F-150 included in possible plan to reinforce the grid

[tarheels23]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2023/02/07/ev-battery-power-your-home/

 

He has cut his monthly energy bill from about $220 to $8 per month. “I’m not a rich person, but it was relatively easy,” says Graham “You wind up in a magical position with no [natural] gas, no oil and no gasoline bill.”

 

anyone with an EV: An enormous home battery on wheels that can reverse the flow of electricity to power the entire home through the main electric panel.

 

Beyond serving as an emissions-free backup generator, the EV has the potential of revolutionizing the car’s role in American society, transforming it from an enabler of a carbon-intensive existence into a key step in the nation’s transition into renewable energy.

 

America’s grid is not in good shape. Prices are up and reliability is down. Since 2000, the number of major outages has risen from less than two dozen to more than 180 per year, based on federal data, the Wall Street Journal reports. The average utility customer in 2020 endured about eight hours of power interruptions, double the previous decade.

 

You can even buy one today: The Ford F-150 Lightning, an all-electric version of America’s best-selling pickup truck. It’s scrambling the economics of home energy.

 

Ford changed how customers saw their trucks when it rolled out a hybrid version of the F-150, says Ryan O’Gorman of Ford’s energy services program. The truck doubles as a generator sporting as many as 11 outlets spread around the vehicle, including a 240-volt outlet typically used for appliances like clothes dryers. During disasters like the 2021 ice storm that left millions of Texans without electricity, Ford dealers lent out their hybrid F-150s as home generators.

 

The Lighting, the fully electric version of the F-150, takes the next step by offering home backup power. Under each Lightning sits a massive 98 kWh to 131 kWh battery pack. That’s enough energy, Ford estimates, to power a home for three days (10 days if rationing).

 

“The vehicle has an immense amount of power to move that much metal down the road at 80 mph,” says O’Gorman.

 

Installing the extra hardware will cost about $5,000. (Ford includes the bidirectional charger with its premium models). Home wiring upgrades, or an optional solar array, would push the cost higher.

Even at that price, the F-150 may be the cheapest home battery on the market.

 

Take the $56,000 F-150 Lightning. With the standard 98 kWh battery, it offers energy storage equivalent to seven Tesla PowerWalls ($15,500 each installed) for about half the price per kWh. So, for slightly over the U.S. median car price of $50,000, you get a home

battery and a car.

 

 

As Graham realized after his last power outage in New Mexico, electrifying your life means rethinking how your vehicle is connected to everything else. In the future, our cars will be plugged into our homes and other intelligent devices, trading electricity with each other and the outside world.

[fuzzymoomoo]

This is the main reason I want a powerboost, it’s just so damn expensive 

[rperez817]

Thanks for sharing tarheels23! The Washington Post story provides a great example of how BEV with V2G capabilities like Ford F-150 Lightning can improve electric grid resiliency and reliability and simultaneously help consumers save money on their energy bills.

 

Ford has been working with utility companies across the country on V2G pilot projects. For example, Duke Energy is kicking off programs this year in North Carolina and Florida. Illuminating possibility: Duke Energy and Ford Motor Company plan to use F-150 Lightning electric trucks to help power the grid | Duke Energy | News Center (duke-energy.com)

 

“Ford’s electric vehicles are unlocking new possibilities in energy management for our customers, becoming valuable energy storage sources that are changing the game on the benefits an EV can deliver,” said Steven Croley, chief policy officer and general counsel, Ford Motor Company. “Alongside Duke Energy and our mutual customers, we’re working to fine-tune and expand these capabilities that will not only power their lives, but also accelerate the development of a less carbon-intensive grid.”

 

[paintguy]

Not sure how that all works out in various areas. My utility costs about $0.14/ KWH. To sell back to the utility is somewhere beteen $0.06 to $0.09/ kwh, so a loosing proposition, unless I am generating by solar for less. I'm retired, so a lot of flexibility of when I travel. Be a fine mess, if when working, woke up some cold dark morning to a discharged car battery. I'm sure there is an answer and someone will enlighten me.

[silvrsvt]

11 hours ago, paintguy said:

 Be a fine mess, if when working, woke up some cold dark morning to a discharged car battery. I'm sure there is an answer and someone will enlighten me.

 

Apparently the Lighting can power everything in a house for 3 days and 10 days if your rationing power. 

 

Looking at my own personal history with power-I think the longest I know that power has been in out in my area was after Sandy hit-I think my in-laws didn't have power for a week to 10 days. I'm guessing if your using your lightning just to power your fridge, it will last a long time, if your able to fully charge it before hand (which should be a given like topping your car off before a storm)

[Rick73]

Have been without power for over a week a couple of times, so a Lightning to power.fridge would have been great.  Also to make coffee in the morning or power microwave a few minutes a day.

 

To put its capability in perspective though, the article mentions the average house  using 20 kWh of electricity per day, which is apparently where 3 day estimate came from.  When viewed as “average”, 20 kWh per day is under 1,000 Watts, which is well within capability of small inverter generators. In my area that’s what most of my neighbors ran a few hours a day to keep fridge cold, watch news, etc.  Large loads like central air conditioners you must do without regardless.

