UL Solutions Launches Certification Program to Help Electric Vehicles Support the Power Grid

New certification program supports technologies that allow parked electric vehicles to supply power when the grid needs it most.

• UL Solutions has launched a new certification program for vehicle-to-grid technologies, which can allow electric vehicles to send power back to the grid when electricity demand is high or when the grid becomes unstable.
• The program helps build confidence in emerging technologies that could turn parked electric vehicles into a valuable resource of backup power and grid support.
• By helping manufacturers demonstrate safety and reliability, UL Solutions is supporting the growth of technologies that can strengthen, stabilize and increase the reliability of the electric grid while expanding the value of electric vehicles.

NORTHBROOK, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--UL Solutions Inc. (NYSE: ULS), a global leader in applied safety science, today announced its new certification program for vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technologies, helping advance the use of electric vehicles as a resource for the electric power grid.

Utilities are looking for new ways to manage rising electricity demand, integrate renewable energy and improve grid resilience. V2G technologies can help by allowing parked electric vehicles to send electricity back to the grid when demand is high and recharge when demand is lower. A recent E3 study on vehicle-grid integration, commissioned by General Motors, estimates that V2G could potentially deliver 5 to 15 times more per-vehicle value than one-way managed charging in many markets.

According to an Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) study, about 90% of electric vehicles are parked at any given time under typical driving patterns, creating an opportunity for participating vehicles to charge when demand is lower and return stored electricity when the grid needs additional support. As electricity demand grows from data centers, transportation, buildings and industry, this flexibility can help reduce peak demand, ease strain on local infrastructure and enable the grid to use available power more effectively.

“Electric vehicles spend much of their time parked, creating an opportunity for them to perform more than transportation alone,” said Wesley Kwok, vice president and general manager of the Energy and Industrial Automation group at UL Solutions. “Vehicle-to-grid technologies can help turn that unused battery capacity into a valuable resource for utilities and communities. Our new certification program helps build confidence that these vehicle-to-grid systems can provide critical electric utility performance while operating safely and reliably.”

The program enables testing and certification of products in accordance with UL 1741 Supplement SC, a recently published supplement to UL 1741, the Standard for Inverters, Converters, Controllers and Interconnection System Equipment for Use With Distributed Energy Resources.

The new certification program addresses bidirectional electric vehicle supply equipment that enables these interactions. The equipment acts as a bridge between electric vehicles and utilities, helping monitor and manage the flow of electricity while supporting compliance with utility interconnection requirements. Products certified to UL 1741 Supplement SC can work with electric vehicles that use onboard bidirectional inverters designed and tested in accordance with SAE J3072.

Products can also be certified for grid interconnection and support performance utilizing new UL 1741 multipiece DER requirements coupled with UL 9741, the Standard for Electric Vehicle Power Export Equipment (EVPE).

These testing and certification services are available at UL Solutions laboratories in Fremont, California, and Northbrook, Illinois.

Learn more about UL Solutions' vehicle-to-grid testing and certification services at https://www.ul.com/services/distributed-energy-resource-testing.

About UL Solutions

A global leader in applied safety science, UL Solutions Inc. (NYSE: ULS) transforms safety, security and sustainability challenges into opportunities for customers in more than 110 countries. UL Solutions delivers testing, inspection and certification services, advisory offerings and software solutions that support our customers’ product innovation and business growth. The UL Mark serves as a recognized symbol of trust in our customers’ products and reflects an unwavering commitment to advancing our safety mission. We help our customers innovate, launch new products and services, navigate global markets and complex supply chains, and grow sustainably and responsibly into the future. Our science is your advantage.

Source Code: ULS-IR