Eversource, National Grid, EnergyHub, Sunrun, and The Mobility House — leaders in grid flexibility and smart charging technology — have announced a joint effort to test vehicle-to-grid (V2G) capabilities in Massachusetts.
Under this effort, qualifying residential customers of Eversource and National Grid in Massachusetts will be able to enroll their V2G-capable electric vehicles (EVs) in ConnectedSolutions. The existing ConnectedSolutions program uses flexible capacity from thermostats, batteries, and commercial and industrial resources to reduce grid strain, and Eversource and National Grid will be leveraging those capabilities to test how they apply to V2G.
With more than 150,000 EVs on the road and an increasing number of bidirectional-capable models available, Massachusetts is sitting on a large and growing energy reserve. The introduction of vehicle-to-grid capabilities enables drivers to ‘give back’ to the grid, turning every parked EV into a vital tool for a more reliable energy system.
Participating EVs can play an important role in reducing costs for all Eversource and National Grid customers. During periods of peak demand, they will be able to send stored energy back to the grid — helping prevent system strain, while enhancing overall grid stability. The grid benefits that V2G-capable EVs can provide are potentially substantial, and participating drivers will be rewarded with incentives that support the value they deliver to the grid.
National Grid is also currently leveraging V2G for light-to-medium-duty fleets within ConnectedSolutions, beginning with school buses, while Eversource is in discussions with districts as part of its ConnectedSolutions+ offering.
“ConnectedSolutions is an important part of our strategy to deliver safe, reliable and affordable service,” said David Roman Ubeda, Senior Program Manager at National Grid. “V2G may provide additional opportunities to customers in support of managing their energy bills while advancing long-term sustainability across Massachusetts.”
“ConnectedSolutions is the gold standard for how utilities can scale virtual power plants by unifying diverse energy assets into a single, cohesive program,” said Seth Frader-Thompson, President of EnergyHub.
“We are excited to bring our dispatching expertise to Massachusetts and help expand our vehicle-to-grid technology to more customers,” said Chip Silverman, Sunrun’s Director of Grid Services. “Vehicle batteries play a critical role in stabilizing the grid, providing backup power to homes, and lowering energy costs for everyone.”
“Electric cars and buses with bidirectional charging have a valuable capability to provide emergency back up power and vehicle-to-grid,” said Russell Vare, VP of Vehicle-Grid Integration at The Mobility House North America. “The ConnectedSolutions program provides an excellent model to incentivize customers to interconnect their EVs to support the grid.”
“ConnectedSolutions is a nation-leading model for implementing virtual power plants, enabling us to actively partner with customers to help ease the strain on the electric grid,” said Tilak Subrahmanian, Eversource Vice President of Energy Efficiency and Electric Mobility. “We are proud of the impact our demand response efforts have had so far, and we are excited to test the capabilities we’ve built within ConnectedSolutions on new innovations, such as V2G.”
To learn more about the ConnectedSolutions program, visit the following pages for:
