V2G AC Certification Program Moves Bidirectional Charging Closer to Broad Use

Underwriter Labs’ recently approved UL V2G-AC Certification Program provides a formal testing method that will enable widespread deployment of bidirectional EV chargers in commercial and private settings.

Lee Goldberg

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Electronic Design

Oct. 23, 2026

2 min read

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What you'll learn:

EVs could become a valuable asset to utility operators thanks to the recently approved UL V2G-AC Certification Program, which provides a formal testing pathway for bidirectional electric-vehicle supply equipment (BEVSE).
This could accelerate the development and deployment of commercial equipment capable of supporting vehicle-to-grid (V2G) operations that allow EVs to sell a portion of their capacity back to utility operators.
Once widely deployed, V2G is expected to reduce owner’s operating costs and provide utilities with a cost-effective alternative to operating fossil-fueled turbine “peaking” units.

The UL V2G-AC Certification will make it possible for manufacturers to offer vehicle-to-grid-capable chargers that can be deployed in homes or public parking lots to help supplement the grid’s generating capacity.

While some fossil-fuel interests argue that electric vehicles pose a threat to power grids, a new certification standard could turn the vehicles into an asset by allowing them to be part of a rolling distributed storage network. In a recent posting on LinkedIn, noted EV analyst Bill Pierce reported that the UL V2G-AC Certification Program provides a standards-based method to ensure that EVs and the charging equipment they use can safely enable utilities to purchase the vehicle’s surplus power during periods of peak demand.

Pierce reports that the program is based on UL’s 1741 Supplement SC, which defines the requirements for AC-based V2G connections that allow EVs with certified bidirectional onboard inverters to connect to the grid through AC wall boxes. It’s based on the SAE J3072 standard (finalized in 2024) and defines interconnection requirements for vehicle-integrated onboard inverters,

Availability of a formal testing pathway for bidirectional electric vehicle supply equipment (BEVSE) is expected to accelerate the widespread commercial adoption of V2G technology by giving utilities, automakers, and charging manufacturers a standardized route to test V2G-AC systems. This should also allow utilities to gradually phase out the use of costly turbine-powered “peaking” units in favor of distributed energy resources from EVs and utility-scale stationary battery storage systems.

Full details can be found in Mr. Pierce’s LinkedIn post and the article he posted on EVinfo.net.

About the Author

Lee Goldberg

Contributing Editor

Lee is the author of the popular PowerBites series.

Lee Goldberg is a self-identified “Recovering Engineer,” Maker/Hacker, Green-Tech Maven, Aviator, Gadfly, and Geek Dad. He spent the first 18 years of his career helping design microprocessors, embedded systems, renewable energy applications, and the occasional interplanetary spacecraft. After trading his ‘scope and soldering iron for a keyboard and a second career as a tech journalist, he’s spent the next two decades at several print and online engineering publications.

Lee’s current focus is power electronics, especially the technologies involved with energy efficiency, energy management, and renewable energy. This dovetails with his coverage of sustainable technologies and various environmental and social issues within the engineering community that he began in 1996. Lee also covers 3D printers, open-source hardware, and other Maker/Hacker technologies.

Lee holds a BSEE in Electrical Engineering from Thomas Edison College, and participated in a colloquium on technology, society, and the environment at Goddard College’s Institute for Social Ecology. His book, “Green Electronics/Green Bottom Line - A Commonsense Guide To Environmentally Responsible Engineering and Management,” was published by Newnes Press.

Lee, his wife Catherine, and his daughter Anwyn currently reside in the outskirts of Princeton N.J., where they masquerade as a typical suburban family.