Wheels
Life in the Fast Lane – Electric Vehicle Observations
Feb 1st
Recently I had the opportunity to use a Nissan Leaf™ for several full days, a much more interesting exercise than a simple test drive. As someone working in the sustainability area, as a co-chair of the California Clean Cars campaign and as a likely car buyer in 2012 (my current vehicle has over 230,000 miles on it) I am very interested in the electric vehicle (EV) market.
Nissan’s Leaf™ is among the handful of low emission cars that are presently authorized to carry a Clean Air Vehicle Sticker, entitling a single occupant to use the carpool lanes during rush hours – a very nice side benefit to EV ownership that helped speed my commute this week.
My general impression of EV driving is very favorable. This particular model is roomy, it has all the bells and whistles (bluetooth, navigation, backup camera, etc.) and most importantly, it really drives well. Acceleration, handling and power are all indistinguishable from a gas powered vehicle. The only issue I’ve had this week is the one that continues to slow down growth in the EV market, namely range anxiety and ease of recharging. I have been charging the vehicle at home and at work using conventional 120v outlets and while the process is simple and easy, it certainly takes a while, e.g. 11 hours to get a full charge last night. When I left my home the range indicator read “100 miles”, but 35 miles of highway driving depleted that amount to 42. In other words, at 60+ miles per hour, a 35 mile trip used up 58 miles of driving range. Keep in mind, I tried to use the EV just like I use my current one, driving as fast as usual as opposed to crawling along in the slow lane just to conserve the charge. With the indicator staring at you the entire time, you also start thinking about all of the devices that consume electricity in the car, such as the lights, the radio, and the seat warmers and so on. Since I want a fully functional vehicle, the notion of driving around in a dark, cold vehicle is not a selling point.
My conclusions: I love just about everything in the EV experience other than the limitations on range. If the car had a 200-mile range, I would be placing an order tomorrow. Until batteries are improved, however, fast charging 240v stations are essential and the buyers for whom EVs work perfectly may be limited. By the way
Written by Bruce Klafter. An environmental attorney by background, Bruce manages the core Environmental, Health and Safety programs for Applied Materials and drives the company’s sustainability programs, including carbon reduction and product efficiency goals.
Car Charging Group Expands EV Charging Services in Florida
Jan 18th
Car Charging Group expands EV charging services in Florida
Car Charging Group Inc. has expanded its EV charging infrastructure in Florida. EV charging services are now available at two of Brixmor Property Group’s shopping malls located in Sarasota and Orlando. Car Charging Group is also working with Brixmor to offer convenient and accessible charging sites throughout the Brixmor portfolio. Charging will be free during an introductory time period.
At both Brixmor properties, Car Charging Group is utilizing Level II, 240-volt, EV charging stations, manufactured by Coulomb Technologies. Brixmor customers now have access to the ChargePoint Network. Car Charging Group will provide flexible payment options, the ability to make reservations, and track customer usage patterns, energy use, costs and revenues, all via the ChargePoint Network’s cloud-based software service plans for managing EV charging operations. Through the network, EV drivers benefit from ChargePoint mobile apps (iPhone, Blackberry and Android), mapping services and driver support services.
Canadian Solar’s solar modules pass salt corrosion test
Canadian Solar Inc. said that its solar modules passed the most stringent salt spray corrosion test — IEC61701 Ed2 and IEC60068-2-52 Ed.2 standards adopted in 2011. The company received certification by Tuv Nord Cert GmbH, based in Germany. The certification covers 33 of the company’s products, with outputs ranging from 13W to 305W. The Salt Mist Corrosion test is intended for application to components or equipment designed to withstand a salt-laden atmosphere. Salt can degrade the performance of parts manufactured using metallic and/or non-metallic materials.
China Sunergy, Visual Percept complete 25-MW solar project in India
China Sunergy Co. Ltd. has commissioned a 25-MW solar project in Guajarat, India. The company completed the project in partnership with Visual Percept Solar Projects Pvt. Ltd. China Sunergy supplied its 13 MW of high quality solar modules to Visual Percept Solar Projects for the solar project in August 2011 under a strategic partnership agreement.
