Integrating PEVs with 

Renewables and the Grid

Andrew Meintz

Tony Markel, Myungsoo Jun, Jiucai Zhang

NREL/PR-5400-66638

2016 IEEE Transportation Electrification Conference and Expo

Dearborn, Michigan

June 29, 2016
2

18 kW solar PEV parking lot with 50 kW fast charger

NREL parking garage with 36 EVSEs that charge 

research and visiting vehicles

VTIF provides interior and exterior areas for systems EVGI 

communications and power exchange

NREL 20104

NREL 23458

NREL 21661

Vehicle Testing and Integration Facility (VTIF)

Source Andrew Meintz
3

Energy Systems Integration Facility (ESIF)

• 182,500 sq. ft.

• 1-MVA bi-directional grid simulator

• Low voltage distribution bus

• Medium Voltage Outdoor Test Area

• Full Power Hardware in the Loop 

(PHIL) testing 

• Petascale High Performance 

Computing (HPC)

Research Electrical 

Distribution Bus 

(REDB)

DC (±500 V)

• 250 A

• 1600 A

AC (600 V)

• 250 A

• 1600 A

Example microgrid

NREL PIX26198
Residential

Transformer

(25KVA)

AV

EVSE

AV

EVSE

AV

EVSE

AV

EVSE

AV

EVSE

AV

EVSE

AV

EVSE

AV

EVSE

Leviton

EVSE

Leviton

EVSE

Siemens

EVSE

Siemens

EVSE

Siemens

EVSE

Siemens

EVSE

Siemens

EVSE

Siemens

EVSE

250kW 

Load Bank

Utility grid power

NREL Internet

MVOTA

X2 Home Circuit

Lighting

Appliances

HVAC Systems

Electronics

EV Charging

SPL Lab

X2 11 kW PV Simulator

MillBank EVSE

Siemens EVSE

ESL Lab

REDB

Communication line

Power line

REDB

ESL: Energy Storage Laboratory

MVOTA: Medium Voltage Outdoor Testing Area

REDB: Research Electrical Distribution Bus 

SPL: Smart Power Laboratory

NREL 32467

NREL 32467

NREL PIX28198
5

Electric Vehicle Grid Integration at NREL

Vehicles, Renewable Energy, and Buildings Working Together

Vehicle-to-Grid Challenges

Bi-Directional Power 

Flow

Develop and evaluate 

integrated V2G systems, which 

can reduce local peak-power 

demands and access grid service 

value potential

Emergency Backup 

Power

Explore strategies for 

enabling the export of vehicle 

power to assist in grid 

outages and disasterrecovery efforts

Local Power Quality

Leverage charge system 

power electronics to monitor 

and enhance local power 

quality and grid stability in 

scenarios with high 

penetration of renewables

Managed Charging 

Evaluate functionality and value 

of load management to reduce 

charging costs and contribute to 

standards development

• GE Wattstation in 

NREL Parking 

Garage

• Grid2Home EVSE 

and Gateway with 

SEP2.0

• Leviton with 

Modbus

• AV EVSE via Wifi

• Toyota 

collaboration 

leverages 

vehicles and ESIF

• Light- and heavyduty wireless 

charging systems

• Bi-directional 

fast charge

• Via Motors van 

with export to 

loads

• Nissan Leaf with 

V2H unit for 

backup

• Mini-E with Univ

of Del and NRG

• PGE utility truck 

characterization in 

ESIF

• Smith EV truck 

from Ft. Carson 

microgrid project

• Via Motors van 

with grid SEP2.0

Life Impacts

Can functionality be added with little or no 

impact on battery and vehicle performance?

Information Flow and Control

How is information shared and protected 

within the systems architecture?

Holistic Markets and Opportunities

What role will vehicles play and what value can 

be created?

• Using BLAST-V for scenario 

assessment

• Developed data entry and 

campus connections

• SEAC collaboration on 

market opportunities report

Achieved

In Process
Managed Charging

and Local Power Quality
7

PEV Charge Management with Renewable Sources

Provide simple interface with least 

information necessary to create 

managed individual and aggregate 

scenarios with status display

RSF = Research Support Facility

NREL PIX21661
8

On-board Charging Characterization

• Unidirectional control of EVSEs over Modbus using market 

vehicles

• 5- to 10-A step-up/down tests to validate dynamic 

performance

NREL 29382

Source NREL, Mithat Kisacikoglu

Source NREL, Mithat Kisacikoglu

Source NREL, Mithat Kisacikoglu
9

Unidirectional Charging Characterization

• ~0.56 s communication delay using Modbus protocol

• Different vehicles respond with different transfer functions

• SAE J1772 specifies a 5 s maximum response time (from CP change)

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22

Time (s)

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

Current (A)

