you'll find the types of information that should be included in a bidirectional interconnection overview and the associated benefits:

APPLYING FOR BIDIRECTIONAL INTERCONNECTION

Having reviewed the interconnection guidelines and requirements, installers will then apply for charger interconnection to their local utility if the system has grid export capabilities, requires site updates, or both. From the utility perspective, capturing the correct project and equipment details upfront is critical to streamlining its technical review by internal stakeholders. 

For optimal efficiency, utilities should have an intuitive web interconnection portal that allows installers to quickly access relevant background information, submit project applications, save in-progress or complete applications, see project status updates, upload required documents and communicate with interconnection reviewers.

OPTIMIZING BIDIRECTIONAL CHARGER UTILITY APPROVAL WORKFLOWS

By adhering to the guidance above, bidirectional project applicants will be submitting the right information upfront, and applications will be sent to the correct utility teams for review. This sounds simple enough, but as highlighted in the research by SEPA, many utilities are still in the process of learning about bidirectional chargers—with a few having encountered their first applications only recently.

The few utilities that have started interconnecting bidirectional charger projects have supported the notion that these projects largely follow existing DG interconnection processes:

A large investor-owned utility (IOU) in the Pacific Northwest explained that V2G projects they’ve processed “have utilized the Small Generator Facility Interconnection process,” while a large IOU in the Northeast shared that “bidirectional charger projects have followed the Distributed Generation interconnection process.” An IOU in the Southwest that is implementing an Electric School Bus V2G trial similarly conveyed that these projects “follow their existing interconnection processes.” Another mid-sized IOU explained that for V2H projects, they “do not have a separate interconnection process” but require installers to ensure that the charger “cannot inadvertently feed back into the grid.”     

Industry stakeholders also support the argument that existing DG interconnection processes are well suited to facilitate V2X interconnection applications. Last year the Vehicle Grid Integration Council conducted research across V2X stakeholders and came to the same conclusion. SEPA’s recent interviews for their upcoming report revealed that only 25% of utilities view the V2X interconnection process as a primary barrier to their deployment, backing the notion that existing processes can support this without warranting a redesign.

By taking what we have learned about existing DG interconnection processes, we have identified the high-level processes for efficient review of a bidirectional charger project and common issues that cause delays. As shown below, there are several triggers for delays throughout the interconnection process that can slow down the approval and installation process.

However, given that the V2X interconnection process mirrors that for DG, there are myriad strategies to significantly streamline the review and approval of these projects that are already familiar to utilities and their partners. These strategies include workflow automation; communications automation; integrations with other utility systems to automate engineering screening; and ensuring an intuitive, error-proof applicant experience. As with DG/DER interconnection processes, the ability to nimbly adapt to evolving program requirements and V2X technology advancements will be critical for utility teams to successfully scale their programs.

ENERGIZING V2X INTERCONNECTION

There will be some experimentation and evolution as bidirectional charging technologies begin to gain traction and utilities gain experience through V2X programs. The good news for today’s electric utilities is that there is an entire ecosystem of both utility experts and industry partners that can support those utilities that need advice or assistance in developing cutting-edge V2X programs.

SEPA has relationships that can be leveraged by utility members and there are a number of third-party companies that have both technical and commercial experience in developing and scaling new programs like V2X. One such company is Clean Power Research®, which has helped many utilities and energy agencies develop and streamline their EV and DG interconnection programs and processes with PowerClerk®. As stated by Jeff Ressler, CEO of Clean Power Research,

CONCLUSION

It is clear that the process for bidirectional interconnection, while new, is not materially different from existing distributed generation interconnection processes. While each utility and interconnection process is unique, there are several strategies to ensuring that your utility team is collecting the right information upfront and streamlining your interconnection process. 

Would you like to learn more, or do you have questions about Electric Vehicle charger or V2X interconnection? If so, experts from Clean Power Research and the other organizations that contributed to this article are ready to help.

RESOURCES

Learn more about how Clean Power Research supports utilities to streamline their transportation electrification and other energy programs:

• Transportation Electrification Utility Solutions - Automate, streamline, and scale your transportation programs via industry-leading workflow software, integrated with customer education and advanced analytics.

• Orange & Rockland (O&R) streamlines EV make-ready program with PowerClerk – Find out how O&R reduced its commercial make-ready project lifecycle by 60% in this case study.

For those looking for additional detail on V2X interconnection, the VGIC’s ‘Best Practices for Service Connection or Interconnection’ serves as a helpful resource on this topic and in early September SEPA will be publishing ‘The State of Bidirectional Charging in 2023’ in conjunction with industry leaders like ICF, Fermata Energy, and several others.

About the Author 

Andrew Price is a Senior Business Development Manager at Clean Power Research where he helps utilities shape and implement their transportation electrification strategies. An expert on EVSE interconnection, Andrew was also actively involved in several of the world’s first V2X pilot projects as part of his previous role as Section Manager of Electric Vehicles and Energy Services at Nissan’s European Headquarters. Andrew can be reached at [email protected]