Sunrun Launches Nation’s First Vehicle-To-Home Grid Support In Maryland Using Ford F-150 Lightning Trucks
24 July 2024 - 10:00PM
Sunrun (Nasdaq: RUN), the nation’s leading provider of clean energy
as a subscription service, is now operating the nation’s first
vehicle-to-home power plant using a small group of customer-owned
bidirectional electric vehicles. In partnership with Maryland’s
largest utility, Baltimore Gas and Electric Company (BGE), a
subsidiary of Exelon Corporation (Nasdaq: EXC), the
regulator-approved initiative utilizes all-electric Ford F-150
Lightning trucks to deliver power to owners’ homes this summer
during peak demand times to support Maryland’s power grid.
The program includes three Sunrun customers in BGE’s service
territory who own an F-150 Lightning paired with Ford Charge
Station Pro and Home Integration System, which is sold exclusively
through Sunrun. This program is the first operational bidirectional
electric vehicle power plant in the United States that uses a
cohort of customer vehicles.
“This program is a significant proof of concept—no other market
player has done this—and the goal is to expand these programs all
around the country,” said Sunrun CEO Mary Powell. “This exciting
partnership lays the foundation for the power grid of the future
where electric vehicle owners can contribute to grid resiliency and
utility price stability for everyone. The summer heat can be
especially stressful on our power grid, which is why proving the
use of stored energy in electric vehicles for capacity is so
important.”
BGE was awarded grant funding from the Department of Energy to
create an electric vehicle virtual power plant. BGE partnered with
Sunrun to develop and administer the program, which is designed to
assist BGE’s system during times of peak energy consumption. By
discharging F-150 Lightnings’ onboard batteries directly to
participants’ homes, the program showcases how electric vehicles
can function like stationary batteries to reduce demand on the grid
and create a more resilient and reliable energy system for all BGE
customers in Maryland.
Sunrun is networking and monitoring the enrolled F-150 Lightning
trucks as they share stored energy during dispatch windows from
June 1 to September 30, 2024, between the hours of 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.
on weekdays. All funding will flow to enrolled customers, who will
receive a payment based on the amount of energy shared—estimated to
be $800 over the four months of the program.
“We know that the power stored in electric vehicles will be
essential in our state’s effort to achieve its bold net-zero
emissions goals,” said Mark Case, Vice President of Regulatory
Policy and Strategy at BGE. “Partnering with Sunrun will allow BGE
to unlock and learn the potential of how vehicle-to-grid programs
will support increasing grid efficiency and reliability with
distributed energy resources, while providing a valuable new
benefit to customers.”
Sunrun has an existing partnership with Ford Motor Company
(NYSE: F) to serve as the preferred installer for Ford Intelligent
Backup Power, which includes the Ford Charge Station Pro and the
co-developed Home Integration System—the first commercially
available bidirectional system in the United States. Intelligent
Backup Power gives customers the ability to use bidirectional power
technology from their all-electric truck to provide up to 10 days
of power to their homes during an outage, depending on home energy
usage.
"The ability of Ford’s F-150 Lightning to support the electric
grid and generate revenue for the owner while parked at home is a
game-changing moment for electric vehicles in Maryland and
nationwide as other manufacturers will follow," said state Delegate
David Fraser-Hidalgo. "I applaud the collaboration between Sunrun,
Ford, and BGE. Maryland has established itself as first in the
nation on vehicle-to-home innovation and will need to see more
innovation like this if we are to meet our ambitious climate goals
and prove that some of the solutions we need to pursue start right
in the homes of Marylanders."
In addition to demonstrating vehicle-to-home capabilities, the
program’s goals also include learning the behaviors and preferences
of electric vehicle owners. Based on insights gained, Sunrun and
BGE plan to explore expanding the program, offering incentives for
existing F-150 Lightning owners to adopt bidirectional charging and
developing direct, vehicle-to-grid capabilities so that energy from
electric vehicles can be shared throughout a community.
“BGE and Ford have been amazing partners. This program combines
each organization’s core strengths for the benefit of all
ratepayers—that’s the beauty of this joint collaboration,” said
Chris Rauscher, Sunrun’s Head of Grid Services. “Virtual power
plants with bidirectional electric vehicles will play a key role in
the clean energy transition. We look forward to scaling these
innovative programs with BGE and other utilities around the
country.”
About BGEBGE is Maryland's largest natural gas
and electric utility, providing safe and reliable energy delivery
to more than 1.3 million electric customers and 700,000 natural gas
customers in central Maryland. The company was founded in 1816 as
the nation's first gas utility and remains headquartered in
Baltimore City to this day. BGE is a subsidiary of Exelon
Corporation (Nasdaq: EXC), the nation's leading energy utility
company. Engage with the latest BGE stories on bgenow.com and
connect with BGE on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
About SunrunSunrun Inc. (Nasdaq: RUN)
revolutionized the solar industry in 2007 by removing financial
barriers and democratizing access to locally-generated, renewable
energy. Today, Sunrun is the nation’s leading provider of clean
energy as a subscription service, offering residential solar and
storage with no upfront costs. Sunrun’s innovative products and
solutions can connect homes to the cleanest energy on earth,
providing them with energy security, predictability, and peace of
mind. Sunrun also manages energy services that benefit communities,
utilities, and the electric grid while enhancing customer value.
Discover more at www.sunrun.com
Media ContactWyatt SemanekDirector, Corporate
Communicationspress@sunrun.com
Investor & Analyst ContactPatrick JobinSVP,
Deputy CFO & Investor Relations Officerinvestors@sunrun.com
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/4981eefc-47fd-456b-8433-6726697ce71d
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