ECOtality to Install EV Charging Stations at Kohl’s Department Stores
Dec 16th
ECOtality to install EV charging stations at Kohl’s Department Stores
ECOtality Inc. has entered into an agreement with Kohl’s Department Stores to install Blink Pedestal electric vehicle charging stations at 14 Kohl’s locations nationwide. Under the terms of the agreement, Kohl’s will work with ECOtality to identify sites for the charging stations in EV Project markets in California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona and Tennessee.
ECOtality is in the process of installing a total of 42 Blink Pedestal charging stations across 14 Kohl’s locations across five key EV Project markets. Each Kohl’s store will have a minimum of two reserved parking spots for EVs, and several sites have up to four charging stations.
ECOtality is the project manager of The EV Project and will oversee the installation of commercial and residential charging stations in 18 major cities and metropolitan areas in six states and the District of Columbia. The project is a public-private partnership, funded in part by the U.S. Department of Energy through a federal stimulus grant and made possible by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).
Town of Hempstead (New York) installing 100 kW wind turbine
The Town of Hempstead, New York, has completed major construction on a 100-kW wind turbine, SourceOne Inc. said in a news release. The Town of Hempstead received more than $4.5 million in federal funding for energy projects under the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant program. SourceOne is serving as project manager and grant administrator.
Noveda Technologies to develop new application for LEED automation
Noveda Technologies has teamed up with the U.S. Green Building Council to develop a new application for the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design automation program. The new application will be available through USGBC’s online app lab and is designed for use with internet browsers, tablet PCs, and smart-phones.
The USGBC’s LEED green building certification system is the foremost program for the design, construction, maintenance and operations of green buildings. Currently, more than 43,000 projects are participating in the commercial and institutional LEED rating systems, comprising more than 7.9 billion square feet of construction space in all 50 states and 120 countries.
SunPower breaks ground on 1.5-MW solar project at Evergreen Valley College campus in California
SunPower Corp. and Gilbane Co. have broke ground on a 1.5-MW ground-mounted solar power project at the Evergreen Valley College campus in San Jose, Calif. The solar system will generate about one-third of the college’s electricity demand annually. The solar system features the SunPower T0 Tracker, which will utilize about 4,816 high-efficiency SunPower E 19 / 320 solar panels. The project is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2012.
Terex Utilities Wins ARB Approval for Hybrid System
Dec 9th
Terex Utilities wins ARB approval for hybrid system
Terex Utilities has received approval from the Air Resources Board for its Terex HyPower Hybrid System, a plug-in Power Take-Off system that uses stored energy from the system’s rechargeable batteries to power the non-propulsion functions of the vehicle. The approval enables the HyPower system, which can be used on any heavy-duty, diesel-powered vehicle, to meet the requirements set forth in title 13, California Code of Regulations section 2485. The HyPower system recharges from the electrical grid using a standard 110V—15 AMP outlet. The system is simple enough to be retrofitted onto existing vehicles, as well as durable enough to outlive its first vehicle and be used on another.
Exelon City Solar admin building gets LEED certification
Exelon Corp. unit Exelon Generation Co. LLC said that the administration building at 10-MW Exelon City Solar plant has been recognized with silver leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.
Exelon City Solar is located on a brownfield in the West Pullman neighborhood of Chicago. The administration building is used as office and conference space and contains displays that educate visitors about the power plant and Exelon 2020: Exelon’s industry-leading plan to reduce, offset or displace the company’s carbon footprint by more than 15 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions per year by 2020.
T3 Motion launches consumer electric vehicle
T3 Motion Inc. has launched its newest T3 electric vehicle, which will be unveiled at the Progressive International Motorcycle Show inLong Beach,Calif., from December 9, 2011, through December 11, 2011. With this product launch, T3 Motion is entering into the consumer market, leveraging years of expertise in the law enforcement, security and military industries. There are more than 3,000 T3 Motion vehicles in operation, spanning nearly 30 countries worldwide and logging over 20,000,000 miles.
Clean Diesel gets over $1.7M in orders for emission reduction products
Clean Diesel Technologies Inc., a cleantech emissions reduction company, said that its Heavy Duty Diesel Systems division has received new orders valued in excess of $1.7 million for its verified emission reduction products. The new orders were received under the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Mandatory Diesel Retrofit Program and Air Resources Board’s Lower Emission School Bus Program inNorthern California. The company expects to complete shipment of the orders in early 2012.
