Early results from the first electric cooperative test of an electric-vehicle-to-grid charger show promise that such systems can help reduce peak demand and save members money.

Roanoke Electric Cooperative in Ahoskie, North Carolina, is testing a device from Fermata Energy that can charge an EV and allow power from the car’s batteries to directly feed a building or the electric grid. This bidirectional, or V2G, capability could help utilities avoid peak power costs by tapping into the lower-priced energy stored by an EV during nighttime or off-peak hours.

“The overall goal is to stabilize our rates, become more efficient as a utility and prove new with ways to save our members money,” said Curtis Wynn, president and CEO of Roanoke Electric, which serves about 14,000 members.

Fermata Energy asked Roanoke Electric last year to help test its FE-15 charger using the co-op’s two leased Nissan LEAF EVs. The device can draw up to 111.6 kilowatt-hours in V2G capacity from the vehicles’ 62-kWh lithium ion batteries.

The system shaved 3.8 kW off the December peak at the co-op’s headquarters, saving about $36 in avoided demand charges, and 11 kW off its January peak, saving another $105, said Anita Knight, Roanoke Electric’s manager of engineering.

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