Plugging Into Intelligent Energy Management For Electric Cars
Today, Electric Vehicles (EVs) are at a turning point.
Products such as the Nissan Leaf and the Chevy Volt are creating
mass markets for EVs. Every major auto company has already announced
plans to deliver either a pure EV or Plug-in Hybrid EV. In
2012, it’s estimated that there will be 20 EV production models to
choose from and by 2017, over one hundred production models likely.
Widespread consumer adoption of EVs in the
As the country moves toward mainstream adoption of EVs, it
will be important for the vehicles and charging stations to offer
the same convenient accessibility as traditional gas-powered
vehicles. Mass adoption will be accompanied by the need to
safely manage and monitor power usage to deliver the environmental
benefits and energy savings. More intelligent infrastructure, access
to charging solutions, and smarter energy management are the
components that will enable success.
Installing EV Charging Infrastructure in
The City of Fort Collins, Colorado has a history of taking
the lead on energy conservation and energy efficiency practices, as
evidenced by their creation of the
FortZED (Zero Energy District) project. In keeping with this
tradition,
What makes this project unique is the level of
collaboration between the city of
Embedding Smart Grid Technology for Intelligent
Energy Management
During the process of outlining what will be necessary to
fully implement and support EVs in Fort Collins, we determined that
at least four levels of system networking above the base layer of
hardware will be necessary to sustain the EV charging needs of the
public without hindering the utility’s ability to continue to supply
safe, reliable and cost effective power:
1) Device Management Layer
– Where charge station installation, tracking, programming,
availability, warranty management and other similar functions are
handled.
2) Network Management Layer
–Where wireless provider contracts, integration with building
management systems, data collection/hosting, security and similar
functions occur.
3) Service Management Layer
– Where maintenance contracts, alarm processing, work order
tracking, demand response management and similar functions are
handled.
4) Business Management
Layer – Where customer relationship management, business
analytics, accounting, billing and similar functions are carried
out.
One of the biggest challenges we faced was creating a
network and integrating it into the utility’s existing system in a
way that will assure charging EVs does not adversely affect the
power supply. By leveraging the smart grid and smart EV charging
solutions, we can enable utilities and end users to handle the surge
in demand from EVs, through smarter energy management solutions. In
the future, charging EVs can actually point to a solution to energy
load balancing since EVs offer an inherent grid storage device using
the EV’s battery.
To bring the network to fruition, we are embedding these
communication capabilities into the initial charging stations so
they can seamlessly and cost effectively connect into an integrated
EV charging system. This integrated EV charging system will
allow third parties to interact with a scaled roll-out of features
and capabilities based on the growth rate and needs of the EV owners
and service providers.
The smart grid will provide more open communication between
consumers and utilities, enabling drivers to make smarter energy
management decisions about when to charge EVs. For instance, they
can chose to charge their vehicles during off peak hours when power
demand is low. Utilities may offer monetary or other incentives to
their customer base to encourage this. The integration of EV
charging may also be leveraged to build a grid that is flexible to
varying conditions – this will help utilities balance the grid and
reduce energy costs for consumers. It’s common that drivers
are willing to relax their charge rates if they have extra time or
if they are financially rewarded.
With the EV industry in its earliest stages in the