Petroleum Savings if all Passenger Vehicles in U.S. were Hybrids or EVs!
Nov 23rd
A month ago, I was asked the question: “What would be the impact on petroleum usage if all cars (passenger vehicles) in the U.S. energy efficient, such as Toyota’s Prius?” This discussion is all about how to derive a sound answer to this question.
The Toyota Prius is a four-door hatchback gasoline-electric hybrid vehicle with a 1.8-liter gasoline engine that produces 98 horsepower and 105 pound-feet of torque that’s used in conjunction with two electric motors and a special planetary gear set that functions as a continuously variable transmission (CVT). Total system power is 134 hp. According to Toyota, the 2012 Prius (standard model) has an EPA rating of 51 City / 48 Hwy, combined fuel economy estimate of 50 mpg – “which is tops in the hybrid game.” It is a 5-passenger car with a curb weight of 3,042 lb. (1,380 kg).
The analysis took into consideration U.S. passenger cars only. It excluded the 101 million other highway vehicles registered in the U.S. The analysis was review by a reputable independent 3rd consultant in New Jersey. The consultant’s comments were:
“I’ve done similar research and calculations within the last few months. I’m not crazy about the assumption – ‘straight line’ allocation of gasoline consumption. Motorcycles, for example, probably consume a very small amount of gasoline per vehicle per year compare to passenger cars and SUV’s. Nonetheless, even if you toss in SUV’s and tweak the ‘straight line’ assumption you might only get to 15-20% savings; so on an order of magnitude basis I’m in agreement.”
The analysis goes as follows:
In closing, at first glance a 19% gross savings in petroleum consumption was considered somewhat low. If electric passenger cars, SUVs, motorcycles and other personal vehicles are taken into consideration, the savings becomes obviously much higher. The same goes with trucks and other vehicles, which at this time maybe under development for some level of hybridization and electrification. Also, this analysis includes U.S. only, as other countries possible do the same, global petroleum consumption will be cut even further.
One item not included in the analysis is the source of imported petroleum. In a previous discussion “Economists’ View – Fossil Fuels Pose Major Threats to the U.S. Economy,” I summarized an April 2011 EIA report on the makeup of U.S. oil imports by country of origin.
The report showed:
• 61.1% from Non OPEC countries
• 38.9% from OPEC Countries
• 22.6% from Canada
• 14.7% from all Persian Gulf countries
• 9.6% from Saudi Arabia
• 9.3% from Mexico
• 8.0% from Algeria
• 6.1% from Russia
• 4.5% from Iraq
• 4.4 from Colombia
• 4.0% from Algeria
From this perspective, a 19% reduction in petroleum consumption would potentially render all oil imports from Persian Gulf counties unnecessary, politics aside.
A final comment relates to the economic cost of replacing all 100% gasoline burning passenger vehicles to hybrids or even more expense EVs. Considering the purchase price of a Prius is about $25,000 (on the low side), the cost to replace 137 million passenger cars is about $3.4 trillion (less any trade deductions). By any measure, this is not a paltry number. Economics, financial stability and time will tell.
To the extent that all U.S. passenger cars would be powered by some level of electricity, one thing is certain that at the end of the day the environment and the citizens of the U.S. would become the ultimate beneficiaries. The question is what will the U.S. and the rest of the world do?
The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author Dr. Barry Stevens, an accomplished business developer and entrepreneur in technology-driven enterprises. He is the founder of TBD America Inc., a technology business development group. In this role, he is responsible for leading technology driven enterprises through ideation, development and commercialization. To read his other discussions, please visit: http://barryonenergy.wordpress.com
Vu1 to Supply 20,000 ESL Bulbs to Avspar
Nov 11th
IKEA opens 4 electric vehicle charging stations in Carson, Calif.
IKEA has officially plugged-in four Blink Pedestal electric vehicle charging stations at its store inCarson,California, as part of its partnership with ECOtality Inc. Installation also is planned at seven other IKEA stores in theWestern United States. To charge an EV at IKEA Carson, drivers pull into a designated parking spot, swipe their Blink InCard, plug the charger into the EV and then shop and eat at their leisure in the IKEA store while the vehicle is charging.
