Open Source Platform For Plug-in Electric Vehicle Smart Charging in California
A novel and flexible communication and control for PEVs in residential and small commercial settings.
The Regents of the University of California on behalf of the Berkeley campus
Recipient
Berkeley, CA
Recipient Location
7th
Senate District
14th
Assembly District
$1,357,291
Amount Spent
Completed
Project Status
Project Result
This project was completed in 2019. This project developed and demonstrated electric vehicle charging and building load aggregation and management in response to 15-minute ahead grid condition signals. The research team demonstrated local load optimization to reduce site energy consumption while meeting driver mobility needs, building functionality, and building occupant comfort. Load management strategies such as the one demonstrated in this project can have the potential to save ratepayers $15M per year in 2024 in lowered utility costs (at 1 percent market penetration).[br /]
[br /]
The research team has released the source code on GitHub for public consumption, which has been downloaded about 50 times. About 20 buildings are currently capable of integrating the developed charging communication and control platform. The research team cannot track the number deployments.
The Issue
Plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) represent a rapidly proliferating new vehicle technology and source of utility grid load. Currently only pilot concepts exist for actively managing PEV charge control for the benefit of California's grid and ratepayers. Meanwhile California's electrical grid is evolving to rely more on intermittent renewable power sources, with different "grid acceptance" issues than more traditional generation sources, driven by the state Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS), creating a unique opportunity for PEV charging and the "greening of the grid" to go hand-in-hand.
Project Innovation
The project developed a one-way charging concept for PEVs that maximized intermittent renewable generation and minimized impacts to the distribution grid. The project focused on controlling the charging of plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) in residential and small commercial settings using a novel and flexible open-source, open-software architecture charge communication and control platform. This software-based platform was embedded in the context of overall utility and residential and business electrical and building automation systems, lending itself to potential broad implementation by commercial interests due to its flexible architecture and "agnostic" approach to communications standards. Control strategies and applications were guided by an assessment of user needs and grid operation and ratepayer benefits, and the potential for one-way PEV charge control to lead to increased ability to accept intermittent renewable energy for California's electrical grid.
Project Benefits
This project focuses on controlling the charging of plug-in electric vehicles PEVs at residential and small commercial settings using a novel and flexible open-source, open-architecture charge communication and control platform. This XBOS-V platform is embedded in the context of overall utility and residential and business electrical and building automation systems, lending itself to potential broad implementation by commercial interests. This integrated project also focuses on the development of the open-source platform including assessment of user needs and grid operation and ratepayer benefits, grid security considerations, and the potential for PEV charge control to lead to increased ability to accept intermittent renewable energy for California's electrical grid. The platform is flexible to adoption and inclusion of several communication protocols.
Affordability
This project is estimated to result in $15 million per year reduction in electricity costs for ratepayers in 2024 from increased PEV charging energy efficiency and lower electricity generation costs.
Environmental Sustainability
This project could reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 72,500 metric tons per year in 2024 from increased PEV charging efficiency and increased fraction of intermittent operationally GHG-free renewable electricity generation.
Reliability
This project is expected to increase reliability of the electric distribution grid and reduce frequency of outages in residential areas. Coordinated charging of PEVs in distribution networks could reduce impacts from sudden surg
Key Project Members
Timothy Lipman
Subrecipients
BMW of North America
Match Partners
BMW of North America
