PG&E EV charging pilot to use grid-edge computing for load management
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Itron and Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) are collaborating on a customer-focused pilot to develop and test an EV charging solution that manages charging loads in real-time with grid-edge computing.
The goal of the pilot is to lower the barrier for customers to charge their EV at home by avoiding the need for costly customer electric panel and service upgrades, PG&E announced at the PG&E Innovation Summit presented by DISTRIBUTECH.
“In collaboration with Itron and our EV solution providers, PG&E is working to give more of our customers access to faster charging at home through a safe and affordable alternative to panel and service upgrades,” said Mike Delaney, vice president of utility partnerships and innovation at PG&E. “This solution makes EV adoption easier because customers can avoid out-of-pocket expenses and get faster Level 2 EV charging immediately, while keeping vehicle charging within safe grid limits.”
Typically, a Level 2 EV charger requires a 200-amp service to the customer’s home. A Level 2 charger is up to 15 times faster than plugging into a standard wall outlet and allows drivers to fill an all-electric vehicle from empty overnight.
If a customer has 100-amp service, which is the case for about half of the existing homes in PG&E’s service area, upgrading to a 200-amp panel and service can cost customers thousands of dollars and take months to complete, PG&E said.
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Itron and PG&E argue the EV Connect programme is unique in that it uses distributed intelligence (DI) edge computing that operates on a customer’s electric meter directly. This on-meter application connects to and coordinates with the customer’s EV charger to keep charging within their panel and utility grid limits.
“The EV Connect collaboration with our longtime customer, PG&E, illustrates the possibilities of Itron’s Grid Edge Intelligence portfolio,” said Don Reeves, senior vice president of outcomes at Itron. “The utility can deploy additional capabilities to its existing Itron communications network to enable intelligence at the grid edge and help end-use customers avoid the financial burden and wait time associated with upgrading service panels and residential service conductors.”
The initial scope of the EV Connect pilot programme will support up to 1,000 residential customers who currently own or are considering purchasing an EV and have panel or service limitations that prevent them from installing a Level 2 EV charger at home.
PG&E will replace customers’ existing electric smart meters with Itron Riva meters, enabling customers to subsequently instal and utilise Level 2 chargers available within the programme. PG&E and Itron plan to launch the new pilot offering in early 2025, with larger availability in the second half of 2025.
Depending on learnings and the success of the pilot program, PG&E will evaluate extending the programme to be broadly available on an ongoing basis.
Originally published by Sean Wolfe on power-grid.com
