Ford and Resideo Partner To Show How EVs and Homes Can Work Together
Ford and Resideo Technologies recently unveiled their collaborative project, the “EV-Home Power Partnership.” This joint simulation initiative will look at vehicle-to-home (V2H) energy management. Specifically, the companies will be exploring the potential of electric vehicle batteries to help home energy usage.
By pairing bi-directional EV charging with a Resideo smart thermostat, it’s possible to get savings on monthly electric bills, reduce strain on the U.S. electric grid, and better harness cleaner energy sources. More importantly, the companies want to show the world that getting these benefits doesn’t need to come at the expense of comfort at home.
This collaboration is part of a larger ecosystem of partnerships. Ford introduced a groundbreaking full-size electric truck (the Lightning) that was capable of bi-directional charging in North American homes. In partnership with Resideo, a global provider of home comfort solutions, First Alert security, and many other leading residential load management programs for utilities, other aspects of charging, V2X, and other benefits are all being explored.
“Driving electric is unlocking an entirely new world of personal energy management that could not only save our customers time and money, but also help support a more sustainable energy grid,” said Bill Crider, head of global charging and energy services, Ford Motor Company. “Successful vehicle-to-home energy management solutions would give Ford EV drivers as well as utilities and power companies the confidence to accelerate future vehicle-to-grid services never-before thought possible with traditional vehicles.”
With its Intelligent Backup Power feature, the F-150 Lightning is already capable of providing power to homes during outages. Now, the EV Home Power Partnership project aims to explore the integration of Resideo’s smart thermostats with the F-150 Lightning’s battery. This innovative collaboration will enable smart coordination to efficiently power the heating and cooling systems of homes.
The project aims to see how well these different “smart” capabilities can work together, especially during periods of electric grid stress. By automating the home to align with consumers’ Time-of-Use (TOU) electricity rates, energy usage can be minimized during the most expensive hours of the day. It’s also possible to optimize for the lowest emissions by storing power during the times of day when renewables are at their highest production and then discharge that energy when the sun doesn’t shine and the wind doesn’t blow.
The potential benefits go beyond one’s power bill or sense of environmental responsibility. EV batteries hold great potential to help prop up strained electric grids, and they can do this without needing to sit in the heat or cold. Ford and Resideo say they envision a future where electric vehicles and homes seamlessly share the same energy source, but intelligently interact for the benefit of customers and the grid.
But, these advantages need to be proven, and that’s the goal here.
“The two largest contributors to an individual’s carbon-emission footprint are usually their car and the heating and cooling of their home,” said Dana Huth, EVP and Chief Revenue Officer, Resideo. “With this EV Power Partnership project, we can discover new ways for F-150 Lightning owners to utilize their EV battery to power their home’s heating and cooling and to help build a home energy management strategy that can optimize their home’s comfort and energy use. By creating energy-efficient ecosystems between trusted global brands, our Resideo Grid Services team can help ensure a more resilient electric grid for the community, prepare it for more renewables and deliver energy savings for consumers.”
The project is already under way and the companies expect to finish up by the first half of 2024.
Featured image provided by Ford.
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