BE Pilots

Air Quality Monitoring

A collective of academic researchers and air quality experts will collect hyperlocal granular air quality readings in select EIEC neighborhoods across the city of Chicago. Target locations for this pilot include Pilsen, Little Village, and the Southeast side of Chicago. Monitoring will run throughout 2025 with data being accessible on a monthly basis. The goal is to identify where the need for electrification is greatest and where to prioritize investments to improve public health and quality of life.

Lead Partner: RHP Risk

Partners: Aclima, Clarity, Purple Air, UIC, UIUC, Little Village Environmental Justice Organization, Southeast Environmental Taskforce, Pilsen Environmental Rights and Reform Organization, Alliance of the Southeast

The contract is to be signed the week of December 9, 2024. Kickoff is expected to occur the week of December 16, 2024.

Backup Power Capabilities

The objective of this pilot is to conduct comprehensive market research and analysis to study technologies that enable the use of an EV’s bi-directional capabilities, such as vehicle-to-grid technology, to evaluate their readiness for adoption.

Curbside Charging

Demonstrate a modular and scalable curbside charging model that practically addresses gaps in electric vehicle charger access while optimizing cost, efficiency, and grid operation. The pilot also aims to develop best practices in equitable implementation, construction practices, and municipal collaboration

Lead Partners: HBK, MJ Electric, Electric Power Engineers

Electric Vehicle Energy Management System (EV EMS)

To test the ability of EV EMS software demand monitoring and load control technologies to regulate the capacity of an (L2) electric vehicle (EV) charger to ensure the maximum load of the EV supply equipment (EVSE) does not exceed the available capacity of the home’s main circuit panel.

Lead Partner: WeaveGrid

Partners: Emporia, SWTCH, Treehouse

Residential Optimized Charging

To examine the feasibility and incremental benefits of allowing customers to passively modify their level of charge by opting to allow the vendor/utility to actively manage their customer’s level of charge within a charging session to optimize demand savings and reduce grid impacts while ensuring the customer’s electric vehicle (EV) experience is not diminished.

Lead Partner: Optiwatt

Partners: Opinion Dynamics, Walker Miller

Rideshare

To develop a carsharing program that provides EV access to low-income and EJ/R3 customers by addressing cost barriers and promoting familiarity. The pilot will place vehicles in transit-, work-, and residence-adjacent locations to enable households to own fewer cars while serving everyday transportation needs.

Lead Partner: ZipCar

School Bus Vehicle-to-Grid

To assess and demonstrate the viability of implementing vehicle-to-grid  technology with electric school buses (ESBs) and showcase the technology’s potential to leverage ESBs as viable energy storage sources while achieving balance on the grid.

Lead Partners: Resource Innovations, DNV Energy Insights

Partners: Nuvve

Submetering

Understand and evaluate the feasibility of using the capabilities inherent in electric vehicle service equipment (EVSE) to act as a submeter for utility billing purposes, establishing a preferred set of standards and criteria to qualify chargers as submeters with sufficient accuracy for ComEd billing

Lead Partner: Resource Innovations

This pilot began preparatory deployment activities in December 2024 and is actively recruiting pilot participants.