Greenlots, a global provider of open standards-based distributed energy resource solutions, was selected by Avista Utilities, located in Spokane, Wash., for a grid-integrated electric vehicle (EV) charging pilot that enables the utility to own and operate EV infrastructure.

Avista will integrate Greenlots' SKY platform with more than 200 EV chargers for residential, workplace, and public charging sites throughout Eastern Washington. This pilot is expected to provide Avista with a holistic view of scaling EV infrastructure sustainably with the grid, and inform intelligent longer term programs with utility owned EV charging infrastructure.  

Together, Greenlots and Avista will implement various demand flexibility strategies to demonstrate the feasibility of higher EV penetration, in a way that maximizes the utilization of existing grid assets and minimizes unnecessary distribution and capacity upgrades, providing the most value and benefits possible to all electric customers. 

"We selected Greenlots for this pilot because it's an interoperable platform that provides a robust feature set for control at both the site and system level, and allows for the use of a variety of different EV chargers, reducing operational risk and capitalizing on market innovations as the pilot proceeds. It also affords Avista opportunities to better engage with our customers while reducing the region's carbon footprint," said Kevin Christie, VP of Customer Solutions at Avista. "We look forward to strengthening our customer relationships with this pilot and supporting Washington State's Electric Vehicle Action Plan. We expect this pilot to help accelerate EV adoption that can benefit all customers, and provide important information for smart, cost-effective programs in the future that involve utility-owned charging infrastructure."

This EV charging pilot aims to demonstrate how using demand response and smart charging programs can help reduce costs and create a more reliable and less expensive grid, by shifting charging to occur during times of lower system energy demand. Beginning in August of 2016, Avista will install and maintain 200 Level 2 chargers across different locations as part of a two-year pilot with Greenlots: 120 Level 2 chargers will be installed in single-family and multifamily residences for qualifying Avista customers and the remaining 80 Level 2 chargers will be available to the public and used at select workplaces.  

Additionally, Avista will install seven DC fast chargers in convenient public locations. Applications for the EV charging program are now available to Avista customers in Eastern Washington and can apply to the program here: avistautilities.com/transportation.

Greenlots' SKY platform supports Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP) for charger-to-central-system communication, SEP 2.0, and Automated Demand Response (OpenADR 2.0b) for flexible EV charging under diverse grid conditions. A future-proofed technology, Greenlots' hardware agnostic software provides leading utilities including Southern California Edison (SCE), Hawaiian Electric (HECO), the Southern California Public Power Authority (SCPPA) and others with a platform that bridges electric mobility, demand side management, and behind-the-meter energy storage markets for the built environment.