REopt Optimizes Control of Solar, Storage, Building Loads, and Electric Vehicle Fleets in Partnership with Eaton

A school bus is retrofitted with an electric motor. Photo by Dennis Schroeder, NREL 38954

NREL is working with Eaton to develop and validate an integrated framework to optimize solar photovoltaic generation, flexible building loads, stationary storage, and electric vehicle charging/storage for commercial and industrial customers with large fleets. NREL is using the REopt^® model to economically optimize the size and dispatch strategy of each asset, considering electric vehicle fleet availability, utility rate tariffs, and market services such as frequency regulation or demand response.

The optimal dispatch strategy will be programmed into Eaton controllers and evaluated in a hardware-in-the-loop test to demonstrate the economic benefits of integration and coordinated control of multiple distributed energy resource assets. NREL and Eaton will evaluate markets nationwide to identify the best opportunities for integrated distributed energy resource system deployment.