UL Solutions launches vehicle-to-grid certification program
Northbrook, Illinois-based safety organization UL Solutions has announced a new certification program for vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology.
The program aims to help advance the use of electric vehicles (EVs) as a resource for the wider electrical grid, officials say. As the grid continues to strain thanks to data center buildouts and utility electrification, V2G technologies could be a major boon to virtual power plants (VPPs) across the U.S.
A study by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) says that out of a pool of an expected 130 million vehicles by 2030, “about 90% of EVs will be parked at any given time” based on normal driving patterns.
UL Solutions officials say this creates an opportunity for participating vehicles to charge during low-demand periods, returning stored electricity to the grid when it needs a boost of support. This practice is necessary now more than ever before, the Chicagoland-based laboratory says.
“Electric vehicles spend much of their time parked, creating an opportunity for them to perform more than transportation alone,” says Wesley Kwok, VP and general manager of the Energy and Industrial Automation group at UL Solutions. “Vehicle-to-grid technologies can help turn that unused battery capacity into a valuable resource for utilities and communities. Our new certification program helps build confidence that these vehicle-to-grid systems can provide critical electric utility performance while operating safely and reliably.”
Decentralizing the energy grid
The V2G certification program comes as part of UL’s wider efforts to test and certify distributed energy generation resources. The wider program aims to build confidence in emergent energy technologies that can contribute to VPPs, turning parked EVs into backup power and grid support resources.
“As electricity demand grows from data centers, transportation, buildings and industry, this flexibility can help reduce peak demand, ease strain on local infrastructure and enable the grid to use available power more effectively,” UL officials say.
The distributed generation certification program currently enables the testing and certification of products covered under UL 1741 Supplement SC, an offshoot of UL 1741 which covers “inverters, converters, controllers, and interconnection system equipment for use with distributed energy resources.” The new program addresses bidirectional EV charging and the equipment that enables these interactions.
“The equipment acts as a bridge between electric vehicles and utilities, helping monitor and manage the flow of electricity while supporting compliance with utility interconnection requirements,” UL Solutions says. “Products certified to UL 1741 Supplement SC can work with electric vehicles that use onboard bidirectional inverters designed and tested in accordance with SAE J3072.”
Testing and certification services for these V2G technologies are available at UL Solution laboratories in Fremont, California and Northbrook, Illinois, as of September 2026.
