Progress is being made on a homegrown energy solution. The University of Delaware and NRG are making strides in their combined effort to further develop electric vehicle to grid technology at the UD’s Science, Technology, and Advanced Research or STAR campus.
Since announcing their partnership last September, UD and NRG have built a $100,000 electrical facility based on the technology that allows electric cars to plug into the grid and have their used during usage spikes. The facility currently can charge or take power from a fleet of 15 electric Mini Coopers provided by BMW.
The facility is in the final stages of being certified as a PJM power plant that can absorb or provide energy to the local grid.
University of Delaware professor Willett Kempton, who pioneered the Vehicle to grid power technology in 1996, is already looking ahead to the future of the project.
“We expand to a larger number of fleet vehicles using this particular BMW vehicle. We’d like to see BMW put this into their cars from the start, that’s in discussion. And we’d like to see other automakers interested in adding this capability. The vehicle has to be able to absorb and put out power, only a few vehicles can do that today,” said Kempton.
Kempton estimated that testing of the power facility will be in completed in about 3 weeks.
Senator Chris Coons was among those visiting the UD STAR campus for a first hand look at where the UD and NRG electric vehicle to grid project stands.
Senator Coons praised Kempton's efforts in advancing the vehicle to grid technology.
“When completely underway, this will be a demonstration of how electric vehicles could be both individual vehicles and power plant. That’s been Willett’s vision for a long time. It’s been a remarkable, creative, and compelling vision and one that I think can really transform the American energy market,” said Coons.
Coons adds that he plans to champion the Delaware developed technology as a member of the Senate’s Energy Committee.
