PG&E to launch multi-use case bidirectional EV pilots

Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) has announced it will develop three pilot programmes to test how bidirectional electric vehicles (EVs) and chargers can provide power to the electric grid.

PG&E will test bidirectional charging technology in a variety of settings, including in homes, businesses and with local microgrids in select high fire-threat districts (HFTDs).

The pilots will test the ability of the EV to send power back to the grid and provide power to customers during an outage. PG&E expects its findings will help determine how to maximise the cost-effectiveness of bidirectional charging technology to provide customer and grid services.

“As electric vehicle adoption continues to grow, bidirectional charging technology has huge potential for supporting our customers and the electric grid broadly. We’re excited to launch these new pilots, which will add to our existing work testing and demonstrating the possibility of this technology,” said Jason Glickman, PG&E’s executive vice president, engineering, planning & strategy.

Residential pilot

Through the pilot with residential customers, PG&E will work with automakers and EV charging suppliers. They will explore how light-duty, passenger EVs at single-family homes can help customers and the electric grid.

These include:

• Providing backup power to the home if the power is out
• Optimising EV charging and discharging to help the grid integrate more renewable resources
• Aligning EV charging and discharging with the real-time cost of energy procurement

This pilot will be open to up to 1,000 residential customers who will receive at least $2,500 for enrolling, and up to an additional $2,175 depending on their participation.

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Business pilot

The pilot with business customers will explore how medium- and heavy-duty and possibly light-duty EVs at commercial facilities could help customers and the electric grid.

These include:

• Providing backup power to the building if the power is out
• Optimising EV charging and discharging to support the deferral of distribution grid upgrades
• Aligning EV charging and discharging with the real-time cost of energy procurement

The business customers pilot will be open to approximately 200 business customers who will receive at least $2,500 for enrolling, and up to an additional $3,625 depending on their participation.

Microgrid pilot

The microgrid pilot will explore how EVs—both light-duty and medium- to heavy-duty—plugged into community microgrids can support community resiliency during Public Safety Power Shutoff events.

Customers will be able to discharge their EVs to the community microgrid to support temporary power or charge from the microgrid if there is excess power.

Following initial lab testing, this pilot will be open to up to 200 customers with EVs who are in HFTD locations that contain compatible microgrids used during Public Safety Power Shutoff events.

Customers will receive at least $2,500 for enrolling and up to an additional $3,750 depending on their participation.

Each of the three pilots is expected to be available to customers in 2022 and 2023 and will continue until incentives run out.

PG&E expects customers will be able to enrol in the home and business pilots in late summer 2022.