New study aims to test benefits of bidirectional EV charging

Researchers at the University of Colorado Denver are undertaking a study that will test how bidirectional EV charging could bring more flexibility to a stressed grid.

While only a few EVs have bidirectional charging, the researchers believe this feature will become more standard as demand increases. Similar to how residents of solar-powered homes can generate extra electricity and sell it back to utility companies, a vast bidirectional charging network could be established for EV owners to transfer power back to the grid, especially during times of peak demand or grid stress.

However, the relative lack of reliable charging options nationwide is still the biggest hindrance to EV adoption.

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“The idea is for us to present an EV charging network plan in a box,” said the study’s lead principal investigator Lynne Kiesling. “It’s really all a chicken and egg problem. In the 1910s, people weren’t going to buy cars until they knew they could get gas close to home. And others said they weren’t going to build gas stations until there’s enough people who have cars. We’re seeing the same phenomenon today.”

The three-year, $750,000 National Science Foundation-funded study will focus on four interdisciplinary areas:

1. Experimental economics: Developing peak and off-peak pricing models that consumers and utility companies would support 
2. Impact to buildings and grid: Evaluating how bidirectional (two-way) charging affects the stability of the grid and buildings’ energy efficiency, with the overall goal of reducing emissions and costs 
3. Consumer behavior: Understanding how citizens can benefit from VGI, how to overcome potential socio-economic barriers, and how lessons learned can be integrated into transportation and urban planning 
4. Data analytics: Examining findings from the first three points and using machine-learning algorithms to identify public charger locations and pricing strategies that would be advantageous for EV owners and energy companies 

“We are hoping that these EVs can help make the grid more flexible and give more incentives to consumers,” Kiesling said. “A utility’s primary operating objective is reliability, but flexibility is the name of the game for the 21st century grid.” 

Originally published by Sean Wolfe on power-grid.com