Charger Response to Control Pilot Ramp-Up

iQ Current

iQ Model

iQ Step

Volt Current

Volt Model

Volt Step
10

Unidirectional Charging Characterization

• Different vehicles respond with different transfer functions

• iQ ramp response in this example is ~5.3 A/s

• Mini-E ramp response in this example is ~ 1.5 A/s

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Time (s)

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

Current (A)

Ramp Rate Comparison 

iQ Current

iQ Model

Mini Current

Mini Model
11

Wireless Power Transfer Grid Integration Testing 

• Power quality testing for different grid voltage/frequency, receiver 

alignment, and battery charging power conditions

• Current harmonics

• Battery ripple current 

• Power factor

• Management with renewable and L2 EVSEs

• Three-phase implementation in a microgrid study

DC Electronic 

Load

Grid Simulator

Infrastructure 

Inverter

Transmitter Coil

Receiver Coil

Vehicle Rectifier

0 to 400 VDC

0 to 600 VAC

@ 85 kHz 

200 to 240 VAC

50/60 Hz

0 to 600 VAC

@ 85 kHz 

Source NREL, Andrew Meintz
Bi-directional Power Flow 

and Emergency Power Back-up 
13

Bi-directional System Component Characterization 

• Sharp Energy Storage System: 43 kWh, 30 kW IPC interface

• Via Motors Van - Coritech EVSE: 23 kWh, 14.4 kW V2G-V2H

• Nissan Leaf - Nichicon EV Power Station: 6 kW V2H 

• Smith EV Truck - Coritech EVSE: 80 kWh, 60 kW 

• Transpower School Bus - Milbank EVSE: 90 kWh, 22.6 kW

• Mini-E – Milbank EVSE: 30 kWh, 14.4 kW 

• PV System (emulated: 22 kW and real: 18 kW)

• Residential and commercial loads (125 kW AC)

• 30 kW grid simulator and RTDS system

Smith EV Truck

Sharp Storage

Source NREL, Andrew Meintz

Via Motors Van

Source NREL, Andrew Meintz Source NREL, Mithat Kisacikoglu

Smith EV Truck Sharp Stationary Storage

Source NREL, Andrew Meintz

Nissan Leaf Nichicon V2H
14

Export Power Using PEVs

• Via Motors Van with Coritech EVSE 

o 14.4-kW on-board bidirectional charger 

o Series hybrid PHEV with 23-kWh battery

o V2H and V2G capable, SEP 2.0 grid link, 

Homeplug GREEN PHY

o Single phase 120V/240V up to 60 A off-grid 

power generation

• Nichicon EV Power Station

o 6-kW off-board charging capability

o 120 V / 240 V, total 50 A@120 V V2H power capability

o Runs with Chademo-compatible PEVs (Leaf, Mitsubishi iMiEV)

o Switching from grid-connected to grid-isolated operation

Via export power port 

Source NREL, Mithat Kisacikoglu

120V 240V

Research scope

• Analysis of powering real home loads with Nissan Leaf and Via Van w/o grid.

• Evaluating the emergency power capability of EV (Leaf) and PHEV (Via-Van).

• Integrating emulated/real solar PV systems with V2H to extend the emergency power duration.

• Investigating microgrid operation of vehicles to power several houses.

Leaf-Nichicon power export
15

Emergency Power Backup

NREL PIX32681

NREL PIX32465

PV Generation

Home Loads

Relay 

Box

EVPS

AC/DC

Nissan

Leaf

Grid

HVAC

Water 

Heater Dryer Stove Refrigerator Washer Dishwasher Lights Television

On Time (Min) 56.6 37.17 65.52 1.12 122.12 45.50 55.50 24.35 20.58

Energy (Wh) 1136.91 3519.60 3014.62 23.16 254.10 204.54 675.98 213.61 37.24

Avg. Power (W) 1205.20 5681.87 2760.78 1244.40 124.85 269.72 730.79 526.36 108.56

Peak Power (W) 4849.15 5776.56 6156.19 1293.11 351.61 1244.24 1033.68 550.13 112.16
16

Emergency Power Backup

NREL PIX32681

NREL PIX32465

PV Generation

Home Loads

Relay 

Box

EVPS

AC/DC

Nissan

Leaf

Grid

HVAC

Water 

Heater Dryer Stove Refrigerator Washer Dishwasher Lights Television

On Time (Min) 56.6 37.17 65.52 1.12 122.12 45.50 55.50 24.35 20.58

Energy (Wh) 1136.91 3519.60 3014.62 23.16 254.10 204.54 675.98 213.61 37.24

Avg. Power (W) 1205.20 5681.87 2760.78 1244.40 124.85 269.72 730.79 526.36 108.56