 

One neighbor used his Ford SUV to power an inverter which kept his fridge cold.  He idled for an hour or so a few times a day, and surprisingly used very little gas.  I did the same, but with smaller inverter to only power TV for news.

 

After the last extended power outage I got a 2,000-Watt inverter generator which can run essential loads on about a gallon of gas per day.  It’s not as convenient or clean as plugging into a Lightning or other BEV, but cost was under $1,000 total.  For extended power outages that have only occurred about once every 10 years, that’s good enough for now.

 

Another neighbor recently installed a natural gas entire-house generator that is so powerful it can probably charge a Lightning, though cost was very high for the few times it’s needed in my opinion.

[akirby]

52 minutes ago, Rick73 said:

 

Another neighbor recently installed a natural gas entire-house generator that is so powerful it can probably charge a Lightning, though cost was very high for the few times it’s needed in my opinion.

Whole house generators are great if you have natural gas.  They’re automatic and can run A/C in the summer.  Last I checked they’re around $10k.  Definitely considering one although we haven’t experienced an outage more than a few hours so far.

[Rick73]

37 minutes ago, akirby said:

Whole house generators are great if you have natural gas.  They’re automatic and can run A/C in the summer.  Last I checked they’re around $10k.  Definitely considering one although we haven’t experienced an outage more than a few hours so far.

His is at least 20 kW and cost over $20,000 total installed if I recall correctly.  Neighbor is not very technical, but I spoke briefly with technicians doing installation and they mentioned electrical was more involved than usual.  It is fully automatic with transfer switch and all.  It starts and runs to exercise every week at same time for about 30 minutes, and a couple of times during short power outages it has started immediately, and turns off after a few minutes once power is back.  It is loud enough I hear it.

 

You are correct that air conditioning in summer would have been nice, though we dealt with it.  What was more critical was power outage during cold freeze which left us without gas furnace being able to run.  Not only more miserable, but cold house can easily lead to frozen pipes and lots of water damage.  Fortunately we were without power for just over one day in winter.  It’s usually hurricanes that did most damage, but now grid has difficult time keeping up with winter loads.  I haven’t tested it yet, but expect powering blower with portable generator should allow furnace to operate.

[rmc523]

2 hours ago, akirby said:

Whole house generators are great if you have natural gas.  They’re automatic and can run A/C in the summer.  Last I checked they’re around $10k.  Definitely considering one although we haven’t experienced an outage more than a few hours so far.

 

Definitely very convenient to have, and runs everything like normal.  It is odd being the only house around with power during hurricanes, though haha.

Edited February 8, 2023 by rmc523

[akirby]

2 hours ago, Rick73 said:

His is at least 20 kW and cost over $20,000 total installed if I recall correctly.  Neighbor is not very technical, but I spoke briefly with technicians doing installation and they mentioned electrical was more involved than usual.  It is fully automatic with transfer switch and all.  It starts and runs to exercise every week at same time for about 30 minutes, and a couple of times during short power outages it has started immediately, and turns off after a few minutes once power is back.  It is loud enough I hear it.

 

You are correct that air conditioning in summer would have been nice, though we dealt with it.  What was more critical was power outage during cold freeze which left us without gas furnace being able to run.  Not only more miserable, but cold house can easily lead to frozen pipes and lots of water damage.  Fortunately we were without power for just over one day in winter.  It’s usually hurricanes that did most damage, but now grid has difficult time keeping up with winter loads.  I haven’t tested it yet, but expect powering blower with portable generator should allow furnace to operate.

 

Both require a transfer switch.  Whole house is larger but easier since it’s just switching the main lines.  For the smaller ones you have a transfer switch with wires for each circuit and you have to wire those into each breaker.  But once wired you just connect it, crank it up and throw the switch.   We could get by with a portable one but wiring would be difficult.  The meter is on one side and the panel is in the garage on the opposite side.  The problem is the pool equipment is fed out of the meter panel and I need that to be on the generator for freeze protection.  But the rest of the house is on the garage side.    So the whole house solves that problem but they are more expensive.

[Rick73]

1 hour ago, akirby said:

Both require a transfer switch.  Whole house is larger but easier since it’s just switching the main lines.  For the smaller ones you have a transfer switch with wires for each circuit and you have to wire those into each breaker.  But once wired you just connect it, crank it up and throw the switch.  

A transfer switch is recommended, but not always necessary for smaller systems if on a budget.  Assuming owner wants to connect a generator, inverter, or even a Lightning to power a limited number of house circuits only under very unusual circumstances (not that often), some brands of home power panels can be equipped with a manual interlock disconnect that requires turning off the main breaker before a dedicated breaker that connects the generator can be closed.  It’s 100% manual but cheap and reliable way to legally connect a power source after hurricanes or other extended power outages.

