SUNNYVALE — To help its customers charge their EVs with the cheapest and cleanest electricity, Silicon Valley Clean Energy (SVCE) has launched clean-energy events through the GridShift: EV Charging app. Beginning in December 2021 through May 2022, GridShift users can participate in low-carbon, clean-energy events throughout the month and earn bill credits. These events are designed to shift EV charging toward off-peak daytime hours when there is abundant renewable energy available on the grid.
SVCE launched the GridShift: EV Charging app, powered by ev.energy, in summer 2021. The app allows customers to align their EV charging with their electricity rate and renewable energy on the California grid. Low-carbon events further encourage customers to charge when the grid is clean by notifying users when there are substantial amounts of clean energy available on the grid and rewarding participants with rewards points that can be redeemed for electricity bill credits.
EV drivers in the following communities can simply download the GridShift app via Apple or Google Play and select push notifications to receive an alert for the next opportunity to participate in low-carbon events: Campbell, Cupertino, Gilroy, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Los Gatos, Milpitas, Monte Sereno, Morgan Hill, Mountain View, Saratoga, Sunnyvale, and Unincorporated Santa Clara County. The program follows a successful pilot that ran between November 2020 and February 2021 in which GridShift users saved an average of $24 per month on their energy bills versus charging immediately upon plug-in. The initial Low Carbon pilot ran between March and April 2021, with ev.energy’s algorithms successfully predicting low carbon events at a 72% lower carbon intensity than the overnight period.
“As EV adoption continues to increase in SV Clean Energy communities, GridShift offers additional savings to drivers,” said Margaret Abe-Koga, Mountain View Councilmember and SVCE Board Chair. “Low-carbon events allow us to reward customers for charging behaviors that support the state in its transition to a clean grid.”
Until May 2022, participants will have the opportunity to receive a $5 bill credit each month when they participate in five or more low-carbon events.
“The technology behind SVCE’s GridShift app from ev.energy is already assisting thousands of EV drivers in saving money each month by charging at off-peak hours with renewable energy sources,” said Joseph Vellone, ev.energy’s Head of North America. “During the pilot period for low-carbon events from March to April 2021, participants avoided approximately 4,000lbs of CO2 by allowing the app to shift their charge.”
GridShift is available to all SVCE customers for free. Currently, Volkswagen (e-golf only), Tesla, Jaguar, Land Rover, and ChargePoint chargers (internet-connected models only) are compatible with the GridShift app, and additional integrations are coming soon.
