Enable Standardized Vehicle-Grid Integration through Development of Universal Standard

Providing system operators and balancing authorities with the necessary platform to manage PEVs.

Low Carbon Transportation Vehicle-to-Grid Integration

Center for Sustainable Energy

Recipient

San Diego, CA

Recipient Location

39th

Senate District

78th

Assembly District

beenhere

$397,717

Amount Spent

closed

Completed

Project Status

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Project Result

CSE was unsuccessful in completing this project to develop, test and demonstrate an open-source Demand Clearing House (DCH). CSE experienced numerous project delays due to the loss of a major subcontractor and subsequently their demonstration site. CSE and the Energy Commission determined that the project could not satisfactorily complete before the grant funds expired. These delays ultimately led to the proposed termination of this grant agreement. The only deliverable brought to completion was the DCH Server Specifications, which detail the design capabilities and functionality of the DCH. Work progressed on the DCH software, but was only completed up to 25%. The Server Specifications and "work in progress" software are available to the public for use and continued development. Energy Commission Audit staff concluded their audit and identified unresolved questioned costs.

The Issue

California utilities are currently working to meet the State's Renewables Portfolio Standard of 33% by 2020, while simultaneously planning for the 1.5 million zero-emission vehicles that will be deployed by 2025, with over 130,000 plug-in vehicles (PEVs) sold since 2011. The State's vision to achieve cross-cutting benefits from these two separate yet interconnected efforts, however, requires new thinking on precisely how electric system operators can leverage and utilize PEVs as beneficial Distributed Energy Resources without compromising safety, data security, consumer simplicity or the mobility needs of the PEV owner.

Project Innovation

The project was intended to design and develop a Demand Clearing House (DCH) to monitor published energy pricing from the California Independent System Operator's Fifteen-Minute Energy Market as well as load forecasts from San Diego Gas & Electric and other participating utilities through an Application Programming Interface translation from Open ADR 2.0b, a Demand Response protocol used by all California Investor Owned Utilities. The DCH would have then used algorithms that convert grid conditions into ISO/IEC 15118 "grid profiles," or Tariff Tables, which in turn would be communicated to 15118-capable charging stations and vehicles. A fully developed DCH would allow utilities to respond to supplemental energy market prices, proving a viable and scalable pathway toward using plug-in electric vehicles to manage variable grid conditions, solar oversupply, and other system wide challenges. This project was terminated early and will not complete.

Project Benefits

Had the project been successful, this project would have advanced the adoption of an open protocol that enables large amounts of new, low cost flexible capacity on the grid. The open protocol could potentially minimize stranded investments in less cost effective forms of flexible grid resources, maximize renewable and PEV integration, and promote a safer, more reliable low carbon future.

Key Project Members

Andy Hoskinson

Subrecipients

Energy Solutions International

The Regents of California, San Diego

Strategen

Broadband Telcom Power Inc.

KnGrid

Globant

Carlos Botto

Match Partners