Meeting Explores Global Advancement in Vehicle-To-Everything Integration
NREL recently hosted the two-day V2X Enabled Electric Vehicles expert meeting, one of several that have been organized under the International Energy Agency's Hybrid & Electric Vehicle Implementing Agreement (IA-HEV) "Task 28" portfolio. Task 28 encompasses research and collaboration for deployment of home grids and vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technologies -- exploring all issues related to the use of electric storage from plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) beyond vehicle power.
Ahmad Pesaran, group manager of NREL's transportation energy storage group who helped organize the event, kicked off the meeting by welcoming participants and providing an overview of NREL's transportation research. Participants traveled from national labs, industry groups, and international organizations, bringing expertise in vehicle-to-grid (V2G) integration and energy storage and highlighting the key advancements and challenges in V2G technology on a global scale. Several NREL transportation researchers offered presentations on the lab's relevant work, addressing advancements in battery research and lifespan modeling, eco-routing, and new efforts in V2G research.
"The IA-HEV workshop on home grids and vehicle-to-grid integration offered an excellent forum to exchange knowledge on current technology and implementation scenarios," said NREL Engineer Tony Markel, whose research team is focused on electric vehicle grid integration. "EV stored energy and charging demands integrated with renewable generation present opportunities for vehicles to help modernize the grid -- ongoing collaboration will be crucial for standardizing vehicle-to-grid solutions."
On each day of the meeting, participants were brought to NREL's world-class facilities, showcasing the lab's V2G and energy storage research capabilities at the Energy Systems Integration Facility, Thermal Test Facility, and Vehicle Testing and Integration Facility. Participants were also able to see a fully electric school bus currently being tested at NREL, with DOE support, for the EV V2G School Bus Project, led by the Clinton Global Initiative. Kevin Matthews with National Strategies and Steve Crolius with the Alliance Consulting Group have been closely involved with the school bus project -- they shared a presentation on the project's history, results from testing, and the energy savings that have been achieved by public schools through V2G electric bus deployment.
Other panelists covered interoperability standards, optimal charging schedules, mobility patterns, and profiles on battery lifespan. IA-HEV Operating Agent Manel Sanmartí also provided an overview of the Task 28 project work since its launch in 2014, calling out a series of workshops that explored how drivers can use PEV storage capabilities for vehicle-to-home, vehicle-to-load, vehicle-to-vehicle, and V2G applications. The initiative aims to address technical and economic knowledge gaps that prevent V2X technology deployment, including issues related to tax revenues, the roles of different industry players, and the impact of regulatory frameworks across the globe.
Task 28 is one of many multilateral projects led by IA-HEV, a membership-based organization that enables members to discuss respective needs, exchange key information, and learn from a growing pool of expertise on hybrid and electric vehicles. NREL and U.S. participation with IA-HEV is supported by the Energy Storage program within the U.S. Energy Department's Vehicles Technologies Office.