Nissan Piloting bi-Directional EV Charging to Help Offset Peak Energy Demand
Renewable energy and electric vehicle advocates have for years discussed using EV batteries to not just power vehicles but to provide power to the electric grid as a means to stabilize the electric grid and add more renewable energy into it. Now Nissan and Fermata Energy piloting bi-directional EV charging systems in Tennessee and California.
The Nissan Energy Share pilot, announced at the 2018 Nissan Futures Event, will allow Nissan LEAFs to charge on the Fermata system and also provide energy to the electric grid when it’s needed during peak hours, like an energy storage system or very small peak generator. Fermata’s software system can work with any bi-directional charger or vehicle but Nissan’s LEAF the only bi-directional capable EV that’s currently on the market, the companies said.
“As the only vehicle on the market utilizing bi-directional charging, the Nissan LEAF proves exceptionally useful while on the road and also while parked,” said Brian Maragno, Director, EV Sales and Marketing, Nissan North America, Inc. “As a pioneer in the EV space, we’re thrilled to continue to show new, meaningful technologies that leverage the LEAF’s growing capabilities.”
For the pilot Nissan will use its LEAFs in combination with Fermata Energy chargers and its proprietary software system. By charging from the electric grid or a renewable installation, like a solar rooftop, as well as sending power from the vehicles to a building or to the electric grid it can reduce electricity costs or even pay the car owner for the electricity it provided to the building or grid.
“EVs can earn money while they are parked,” contended David Slutzky, founder and CEO of Fermata. “We are excited to be working with Nissan, a global leader in vehicle electrification, to demonstrate the potential for using the energy stored in EV batteries to benefit vehicle owners in new ways beyond driving the vehicle. Nissan’s commitment to this pilot project demonstrates its visionary understanding of the potential of EVs.”
"Fermata Energy has found a way to unlock the code and unleash the untapped value in electric vehicle batteries” Tony Posawatz, EV pioneer and Fermata advisor. “Now customers and fleet owners can make money while their EVs are parked. This breakthrough technology will increase the adoption of electrified vehicles.”
Fermata’s software system enables the charger to interact between vehicle, charger and grid or building. The company said it has spent years studying the potential commercial applications for on-board EV energy storage and plans to bring several of the uses to the market in 2019. It also plans to introduce the first UL certified bi-directional charger to the US market in early 2019.
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