Recent advances in information and communications systems and battery technologies, in combination with substantial importance given by society to reducing greenhouse gas/carbon emissions, have resulted in dramatic thrusts towards accelerated innovations in electric vehicles (EVs) and the smart and renewable energy infrastructure necessary to fuel and support them. Products such as the Nissan Leaf, Chevy Volt, and Ford Focus Electric, are in the process of creating mass markets for electric vehicles in the U.S. The utilities on their part are working towards enhancing their infrastructure through their own investments as well as those from the DOE Stimulus ARRA Grants, and this requires massive changes in their distribution as well as their transmission systems. If 25% of all vehicles were EVs today, the current infrastructure in the U.S. would have a difficult time supporting the charging of these EVs - substantial technological, infrastructure and behavioral changes would be required to do so in a scalable and efficient manner. Some utilities have reported numbers which indicate that even a single 220V EV charger may during peak consumption hours overload its transformer. Therefore, the current infrastructure needs to be upgraded both from a capacity standpoint as well as from a flexibility and power routing/control standpoint. Adding capacity is far more expensive than adding intelligence and smart power routing capability, and the eventual solution will require an innovation combination of both. Certainly, adding auxiliary power sources at the edge of the power network such as residential solar PVCs to feed into the grid would help from a capacity standpoint, but using such alternative fuels so as to move the energy to where it is needed from where it is produced will require a very sophisticated and smart grid.
While adding capacity and adding intelligence are challenges - they are also opportunities in the migration of the grid to a more modern one. There are additional opportunities that the growth of EVs can provide in the context of the Smart Grid. Due to the addition of a large number of batteries by way of these EVs there is the potential to aggregate them to create an energy storage buffer which can absorb excessive power during low-load periods such as during the night, and become a source of electrical power during high-load periods such as a hot summer’s afternoon in hot climate or early evening in cold climate. This ability can help substantially with Demand Response which is a key and yet challenging problem for the utilities. This source of energy can also provide buffer power for smoothing out frequency fluctuations resulting from mismatched demand (generation versus consumption) - and therefore could be used for Demand Dispatch and Grid Control by the utilities. All of these needs and capabilities will require the integration of sophisticated technologies including communications, wireless, sense-and-control, Internet, mobile computing, cloud computing, Lithium Ion and other battery technology, superconductors, etc.
This forum will bring together utilities, EV and automotive companies, technology providers, service providers, government and universities together to create Thought Leadership around the field of electric vehicles and their integration into the Smart Grid of the Future. The ecosystem of participants is rapidly changing and this forum will discuss the role of technology, standards, economics of EVs, government policies, infrastructure issues, global competitiveness issues and renewable energy considerations in the context of EV adoption. Early results generated on EV integration projects will be discussed. The role and importance of the consumer in using the grid optimally for their EVs would be discussed. Issues and experiences by early EV customers on the availability and modality of use of charging stations would be topics for discussion. Input from parking infrastructure/facilities perspectives, where relevant, would be presented. Utilities would be able to present their perspectives on how their infrastructure is being impacted with the addition of the first set of EVs and how they perceive this impact evolving with the further addition of EVs from many other manufacturers. Standards bodies would be able to discuss how they are balancing innovation with standardization. Government organizations would present their initial reactions from consumers and on policies. Overall, the next level of discussion that now needs to take place is in the context of actual EVs connecting the real grid, and this forum will, based on data, information and experience from these early automobiles, move the thought leadership discussion to the next level.
Finally, this forum will be accompanied by an announcement and discussions pertaining to the formation of the EV-SG consortium under the umbrella of SMERC and in partnership with WINMEC. If you are interested in this activity, please email [email protected].