 

I helped install one that has a 30A breaker in power panel for the 240V portable generator.  You simply turn off the main breaker first, and then slide the manual interlock to allow generator 30A breaker to close.  In this house all major appliance breakers are turned off, but 120V are left on.  The generator can power all lights, fans, refrigerator, TVs, alarm system, etc.

 

What is never recommended is back feeding a house electrical by using a suicide cable (rigged extension cord) from a portable generator.  Unfortunately, it is too common a practice after hurricanes and other emergencies.

 

[akirby]

4 hours ago, Rick73 said:

A transfer switch is recommended, but not always necessary for smaller systems if on a budget.  

 

I helped install one that has a 30A breaker in power panel for the 240V portable generator.  You simply turn off the main breaker first, and then slide the manual interlock to allow generator 30A breaker to close.  In this house all major appliance breakers are turned off, but 120V are left on.  The generator can power all lights, fans, refrigerator, TVs, alarm system, etc.

The danger there is turning on too many breakers while on generator.  The manual switch that is prewired for specific circuits is a little safer and not super expensive.

[rperez817]

Up in Canada, FortisAlberta customers can get up to $150 CAD by participating in the utility's Electric Vehicle Smart Charging Pilot program. All Ford BEV owners are eligible to participate, though Fortis says that some may have to contact FordPass support in order to install the required Optiwatt app. EV pilot program tests capabilities of Alberta's electricity grid | CTV News

[HotRunrGuy]

1 hour ago, akirby said:

The danger there is turning on too many breakers while on generator.  The manual switch that is prewired for specific circuits is a little safer and not super expensive.

 

Agreed.  When I did my install 3 years ago, adding a secondary panel for the "critical" circuits was the cleanest way to accomplish it.

 

HRG

[fuzzymoomoo]

19 hours ago, akirby said:

The problem is the pool equipment is fed out of the meter panel and I need that to be on the generator for freeze protection.

You’re in Georgia, how big of a concern is that really? 

[Rick73]

14 hours ago, akirby said:

The danger there is turning on too many breakers while on generator.  The manual switch that is prewired for specific circuits is a little safer and not super expensive.

The home owner wanted greatest flexibility on which circuits he could turn on at any given time, which is one of the main advantages to powering the entire house’s electric power panel instead of just a few preselected circuits.  As long as it is wired properly, there is no electrical danger in that all circuits are protected by appropriate breakers.  The main “danger”, if we want to call it that, is of overloading the generator.  However, I am pretty sure that overloading a small portable generator is pretty much the same regardless of how it’s connected to home circuits.  All it takes is a couple of loaded 15A circuits at the same time.  In my case I know I can only power refrigerator, one TV, and a few LED lights simultaneously because I’m limited by generator to 1800 Watts.  If I want to make coffee or power microwave, I have to turn off refrigerator.

 

During an extended power outage like we have had a couple of times following hurricanes, such a system mostly saves having to run extension cords all over the house.  Below is what these simple manual interlocks look like and how they operate for those who haven’t seen one before.  Again, in my opinion best suited for simpler systems like portable generators that have to be taken out of storage, fueled, connected, and started up anyway.

 

[akirby]

2 hours ago, fuzzymoomoo said:

You’re in Georgia, how big of a concern is that really? 

It was below freezing for 3 days straight at Christmas.  First morning the breaker had tripped and the pump wasn’t running for a few hours.  By the time I realized it the pump already had some ice in it and wouldn’t start.  I poured 5 pitchers of hot water in it and got it restarted.  If it freezes completely it can kill the pump and damage the exposed pvc.  We get at least 10-15 nights below freezing so yes it’s a must.

[akirby]

50 minutes ago, Rick73 said:

The home owner wanted greatest flexibility on which circuits he could turn on at any given time, which is one of the main advantages to powering the entire house’s electric power panel instead of just a few preselected circuits.  As long as it is wired properly, there is no electrical danger in that all circuits are protected by appropriate breakers.  The main “danger”, if we want to call it that, is of overloading the generator.  However, I am pretty sure that overloading a small portable generator is pretty much the same regardless of how it’s connected to home circuits.  All it takes is a couple of loaded 15A circuits at the same time.  In my case I know I can only power refrigerator, one TV, and a few LED lights simultaneously because I’m limited by generator to 1800 Watts.  If I want to make coffee or power microwave, I have to turn off refrigerator.

 

During an extended power outage like we have had a couple of times following hurricanes, such a system mostly saves having to run extension cords all over the house.  Below is what these simple manual interlocks look like and how they operate for those who haven’t seen one before.  Again, in my opinion best suited for simpler systems like portable generators that have to be taken out of storage, fueled, connected, and started up anyway.

 

 

Yes that is an advantage if you want to switch back and forth.

[Gurgeh]

On 2/8/2023 at 11:11 AM, akirby said:

Whole house generators are great if you have natural gas.  They’re automatic and can run A/C in the summer.  Last I checked they’re around $10k.  Definitely considering one although we haven’t experienced an outage more than a few hours so far.

They're working on that...