Dynamic Connected EV Batteries for Grid Decarbonization

Tristan Grant
Proposal Status
Ready for Committee Review
Username
Tristan Grant
Proposer First Name
Tristan
Proposer Email
tristangrant@magrann.com
Proposer Last Name
Grant
Proposer Job Title
Director of Sustainability
Proposed Session Description
EV’s may not be the carbon saviors they’re touted as. Studies have shown EV’s range significantly, largely dependent on the size of the battery and grid mix in the supply chain of manufacturing. We take on a carbon debt when we purchase them, and one that we may not have time to pay off if we hope to meet short term emissions goals. The carbon case for EV’s can get stronger if we use them as dynamic grid connected batteries to advance grid decarbonization efforts.
Why is this session important?
There are currently ~85,000 EVs registered in NY, 21,000 registered in NYC - representing ~5.5 gWh and 1.3 gWh of storage capacity respectively (based on average battery of 65kwh). Leveraging even 1% of this capacity is megawatts of battery storage added to the grid. Unlike commercial and utility scale battery installations, these vehicles are already on the road, parked in driveways and garages, throughout the state. This distributed storage capacity represents a huge opportunity to accelerate decarbonization of the grid by complimenting the added capacity of solar and wind generation, helping to deal with peak generation and demand issues, advance non-wires solutions, and provide economic benefits to owners through existing demand response and time of use programs. This session will feature an overview of EV lifecycle carbon impacts, and discuss strategies for using them to advance grid decarbonization efforts. This will include a discussion on existing frameworks that could be leveraged to provide economic incentive for EV owner participation such as TOU billing, demand response billing programs, and non-wires solutions that utilities are actively pursuing. The session will then pivot to a review of and lessons learned from some of the first installations of Vehicle-to-Grid / Vehicle-to-home systems. This will include a review of regulatory barriers, permitting process, and technological/hardware shortcomings, and discussion on what the market needs to do to remove these barriers to pave way for broader adoption.

Comments

Amalia Cuadra Sat, 05/20/2023 - 2:43 pm

Cuadra Comment: MAYBE The abstract promises to discuss an interesting subject -- EV & grid decarbonization. I cannot tell from the abstract if the speakers are subject matter experts or if they are offering an overview of the EV industry, its carbon life cycle, and its potential to support the grid through EV batteries and demand response. If it's both, then it should be a shoo-in. 

Christopher Palmese Sun, 05/21/2023 - 9:24 pm

Yes.  This seems to be an important and growing area that I think many people would be interested to learn about.  I think it is also good that the speaker suggests having panelists from both a consulting/engineering firm and a design and installation company.  

Ben Sachs-Hamilton Thu, 05/25/2023 - 10:43 am

Round 1 discussion:Utilizing EVs as emergency backup/grid connectivity. Panelists from diverse backgrounds. Need: overview of EVs, carbon lifecycle, and grid connectivity potential. Need to vet panelists - is this connected to real experience/study? Are they content area experts? Specific examples of how EVs can be utilized.

Elizabeth Engoren Fri, 06/09/2023 - 11:50 am

YES YES YES - This team understands the critical policy importance of the talk, has a strong, holistic understanding of the implementation issues, and has concrete project examples doing this work with Northeast utilities. NYC needs to have this talk NOW as we work to develop our EV infrastruture - we cannot repeat the slow policy and infrastructure development mistakes we made with solar PV adoption here.   

Elizabeth Engoren Mon, 06/12/2023 - 9:30 am

I thought about the session more over the weekend: We need to add a 3rd speaker who's an expert on the car battery itself. If dynamic charging is going to succeed, we need to think about the impact it will have on battery performance and lifecycle. Also what cars even allow for this currently (e.g., my understanding is Teslas do not)? What's the challenge of automakers updating their car designs to permit dynamic charging? Perhaps we can reach out to one of the researchers at Munro & Associates: https://munrolive.com/

Learning Objectives
Learn about lifecycle emissions of EVs relative to ICE vehicles
Learn how vehicle-to-grid and vehicle-to-home EV functionality can advance electric grid decarbonization through existing utility frameworks such as time of use, demand response, and load shifting.
Learn from case studies of some of the first commercial Vehicle-to-home charging station installations, and what hardware, software, and regulatory barriers stand in the way of broader scale adoption.
Has this session been presented before?
No
Target Audiences Level of Expertise
Level 2 - Some prior knowledge helpful.

NYC 2023 Areas of Focus

Session Format Details
Presentation followed by Q/A
Recommended Length
60-minute session

Strongest Content Connection - NYC 2023

Reviewer 1
Cuadra, Amalia
Reviewer 2
Engoren, Elizabeth
Proposal #
159
Committee Decision
Being Considered

Presenters