Scalable, Resilient V2B Multi-Vehicle DC Platform (MVP DC) Demonstration at Public Buildings in California

Gridscape Solutions, Inc.

Recipient

Fremont, CA

Recipient Location

10th

Senate District

24th

Assembly District

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$872,188

Amount Spent

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Active

Project Status

Project Update

The design for Multi-Vehicle DC Platform (MVP DC) deployment at the San Pasqual Band of Mission Indians (SPBMI) site is complete. Outside of this project, Gridscape has already deployed a community microgrid in the San Pasqual tribal area, a remote location in San Diego County, which includes seven buildings such as the main administrative office, education center, police station, and fire department. Located in a high-risk fire zone, the community experiences frequent power outages from the local utility. The site features 156.8 kW of solar generation, 240 kW and 480 kWh of stationary battery storage, and six Level 2 EV charging stations. It also includes a critical load panel that powers all emergency loads during a grid outage. The MVP DC system will be installed in the first half of 2025 to demonstrate vehicle-to-building (V2B) resilience, allowing multiple plug-in electric vehicles to charge and discharge at the site.

The team is also working on site designs for two additional project demonstration sites: the City of Fontana Public Works Department (PWD) and the Bay Area Youth Vaishnav Parivar Cultural & Community Center (BAYVP). Deployment at these sites is scheduled for the second half of 2025.

The Issue

Public buildings that serve as emergency and community centers often rely on polluting fossil fuel generators with fuel storage tanks to maintain operations during prolonged grid outages. While stationary lithium-ion battery energy storage offers a cleaner backup solution, these systems can be expensive, especially when scaled up in capacity to support multi-day outages. Large behind-the-meter stationary storage also tends to have low utilization, with much of its capacity going unused. Vehicle-to-building technologies offer a potentially lower-cost alternative for backup power compared to stationary storage. However, most previous demonstrations have focused on powering a single building with a single vehicle, limiting their scalability.

Project Innovation

This project will advance and demonstrate an innovative DC-coupled bidirectional charging system for electric vehicles, enabling multiple vehicles to discharge electricity simultaneously through a Rule 21-compliant, grid-forming inverter. The DC multi-vehicle platform for bidirectional charging will be showcased at three sites in California, located in low-income, disadvantaged, and Tribal communities. In collaboration with community-based organizations, each site will demonstrate the discharge of energy stored in electric vehicle batteries to power public buildings, enhancing community resilience during outages or intentional events.

Project Goals

Provide backup power from multiple EVs at public buildings that serve as energy resilience centers.
Advance vehicle-to-building technology adoption across equipment manufacturers and fleet and building owners.
Pilot business models and incentive structures to compensate EV owners during vehicle-to-building operations.

Project Benefits

Vehicle-to-building technology can cost-effectively support critical community resilience centers and mitigate the impacts of public safety power shutoffs (PSPS) and other reliability events. The project will address barriers to broader adoption of vehicle-to-building technology for clean resilient backup power, demonstrate safe interconnection, and validate cost/benefits to customers and the grid.

Greater Reliability

Reliability

This project will result in the ratepayer benefits of greater electricity reliability and resilience by advancing vehicle-to-building technologies that can provide backup power for long durations at a lower cost than stationary behind-the-meter storage.

Increase Safety

Safety

The vehicle-to-building system will meet all Rule 21 requirements and will safely interconnect with electricity distribution systems while providing additional benefits such as peak demand management to reduce site energy costs.

Environmental & Public Health

Environmental Sustainability

The technology demonstrated will replace fossil-based backup generators resulting in reduced greenhouse gas and local criteria air pollutant emissions.

Key Project Members

Project Member

Vipul Gore

President & CEO

Subrecipients

Rocket

Electric Power Research Institute, Inc.

Rocket

BYD Coach & Bus dba RIDE Coach & Bus

Rocket

THE ENERGY COALITION

Rocket

Larsen & Toubro Limited

Rocket

Match Partners

Rocket

Electric Power Research Institute, Inc.

Rocket

Gridscape Solutions, Inc.

Contact the Team

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