Managing EV charging stations for microgrid demand response

In California, we’ve made a lot of progress in improving greenhouse gas emissions in the electric sector, but have a long way to go in transportation. We need cleaner cars and robust, clean public transit systems that meaningfully support the state’s growing population.

One of the exciting things about working in transportation is that there are so many angles of approach. This summer, student research assistant Scott Machen and Schatz engineer Jerome Carman are developing strategies to allow a microgrid to control electric vehicle charging loads — which will expand microgrid demand response strategies during power outages and peak use days.

Scott’s objective is to build a prototype computer algorithm to enable smart control of electric vehicle charging for the Redwood Coast Airport microgrid. Jerome and Scott are running live tests on system behavior at the Blue Lake Rancheria’s tribal office charging stations, so that we can better predict how microgrids, chargers, and electric vehicles will interact.