SPOKANE, Wash., July 27, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Greenlots, a global provider of open standards-based distributed energy resource solutions, announced it was selected by Avista Utilities located in Spokane WA for a grid-integrated electric vehicle charging pilot that enables the utility to own and operate EV infrastructure.  Avista will integrate Greenlots' SKY platform with over 200 EV chargers for residential, workplace, and public charging sites throughout Eastern Washington.  This pilot is expected to provide Avista with a holistic view of scaling EV infrastructure sustainably with the grid, and inform intelligent longer term programs with utility owned EV charging infrastructure.  Together, Greenlots and Avista will implement various demand flexibility strategies to demonstrate the feasibility of higher EV penetration, in a way that maximizes the utilization of existing grid assets and minimizes unnecessary distribution and capacity upgrades, providing the most value and benefits possible to all electric customers. 

"We selected Greenlots for this pilot because it's an interoperable platform that provides a robust feature set for control at both the site and system level, and allows for the use of a variety of different EV chargers, reducing operational risk and capitalizing on market innovations as the pilot proceeds.  It also affords Avista opportunities to better engage with our customers while reducing the region's carbon footprint," said Kevin Christie, Vice President of Customer Solutions at Avista. "We look forward to strengthening our customer relationships with this pilot and supporting Washington State's Electric Vehicle Action Plan.  We expect this pilot to help accelerate EV adoption that can benefit all customers, and provide important information for smart, cost-effective programs in the future that involve utility-owned charging infrastructure."

This EV charging pilot aims to demonstrate how using demand response and smart charging programs can help reduce costs and create a more reliable and less expensive grid, by shifting charging to occur during times of lower system energy demand.  Beginning in August of 2016, Avista will install and maintain 200 Level 2 chargers across different locations as part of a two-year pilot with Greenlots.  120 Level 2 chargers will be installed in single-family and multi-family residences for qualifying Avista customers and the remaining 80 Level 2 chargers will be available to the public and used at select workplaces.  Additionally, Avista will install seven DC fast chargers in convenient public locations. Applications for the EV charging program are now available to Avista customers in Eastern Washington and can apply to the program here: avistautilities.com/transportation.

An early leader in interoperable Vehicle-Grid Integration technologies, Greenlots' SKY platform supports Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP) for charger-to-central-system communication, SEP 2.0, and Automated Demand Response (OpenADR 2.0b) for flexible EV charging under diverse grid conditions. A future-proofed technology, Greenlots' hardware agnostic software provides leading utilities including Southern California Edison (SCE), Hawaiian Electric (HECO), the Southern California Public Power Authority (SCPPA) and others with a platform that bridges electric mobility, demand side management, and behind-the-meter energy storage markets for the built environment.

"Large-scale deployment of electric vehicles is required to achieve national greenhouse gas reduction goals.  Utilities are uniquely positioned to provide broad-based and cost-effective access to EV charging infrastructure to help make this transition possible," said Greenlots CEO, Brett Hauser. "Greenlots is proud to be partnering with Avista and the State of Washington as they move towards electrified transportation and a sustainable energy future."

About Avista Utilities
Avista Utilities is involved in the production, transmission and distribution of energy. We provide energy services and electricity to 375,000 customers and natural gas to 335,000 customers in a service territory that covers 30,000 square miles in eastern Washington, northern Idaho and parts of southern and eastern Oregon, with a population of 1.6 million. Avista Utilities is an operating division of Avista Corp. For more information, please visit www.avistautilities.com.

About Greenlots
Greenlots is a global provider of open standards-based distributed energy resource solutions. Its award-winning SKY Smart Charging™ charge management platform bridges electric mobility, demand side management, and behind-the-meter energy storage markets for the built environment. Greenlots operates the largest open fast charging network in North America, and provides utilities the ability to remotely control grid loads through smart charging, demand response, and energy storage initiatives. Visit www.greenlots.com for more information or follow us on Twitter @greenlots.

SOURCE Greenlots

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