Vu1 to supply 20,000 ESL bulbs to Avspar
Vu1 Corp. has received an initial order for 20,000 of Electron Stimulated Luminescence R30 light bulbs from Avspar Corp. The company expects to fulfill the order during the 2012 first quarter.
The R30 bulb, which is based on Vu1′s unique ESL lighting technology platform, uses accelerated electrons to stimulate phosphor. ESL bulbs are fully dimmable, energy-efficient, non-toxic and provide a light quality virtually indistinguishable from traditional incandescent light bulbs for up to 11,000 hours.
GE, Illinois Institute of Technology team up on efficient wind energy production project
General Electric has joined hands with Illinois Institute of Technology to investigate ways to improve wind farm productivity and efficiency. The project is part of a larger U.S. Department of Energy investment of $9 million to an IIT-led consortium to enhance the leadership role of theU.S.in testing and producing the most advanced and efficient wind turbines in the world.
The two-year project will focus on helping wind farms to reduce maintenance costs and improve availability through predictions of impending problems. The project’s research will be conducted near Marseilles, Illinois, on a GE 1.5 MW series wind turbine operated and maintained by Invenergy. IIT students will be conducting research using GE’s Proficy SmartSignal software on the GE wind turbine to learn how to detect faults even earlier and more accurately than currently possible.
SunPower to install 13.78-MW solar system at Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake
SunPower Corp. has begun designs for a 13.78-MW solar photovoltaic power system atNavalAirWeaponsStationChinaLakeinCalifornia. The company is expected to break ground on the solar system next month.
Under the agreement, SunPower will design, build, operate and maintain the solar power system, which will utilize the company’s high-efficiency solar panels that are supported by a 25-year warranty. TheNavalAirWeaponsStationChinaLakewill buy the electricity at a rate that is currently below the retail utility rate. The 20-year power purchase agreement will also allow the Navy to secure electricity at up to 30% below the rate available through the more traditional 10-year PPA.
IBM Electric Vehicle Strategy Goes Mobile
Oct 31st
Clay Luthy, Global Distributed Energy Resource Leader for IBM’s Energy & Utilities Industry, discusses the new mobile features that IBM has created to allow electric vehicle owners to better interact with their car.
Electric Cars Hit The East Coast Grid
Oct 3rd
Northeast and mid-Atlantic grid operator PJM Interconnect on Monday welcomed a new project to promote technology that can use battery power from electric vehicles to smooth peaks and troughs in grid demand.
Vehicle to grid technology, or V2G, has been developed over more than a decade by University of Delaware professor Willett Kempton, and has been shown through several prototype electric cars to be an effective way of providing a significant untapped source of energy to the national grid.
University officials on Monday signed an agreement with utility operator NRG Energy to commercialize the technology.
We are on the cusp of an electric vehicle revolution…Consumers get paid for the power they don’t need.
Transmission networks such as PJM will have an increasing need for stable power input as they become increasingly reliant on fluctuating renewable energy sources such as wind and solar.
PJM has been involved in discussions with UD and is enthusiastic about the technology which has the potential to smooth power supply, said spokesman Ray Dotter.
“Energy storage in vehicles can be an effective way of providing this service,” Dotter said. “If there are agreements to do that, they could be pretty significant.”
V2G will be promoted initially for use in fleets, and has the potential to be a significant source of power that is currently untapped, officials said.
‘Staggering’ Statistics
“The energy storage inherent in automobiles is staggering,” said David Weir, director of UD’s Office of Economic Innovation and Partnerships. “If all the automobiles in the US were electrified, it would be enough to power the entire US for half a day.”
The technology allows electric vehicle owners — when their cars are parked — to communicate with the grid, and regulate the flow of power into or out of their batteries, depending on whether they are depleted, or whether they have excess power that can be used by the grid to meet spikes in demand.
The technology enables EV owners to sell electric storage services from their parked cars to help stabilize the grid. Since the average car is parked for 23 hours a day, the plan has enormous potential as electric vehicles become more widely adopted, Kempton said.
The company, called eV2g, will pay participating EV owners for making their vehicles available, and will collect payment from the grid operator for the power generated from each parked vehicle.
Links To The Past And Future
The new company was officially launched outside Newark’s former Chrysler plant, a facility that once made Sherman tanks for the Second World War, and is now part of the university’s science and technology campus.
