In Menifee, EVs Keep Homes Lit at Night

IN Menifee, California.Six newly built homes are being tested for the first time in North America: electric cars which can supply energy to homes through Combined charging system (CCS) high power DC charging standard. Every home uses master Let's EV9 electric car connected to Wallbox Quasar 2 bidirectional chargerwhat allows the car 100 kilowatt hour (kWh) to power the main circuits during power outages or periods when electricity prices tall. Setting is the first car home (V2H) in the system United States which uses the Combined Charging System (CCS) standard. CCS is a charging system commonly used in residential and public charging stations in Europe and North America.

Since July, smart electrical panels in homes have automatically controlled the two-way flow of energy – charging cars from the network or solar panel on the roofand then, when necessary, changes the direction of the energy flow. The system isolates each home from the power grid during a power outage, preventing current from entering external networks. power lines and endanger operating personnel and nearby equipment.

“This project demonstrates that bidirectional charging using CCS can work in residential buildings,” says Scott Samuelsenfounding director Advanced Power and Energy Program (APEP) on University of California, Irvinewho is overseeing the two-year trial. “This is a step toward vehicles that not only transport people, but also strengthen the energy system.”

Menifee means a lot

Two-way charging has been available for over a decade, but it has mostly been limited to Japan. Back in 2012 Nissan LEAF-to-Home Program proved the viability of the idea after Earthquake and tsunami in Tohokubut this Nissan the system relied on CHadeMO standard, little used outside Japan. Instead, most North American and European manufacturers have chosen CCS, a standard that until recently only supported one-way DC fast charging.

This distinction makes the V2H-enabled Menifee area noteworthy: This is the first residential deployment of CCS-based V2H, providing researchers with real-world field data on a technology that has long been trapped in pilot programs. Pairing the Kia EV9 SUV with Wallbox's off-the-shelf Quasar 2 can deliver up to 12 kilowatts of power from vehicle to home.

This is a step towards vehicles that not only transport people, but also strengthen the energy system.”
—Scott Samuelsen, University of California, Irvine

In other countries, the pace of development of commercial V2H has slowed. Ford F-150 Lightning supports home backup via Sanranbut Sunrun hardware is not compatible with CCS. Moreover, Ford announced production pause for pickup truck, which delayed the expansion. GM's Ultium Home– V2H system that works with the automaker's system. Cadillac Lyric, Cadillac Escalade IQ, Chevrolet Blazer, Chevrolet Equinox, Chevrolet SilveradoAnd GMC Sierra Electric vehicles face similar setbacks. Tesla's PowerShare V2H functionality is still in limited, early commercial deployment and bidirectional compatibility is limited Cybertruck. Menifee, in contrast, collects live data on real households.

Why CCS Matters

When electric vehicles first came to market, the CCS system was designed to do one thing: quickly transfer electrical power from the grid to the vehicle. The main goal is reliability, standardization, fast charging. This fact helps explain the difference between CCS public chargers (many of which are rated at 350 kilowatts or more) and their CHAdeMO-based counterparts, which typically have a maximum power of 100 kW (but are capable of providing home backup or network services).

Bidirectional operation was not included in the original CCS standard for several reasons. Early automakers and utilities worried about security risks, network interference, and additional equipment costs. Thus, the original CCS communication protocol electric cars and charging stations—ISO 15118— didn’t even include an electronic handshake for energy export. 2022 update, ISO 15118-20added secure two-way communication allowing CCS vehicles to supply power to buildings and the grid.

Wallbox's Quasar 2 household charger implements the upgrade via an active bridge converter circuit made from silicon carbide. transistorsachieving efficient bidirectional flow. His 12 kW rated power can handle typical critical home loads such as heating and cooling, coolingand networks, says Aley Meshe Sassystem electronics architect at Wallbox.

As the company name suggests, Wallbox chargers look like regular old boxes, although they contain high-tech components.Wall box

Menifeean Plan

Each of the Menifee homes equipped with the V2H system combines a rooftop solar array and a 13 kWh power plant. SunVolt stationary battery from SunPower. During normal operation, solar energy powers daily family charges and charges a stationary battery. On abundantly sunny days solar panels You can also top up your Kia EV9 battery. When the grid goes down or when electricity prices rise sharply, the house is isolated: Solar energy and energy stored in SunVault support critical systems and technique operates while the EV battery extends power if the blackout persists.

Last summer, researchers at the University of California, Irvine looked at how solar energy, stationary storage and vehicle power interact with summer demand and wildfire-related load on the grid. They found that, according to Samuelsen, who is Menifee Project Manager. “This can reduce the load on the grid, increase the use of renewable energy and reduce costs by supplying power during peak hours.”

Designing a house with two-way traffic

Home builders and EV service equipment manufacturers such as Wallbox aren't the only companies rethinking how to meet the engineering demands of V2H. Utilities must also make changes to ensure bidirectional flow of power. Interconnection procedures and electricity pricing structures are among the factors that need to be redesigned or revised.

A look at the energy future

Analysts expect double-digit annual growth in sales of bidirectional charging systems until the late 2020s, when costs come down and standards become more mature. In regions experiencing power outages due to wildfires or hurricanes and sudden Time-of-use pricing Curves Projects like Menifee's show a clear path to using cars as massive, flexible energy reserves.

When batteries for electric vehicles can power a home as easily as a propulsion system, the boundary between transport and energy will begin to disappear, and with it the old ideas about who is the supplier of energy and who is its consumer.