Advanced VGI Control to Maximize Battery Life and Use of Second-Life Batteries to Increase Grid Service and Renewable Power Penetration
Demonstrating a cost-effective, scalable approach to deploying second-life electric vehicle batteries.
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Recipient
Berkeley, CA
Recipient Location
9th
Senate District
15th
Assembly District
$2,045,000
Amount Spent
Active
Project Status
Project Update
The project developed an Energy Management Platform (EMP) and telemetry systems to manage the E-bus charging sessions and fleet operations at VTA. Bus state of charge range, efficiency, and odometer readings were successfully tested for full integration at VTA. Demonstrations of the EMP in real-world scenarios, using up to 5 E-buses, were conducted through July-October 2020. The EMP reduced the peak power of E-bus fleet charging by up to 65% while ensuring each bus has sufficient charge to complete all of its assigned routes. The project is complete and the final report is published.
The Issue
Plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) can provide energy storage needed to support renewable power generation through vehicle-to-grid (V2G) and vehicle-to-building (V2B) services. However, the risk of accelerated battery degradation is commonly cited as a concern inhibiting the implementation of V2G and V2B technology. Additionally, second-life battery applications can provide value after a battery pack has exhausted its useful life in a vehicle. Real-world demonstrations are needed to complement existing battery degradation models, projections, and recyclability economic models to promote second-life battery future use in V2G and V2B applications.
Project Innovation
This project demonstrates an automated control system for a fleet of PEVs and repurposed second-life batteries that reduces the overall cost of ownership by maximizing battery lifetime, shifting load to minimize electricity and demand charges, and providing V2G and V2B services, including those supporting the use of onsite solar generation. The demonstration adds a stationary second-life battery installation to the existing PEV fleet site at the Los Angeles Air Force Base.
Project Goals
Project Benefits
Project activities resulting in benefits include (1) developing accounting and settlement methods to recover personally owned electric vehicle workplace charging costs at military bases and other government workplaces, (2) managing charging for chargers behind the same meter as buildings to maximize service to drivers and minimize additions to monthly peak demand charges, and (3) determining costs and benefits of combining charging stations with solar generation and/or battery energy storage. These costs and benefits will be simulated for sites and conditions other than Los Angeles Air Force Base.
Reliability
The managed charging system will be able to control charging of all personally owned and fleet workplace electric vehicles and ensure distribution system health is not compromised.
Economic Development
Personally owned electric vehicle drivers that utilize charging stations at military bases and other government workplaces will be appropriately compensated with the use of this project's developed software solution that meets Department of Defense requirements.
Affordability
The project reduces the lifecycle cost of PEV ownership for fleets by increasing the useful capacity and lifetime of PEV batteries, including accounting for recycling costs and waste generation from manufacturing new batteries.
Environmental Sustainability
PEV batteries removed from transportation service but retained as storage assets at their primary location will result in significant increases in useful service life before recycling.
Key Project Members
Douglas Black
Subrecipients
Kisensum
TechFlow, Inc.
Match Partners
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory