National Lab tests vehicle-to-grid (V2G)

According to IPC, the energy-storage benefits of grid-interconnected electric vehicles (EVs) are expected to be used for local peak demand reduction and grid ancillary services, and will likely be adopted initially for fleet vehicles. IPC’s Battery Converter will provide bi-directional power between the EV battery and a 480 Vac power grid.

Ideal Power Converters (IPC), a developer of power converter solutions, has announced that the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has successfully demonstrated vehicle to grid (V2G) capabilities using IPC’s bi-directional Battery Converter.

With support from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Electricity, NREL successfully integrated and used the new global fast-charging standard SAE J1772 combo-connector interface between the Battery Converter and EV, enabling power flow and communications in a single wired connection.

Lessons learned from NREL’s technology integration demonstration will be applied to a demonstration of V2G-capable electric vehicles integrated with a microgrid at Ft. Carson Army Base in 2013.

“We at NREL are very excited about the progress to date in establishing V2G using industry-standard hardware coupled with IPC’s Battery Converter,” says Tony Markel, leader of NREL’s EV-grid integration efforts. “Development of V2G systems provides opportunity to test theories that V2G will improve the economic viability of electric vehicles by providing low-cost grid storage that will facilitate higher penetration of intermittent renewable energy resources.”

Electronic power converters provide the infrastructure for the clean energy revolution including renewable energy generation, electrical energy efficiency, smart power grids, and electric vehicles. Ideal Power Converters has patented and is further developing a revolutionary new power converter technology that significantly improves weight, size, cost, efficiency and reliability.

IPC has received funding from the State of Texas Emerging Technology Fund, and has been awarded $2.5M from the U.S. Department of Energy Advanced Research Projects Agency — Energy (ARPA-E). IPC was also included in the ‘Cool Vendors in Solar Energy, 2012’ report published by Gartner Inc, and won the 2012 Defense Energy Technology Challenge. For more information, visit:

http://www.idealpowerconverters.com/pdf/NREL%20and%20IPC%20demonstrate%20V2G_16Oct2012.pdf