Peak Power (W) 4849.15 5776.56 6156.19 1293.11 351.61 1244.24 1033.68 550.13 112.16
17

Emergency Power Backup

NREL PIX32681

NREL PIX32465

PV Generation

Home Loads

Relay 

Box

EVPS

AC/DC

Nissan

Leaf

Grid

HVAC

Water 

Heater Dryer Stove Refrigerator Washer Dishwasher Lights Television

On Time (Min) 56.6 37.17 65.52 1.12 122.12 45.50 55.50 24.35 20.58

Energy (Wh) 1136.91 3519.60 3014.62 23.16 254.10 204.54 675.98 213.61 37.24

Avg. Power (W) 1205.20 5681.87 2760.78 1244.40 124.85 269.72 730.79 526.36 108.56

Peak Power (W) 4849.15 5776.56 6156.19 1293.11 351.61 1244.24 1033.68 550.13 112.16
18

Modeling and Testing of Microgrid

Power hardware-in-the-loop testing 

Source NREL, Andrew Meintz
Grid Modernization Efforts
20

20
21

• Funding for research at National Labs to define 

and develop integrated systems supporting 

Grid Modernization Initiative objectives

• EERE Solar, Wind, Buildings, Vehicles, Fuel 

Cells program supporting along with Office of 

Electricity

• Proposals are intended to be multi-year and 

include collaboration across multiple labs

• Category 1 – Foundational efforts; crosscutting

• Category 2 – Program-specific technologies 

with interfaces to Category 1 activities

Grid Modernization Lab Call Overview

Multi-Lab EV Smart Grid Working Group

delivers guidance report to DOE - May 2015

Multi-Lab EV Smart Grid Working Group

DOE Vehicle Technologies Office
22

Vehicle to Building Integration Pathway 

Description 

• Enable workplace charging and promote broader PEV adoption 

through the development and demonstration of an 

interoperable communication pathway and control system 

architecture that connects 

[1] Plug-in Electric Vehicles (PEVs) 

[2] PEV drivers 

[3] Electric Vehicle Support Equipment (EVSE)

[4] Building Energy Management System (BEMS) 

in order to create value for all parties. 

• Demonstrate scalable communications and control system will 

enable managed energy use between dissimilar grid-connected 

devices that will mitigate demand charges. 

• Establish a physical platform to develop and test the technical 

requirements needed for standards development and 

interoperability. 

Participating labs (lead lab first): PNNL, ANL, INL, LBNL, NREL 

Partners: AeroVironment, Bonneville Power Administration, 

University of Delaware, DTE Energy, California Energy Commission

Funding: $3.4M over three years

M

EVSE

BMS

PEV INV

PEV

EVSE

Driver

Driver

Load Load

Multi-Lab EV Smart Grid Working Group

DOE Vehicle Technologies Office
23

Systems Research Supporting Standards and Interoperability

Description

• Develop a distributed vehicle/grid integration platform to 

determine the feasibility of PEVs providing grid services and 

renewable energy integration without negatively impacting the 

PEV customer experience 

• Perform distribution-level hardware-in-the-loop 

demonstrations involving a variety of vehicles and other 

distributed energy resources at numerous facilities

• Trial multiple communications pathways to accelerate standards 

development and understand how to prioritize the needs of the 

PEV customer, facility, third-party aggregator, and grid operator 

in multiple use cases 

Participating labs (lead lab first): INL, ANL, LBNL, NREL, ORNL, PNNL

Partners: Bonneville Power Administration, DTE Energy, Eversource, 

University of Delaware, Siemens, California Energy Commission, 

USDRIVE Grid Interaction Technical Team

Funding: $3.6M over three years

Multi-Lab EV Smart Grid Working Group

DOE Vehicle Technologies Office

TX

TX

TX

Aggregator

Sub

Grid Ops
24

Modeling and Control Software to Support V2G Integration

Description:

Develop advanced modeling and simulation tools to:

1. Understand how much renewables integration is enabled by 

vehicles, and developing operational frameworks so clean 

vehicles enable a clean grid.

2. Understand the value available for vehicles to serve as a grid 

resource under different VGI approaches.

3. Provide tools and understanding to guide effective decisionmaking on VGI pathwaysfor all stakeholders.

Participating labs (lead lab first): LBNL, ANL, INL, NREL, ORNL, PNNL

Partners: Bonneville Power Administration, California Energy 

Commission

Funding: $2.8M over three years

Road network

(mobility)

EV Charging /

Availability

Grid network

Simulations & data to quantitatively

understand interactions and opportunities

between mobility & grid networks

Multi-Lab EV Smart Grid Working Group

DOE Vehicle Technologies Office
Questions:

Andrew Meintz,

andrew.meintz@nrel.gov

Energy Benefits from Vehicles, Buildings, and 

Renewables Working Together