Fermata Energy Receives the First UL Certification for Bi-Directional EV Charger
Underwriters Laboratories (UL) announced that Fermata Energy's bidirectional electric vehicle (EV) charging system is the first in the world to be certified to a new North American safety Standard, UL 9741, the Standard for Bidirectional Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging System Equipment. Bidirectional chargers are built on the idea that electric vehicle batteries can be valuable resources that hold electricity used to run the vehicle itself, but also provide energy back to the electrical grid, enabling EVs to earn money while they are parked by helping to stabilize the electric power grid.
The UL 9741 standard covers bidirectional electric vehicle charging equipment that charges electric vehicles from an electric power system (EPS) and also includes functionality to export power from the electric vehicle to an EPS.
According to Francisco Martinez, business development director of UL's Energy Systems and eMobility division, bidirectional charging gives vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology the potential to balance electricity demand and smooth consumption spikes with the help of electric car battery storage. "UL's role in making the most of the stored energy in electric vehicles is to help ensure that this happens safely," said Martinez.
Fermata's V2G technology uses bidirectional charging to turn electric vehicles into sources of energy for use by the electric grid, making EVs an off-the-shelf solution to renewable energy's storage needs, while lowering the total cost of ownership of EVs.
"By unlocking the full potential of electric vehicles, Fermata Energy is helping to accelerate the shift to more electric vehicle usage," said David Slutzky, CEO and founder, Fermata Energy.
"We believe bidirectional energy solutions such as Fermata Energy's V2G system will play an important role in reducing energy costs, improving grid resilience and combating climate change. We're excited to be the first company to receive UL 9741 certification and look forward to partnering with other organizations to advance V2G applications," concluded Sultzky.