Denise Wilson, President of NRG’s Alternative Energy Services, predicted the partnership will help develop significant new sources of power supply and transportation at a time when the US is seeking to reduce both its greenhouse gas emissions and its dependence on foreign oil.
“We are on the cusp of an electric vehicle revolution,” she said. “Consumers get paid for the power they don’t need. What is it going to take to make this the mainstream?”
Wilson declined to specify the size of NRG’s investment in the project. The company is also seeking to build the Bluewater wind farm off the Delaware coast at Rehoboth Beach, in what could be the first of its kind in the US.
Written By Jon Hurdle.
Source: http://energy.aol.com/2011/09/27/electric-cars-hit-the-east-coast-grid/
Plugging Electric Vehicles into the Smart Grid
Sep 1st
Today, electric vehicles (EVs) are starting to play an important role in our country’s transition towards a cleaner energy future. The primary advantage of EVs is the ability to replace petroleum fuel-based engines with highly efficient electric motors – offering consumers clean energy alternatives, including plug-in electric vehicles.
With vehicles like the Nissan LEAF and Chevy Volt creating mass markets for EVs in the United States, nearly every major automotive manufacturer has announced plans to deliver an EV model within the next three years. Federal funding is spurring investment in EV technology and pilot projects to initiate the roll-out of EV charging infrastructure. Equally as important, large corporations are committing to EV conversion for their fleets and employee base; such as FedEx Express which recently announced plans to double its fleet of fuel efficient vehicles. Also industry analysts project anywhere from 600,000 to 1.2 million EVs on road in the U.S. by 2015. Considering these factors, widespread adoption seems imminent…
But is there a missing link?
Building the EV charging infrastructure is the first step in encouraging mass adoption of EVs.
This year, electric vehicle charging stations within residential, commercial, and fleet applications are being installed in tens of thousands of locations across the country and this is just the start. Pike Research forecasts that 4.7 million electric vehicle charge points will be installed worldwide with an estimated 974,000 charge points to be installed in the U.S. from 2010 to 2015.
Installations of “Level 2” charging stations are the most ubiquitous. A Level 2 charger requires 240V/40A circuit similar to that of an electric clothes dryer or central air conditioner and will top off an EV battery in a few hours. What is often referred to as Level 3, now called “DC Fast Charging” can charge 80 percent of an EV battery in less than one half an hour and requires a 480V/120A circuit. With these power levels you can begin to see the challenges ahead for utilities as mass deployment of EV charging stations is a key driver for mass adoption of EVs.
So what does that mean for the grid?
As charging infrastructure is put into use and EV adoption spikes, another critical component to the success of EVs will be achieved by tapping into the smart grid.
The expansion of EVs plugging in to the electric grid will continue to add increased load to the grid. However, despite the increased need for electricity, according to Pike Research, the added demand of EVs will have minimal impact on grid reliability. This is a result of the smart grid and smart EV charging solutions, which will enable utilities and end users to handle this surge in demand through more intelligent energy management.
Smart grid enabled EV charging infrastructure will mitigate the stress of added load from EVs by providing more open communication between end users and utilities, enabling both to get better control over intelligent energy management when it comes to charging EVs.
A user could opt to participate in a load management program through their utility, which would allow the utility to temporarily switch off EV charging based on peak demand, shedding the load within certain parameters of the program. In the future, tying vehicle-to-grid (V2G) has a great potential of solving some of the fundamental grid energy storage problems that exist today, and further enabling utilities and consumers to mitigate load constraints.
This is a critical time in the development of the technology for EVs and charging infrastructure. Smart grid enabled EV charging infrastructure and the intelligent energy management practices it enables will play an integral role in driving adoption of EVs and easing their transition onto our electrical grid.
Additionally, partnerships across industries, consumers and policy makers will also be a key aspect in advancing EV adoption by establishing consensus for a standardization roadmap that supports the safe mass deployment of EVs. Through initiatives such as the American National Standards Institute (ANSI)’s Electric Vehicles Standards Panel (EVSP), as a community, we can collaborate on the development of EV solutions that are effective, efficient, safe and economically beneficial for the U.S.
Written by Donald Rickey, Senior Vice President, Energy Business, Schneider Electric
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