EnergyHub to integrate Wallbox L2 chargers into grid flexibility programs | Utility Dive

About 80% of EV charging occurs at home, according to National Renewable Energy Laboratory estimates, making residential customers a key to utilities looking to manage growing demand.

EnergyHub, a distributed energy resource management services provider, announced Tuesday it has signed a deal with electric vehicle charging company Wallbox to integrate Level 2 chargers into its growing ecosystem of connected devices.

“The integration will deliver immediate benefits to our utility clients and their customers who want to use Wallbox chargers in managed charging programs and help pave the way for a more reliable, increasingly decarbonized energy system,” EnergyHub Vice President of Business Development Matt Johnson said in a statement.

EnergyHub works with more than 70 utilities in North America to manage more than 1.9 GW of flexible capacity. Its DERMS platform manages thermostats, EV charging equipment, residential batteries, solar inverters and water heaters.

The new partnership with Wallbox is “an important milestone in our commitment to provide utilities with access to the industry’s largest ecosystem of device partners,” Johnson said. The company has existing partnerships with other EV charging companies including EV Connect, Blink and ChargePoint.

EV adoption is helping to drive U.S. electricity demand higher, and utilities are looking to manage that demand to avoid grid stress. EVs in the United States consumed 6.1 TWh of electricity in 2021, according to Zero Emission Transportation Association, a group advocating for full EV adoption. An additional 15 TWh to 27 TWh of annual new power generation will be needed between now and 2050 to meet electric transportation demand, the group said.

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory estimates about 80% of EV charging occurs at home “due to the convenience and low cost of residential charging, which could cause a substantial increase in residential electricity demand.”

“We know that the majority of EV charging happens in the home, so integrations that deliver financial and environmental benefits to both customers and utilities are key to the transition,” said Fred Turner, senior director of Wallbox NA.