SwRI develops ERCOT Vehicle-To-Grid (V2G) system

Southwest Research Institute has deployed the first vehicle-to-grid aggregation system qualified by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) to manage charging activities for a fleet of electric delivery trucks.

The SwRI system suspends vehicle charging when the electric grid frequency drops too far below 60 Hertz, the normal operating frequency.

This novel smart grid system demonstrates enabling technologies to support stable electric power delivery.

Electricity is difficult to store yet has to be available on demand. Because supply and demand across a grid vary continuously, organizations like ERCOT coordinate power through various suppliers to maintain frequency levels and make rapid adjustments when the frequency falls outside the normal range. Alternative energy supplies, such as wind energy, can be especially variable, so the SwRI-developed technology is particularly useful for integrating these green technologies into the energy infrastructure. The development is part of a Center for the Commercialization of Electric Technologies (CCET) smart grid demonstration project funded jointly by CCET partners and the U.S. Department of Energy through an American Reinvestment and Recovery Act grant.

Image Courtesy of Southwest Research Institute