Specifications include, but are not limited to: a. Novel EVSE installation and interconnection cost reductions through mechanisms such as flexible interconnection agreements, technological improvements, siting or design strategies, or active managed charging. Solutions focused on installation and interconnection cost reductions will investigate one or more of the following concepts: i. Evaluating the performance of software, hardware and/or communications with utility systems for V2X or other charging schemes that achieve a measurable increase in grid flexibility and enable grid edge demand response or enable other tools for utilities to address one or more potential power system criteria violations or concerns (e.g. voltage, thermal, protection, cybersecurity) associated with VGI. ii. Technologies that enable new siting, design or interconnection configurations. iii. Assessing additional benefits to combining EVs with other DER or smart building consumption activities. This includes how DER could increase EV hosting capacity in grid constrained areas2 , as well as investigating whether EVs further stress the grid or compete with existing DER for the same market incentives or flexible hosting capacity when added in combination for site owners. iv. Testing innovative and untested ways to demonstrate significant cost reductions in electric school bus charging installation, interconnection and operation that further drive down costs compared to diesel equivalent school buses. v. Demonstrate novel approaches to charging at multi-family buildings or on-street parking (especially in designated disadvantaged communities) while minimizing installation and operation costs and principal/agent issues. Solutions proposed to this focus area must describe their ability to: offset peak demand charging, ideally, by a target of 80% of the total charging load; increase total available flexible load (in kilowatts); demonstrate a level of certainty required for solutions to verifiably reduce or obviate the need for utility upgrades; achieve estimated cost-savings associated with reduced or avoided interconnection costs; and/or achieve estimated increases in total EV deployments based on hosting capacity improvements as a result of the project. b. Simplified approaches to residential time-of-use and managed charging incentives that address technological, behavioral and economic challenges with motivating higher participation in and more beneficial outcomes of residential managed charging programs. This includes ways to: i. Encourage and optimize off-peak charging that avoids merely shifting large coincident residential vehicle charging from one period to another. ii. Evaluate and compare the impacts and efficacy of different approaches to managed charging programs designs, technologies, or incentives. This type of project should explore approaches beyond existing/forthcoming utility programs and time-of-use rates.
