Dairyland is launching a first-of-its-kind research project into the capabilities of utilizing an all-electric vehicle for two-way power. 

The Vehicle to Grid project is a forward-looking part of Dairyland’s investigation of Distributed Energy Resource Management Systems (DERMS) testing an electric vehicle’s ability to feed power back into the grid. Dairyland is currently the only Generation & Transmission Cooperative with a Vehicle to Grid research project underway. 

Dairyland purchased its first all-electric vehicle (EV) this year, a 2019 Nissan Leaf. The Leaf will be “patient zero” in the research project. Currently, Senior Innovation Engineer John McWilliams is using the vehicle for his visits to distribution cooperatives and helping to identify gaps in the EV charging infrastructure in our service territory.

How will the research project work?
Beyond testing the concept of a “smart” interface between EV and grid, ideally the EV would prove its use in alleviating peak loads by providing energy back to the grid at times of high energy use. Dairyland’s Load Management system will be used to activate the vehicle to grid delivery of seven kilowatts (kW) of power during peak periods. The vehicle has a 60 kilowatt-hour (kWh) battery, so it will be able to deliver power to the grid for four hours, while still maintaining a range of 80 miles after the peak period. The battery would then be recharged during an off-peak period.  

Wave of the future
As the growth of EVs continues, experts anticipate the amount of energy stored “on wheels” to outstrip the amount of stationary battery storage.  While not every vehicle owner will want to participate, the future potential of using electric vehicles as a grid resource is very significant. 

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