Fermata Energy, Xcel Energy, City of Boulder, Colorado CarShare, and Boulder Housing Partners announced a collaborative Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) bidirectional charging pilot project at Boulder Housing Partners’ 30 Pearl development and the Molly’s Spirits Lakeside facility.
This innovative V2X pilot program transforms parked EVs into mobile power units, advancing grid resilience and reducing electric bill costs while supporting underserved communities and local businesses. Fermata Energy’s intelligent bidirectional charging platform paired with four FE-20 chargers and two of Colorado CarShare’s Nissan LEAFs will showcase V2X and Vehicle-to-Building (V2B) technology’s untapped potential.
When an electric vehicle is parked and in V2X mode, the Fermata Energy platform leverages the vehicle’s battery energy to offset and lower the building’s peak demand. Fermata Energy’s Demand Charge Management (DCM) software intelligence manages the total system power and energy via charge rate, frequency and depth while intelligently preserving the vehicle’s battery health.
This technology is designed to optimize customer value by curtailing building peak demand at the same time preserving the needed range for the expected electric vehicle duty cycle.
“This program helps deliver the benefits of electric vehicles to all customers in the communities we serve, including those that don’t drive, or drive electric. This project is a proof of concept of bi-directional charging, to assess technology with the potential to enhance customer bill savings,” said Huma Seth, director of Clean Transportation at Xcel Energy. “We know EVs can help customers save money on their transportation costs and they deliver cleaner air for everyone because they are powered with increasingly clean electricity.”
Beyond these newest deployments, Fermata Energy’s V2X impact is notable. Since December 2020, the City of Boulder has leveraged Fermata Energy’s V2B technology at the North Boulder Recreation Center, achieving energy cost savings and reinforcing the city’s renewable energy and sustainability commitment.
The Alliance Center, with Colorado CarShare, launched a V2B project, illuminating electric car-sharing and grid technology synergy to address climate change effectively in one of Denver’s historic buildings. Fermata Energy also launched a Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) pilot program for multi-family affordable housing to increase affordable access to EVs for low-income drivers in Boston.
The collaboration between Fermata Energy, Xcel Energy, City of Boulder, Colorado CarShare and Boulder Housing Partners demonstrates a practical application to scale V2X technology deployments within Xcel Energy’s service territory, marking a significant step forward in the integration of electric vehicles with the energy grid for enhanced resilience and efficiency.
Filed Under: Technology News, Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G)