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Vehicle to Grid (V2G)

What is V2G?

Vehicle to Grid (V2G) is a subset of the larger concept of a vehicle providing electrical power to an external device. This broader concept is often called Vehicle to Everything (V2X) and includes Vehicle to Load (V2L), Vehicle to Building (V2B) and Vehicle to Grid (V2G).

Vehicle to Load can involve smaller loads like charging a cell phone but with newer EVs, it can be something larger like a table saw or welder for a contractor.

 Man sawing wood

Vehicle to Building is where the vehicle sends energy into a building, such as providing backup power during an outage.

 

Vehicle to Grid is where the vehicle sends energy back out onto the electrical grid, lowers your bill, and earns additional revenue.

 

Vehicles and charging stations

 

Why would you want to do V2G?

There are many potential benefits to doing V2G including:

  • Most V2G systems can also do V2B and provide backup during an outage.
  • For customers who want to see the energy generated from their solar photovoltaic (PV) system used on-site instead of being exported to the grid, V2G provides an alternative to stationary energy storage.
  • Revenue generation, as customers in Massachusetts can participate in the ConnectedSolutions program while customers in New York can earn revenue through VDER.

Additional requirements for doing V2G

V2G requires a special charger that can export power to the grid in a manner that is safe and complies with all utility interconnection requirements, just as a solar inverter would. This also increases the permitting and interconnection timeline as electric utilities like National Grid will process the application in the same way as a solar or battery storage application.

Want to learn more?

To learn more about potential revenue through ConnectedSolutions ConnectedSolutions | National Grid (nationalgridus.com)

For more information on V2X, check out:

To learn more about National Grid’s managed charging programs for customers, visit:

For inquiries on specific sites or to get more information on our fleet programs, please reach out to NGFleetProgram@nationalgrid.com.

Frequently Asked Questions

National Grid worked with Highland Electric to pilot vehicle to grid technology for their school bus fleet. You can read more about the pilot and partnership here: Highland Electric Fleets Coordinates Electric School Buses' Summer Job - Supporting Local Grid with Vehicle-to-Grid Technology (prnewswire.com)

 

No, there is no minimum or maximum charger power rating required for V2G. However, the charger will need to be “bi-directional” which means that it can pull power from the vehicle and push it back to the grid. Look for “V2G” chargers under “Type” in the list of approved products EPRI Home to find a few examples.

No, V2G can be done on the same meter as the rest of the facility or EV chargers. Note that the meter may need to be updated to ensure that it is bi-directional.

Customers will generally recharge their vehicles whenever they would like after an event. For example, if there is a 1hr power outage during which a customer uses their vehicle to power their business, the customer will either choose to recharge their vehicle directly after the outage is restored or wait until the regularly scheduled time they would normally recharge their vehicle based on their existing schedule or any managed charging or off-peak rebate programs they are enrolled in.

Vehicle manufacturers are increasingly supporting V2X, however what is allowed depends on the specific vehicle and warranty. Generally, a minor amount of V2X activity (i.e. once or twice a month) will have minimal impact on a vehicle’s warranty. However, continuous daily cycling may have warranty implications. To find out more, check with your vehicle manufacturer.

No, at this point V2G is handled under the existing tariffs for energy storage.

No, interconnections can be submitted at Home (site.com). Installations need to comply with National Grid’s standard Electrical Specifications and Interconnection Procedures. We recommend working with an installer who is familiar with interconnecting either solar or energy storage in National Grid’s service territory as they should be familiar with these requirements.