Kaluza Selected for up to $6.2M in CEC Funding for Managed Charging Initiative Supporting Disadvantaged Communities
Washington, DC – February 26th, 2024 – Energy software business, Kaluza, today announces a partnership with Wallbox to pilot electric vehicle (EV) smart charging and Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) technology for Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) customers in California using dynamic tariffs.
Through $1.5 million in phase one funding from the highly competitive California Energy Commission (CEC) REDWDS grant, the partners will leverage Kaluza’s proven software to deploy managed charging solutions that make EVs more accessible for customers, especially residents in low-income and disadvantaged communities in California. The project will develop new technologies to incorporate dynamic price signals for both one-way ‘V1G’ and bidirectional ‘V2X’ charging, allowing drivers to easily charge their EV on cheaper, greener energy and be rewarded for providing surplus power back to the grid.
Unlike other smart charging plans on the market, this project will allow drivers to ‘set and forget’ their EV charging. Kaluza’s advanced algorithms, via a smart EV charger, use drivers’ preferences, live grid data and dynamic pricing structures to ensure vehicles are charged in the most sustainable way and optimized to reduce grid pressures during public safety power shutoff events.
The program will comprise 330 vehicles, with a commitment to deploy at least 50% of these assets in low-income communities. A number of these assets will be connected to Wallbox’s bidirectional charger, Quasar 2, enabling users to not only charge their EVs but export power back to their homes or offer emergency back-up power when the grid is down. EVs store around 70 kWh in their battery – sufficient to power an average home for three days, significantly longer than most stationary batteries.
High initial costs and the reliance of low-income individuals on their vehicles for work, pose challenges for these communities in transitioning to EVs. The project partners will collaborate to lower the upfront costs of switching to an EV and showcase the efficiency of managed charging programs in ensuring affordable charging and constant vehicle readiness for customers.
If the project is successful, additional CEC funding of up to $4 million will be made available through a second phase to continue deploying managed charging and bidirectional solutions in California.
Kaluza’s managed charging solution brings over five years of expertise in optimizing assets within the residential distributed energy resource (DER) space across global markets, including the UK, US, Spain, Australia, New Zealand and Japan. Currently managing more than 26,000 connected EVs, with over 330 using V2X, Kaluza is enabling thousands of customers to slash their charging costs and carbon emissions.
In the UK, the Kaluza-powered ‘OVO Charge Anytime’ EV charging plan enables customers to charge at an ultra-low rate of $0.08 (7p) per kWh at any time of day or night, resulting in a whole year’s worth of driving costing just $240 (£190). Since the tariff’s launch in March 2023, Charge Anytime customers have saved over $6.9 million (£5.5 million).
This REDWDS project in California marks a significant milestone for Kaluza and Wallbox as they embark on a global partnership to enable V1G and V2G charging around the world.
Jonathan Levy, US Managing Director at Kaluza, commented:
“We are thrilled to be selected for up to $6.2M in funding from the California Energy Commission, enabling Kaluza to accelerate our work in the United States. With California rapidly approaching 2 million cumulative EV sales, managed charging with software solutions like Kaluza means everyone’s a winner – including EV drivers, utilities like PG&E, the grid and the planet. Kaluza has long been a pioneer in embracing clean energy solutions, and we look forward to working with PG&E, Wallbox and other stakeholders to help EV drivers in California save money and embrace the value of EVs.”
Brett Graessle, VP of Business Development at Wallbox, commented:
“As the demand for energy grows, the need for smart and bidirectional EV charging solutions that can balance the grid, reduce emissions and save users money will become increasingly important. We are excited to work with Kaluza to expand the deployment of our technology in California, helping more Americans make the transition to EVs.”
PG&E has played an active role in accelerating EV adoption through charging infrastructure programs, rebates and EV rates that make charging simpler and more affordable. PG&E customers are often early and eager adopters of new, clean energy technologies—including EVs, of which there are now more than 600,000 in operation throughout its Northern and Central California service area.
Through its recently launched Vehicle-to-Everything pilot program (which is separate from and in addition to the CEC REDWDS project) PG&E offers its customers financial incentives to integrate and test new bidirectional EV charging technologies in a variety of settings, including homes, businesses and with local PG&E microgrids in select high wildfire-risk areas.
Mike Delaney, Vice President of Utility Partnerships and Innovation at PG&E, commented:
“Our work to prepare the grid to power and support millions more EVs over the next decade includes creating the most robust vehicle-grid-integration portfolio in the world. To that end, we are collaborating with the best and the brightest to integrate new bidirectional charging capabilities and to provide the platform, expertise, and cross-industry leadership to enable our customers with a range of options that unleash the full potential of their EVs.”
Other key partners in this initiative include Sonoma Clean Power and Valley Clean Air Now (CAN), underscoring the collaborative mission of the project to accelerate the adoption of EVs and lower the cost of EV ownership, especially for low-income communities. For example, Valley CAN will continue to support customers in learning about the options available that can make used EVs their most affordable and reliable transportation choice.
Brant Arthur, Program Manager at Sonoma Clean Power, commented:
“Sonoma Clean Power is excited to collaborate on making EV charging more accessible for low-income communities. We look forward to sharing this opportunity with our customers who could use it most.”
Phase 1 of the three year pilot kicks off this year, with customer enrollment expected at the end of 2024. The program operation and data collection will extend through September 2026.
About Kaluza
Kaluza is an energy software company powering the future of energy. From revolutionizing billing to smart electric vehicle charging, Kaluza’s technology is empowering some of the biggest energy suppliers to better serve millions of customers. Its real-time cloud platform transforms supplier operations, reducing cost to serve and boosting customer engagement. Powered by Kaluza, suppliers can invest in innovating for tomorrow’s customers and drive decarbonization with smart, low carbon technologies that not only reduce energy bills, but lay the foundations for a more flexible energy system.
Kaluza is a B Corp-certified business with over 450 employees across seven global hubs. www.kaluza.com
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