Clean Fleet Reporthybrid & electric cars smart charged with renewable energy
Will Google Charge your Electric Cars?
Google finally won FERC approval to be an electric utility. Now that they are making billions delivering web ads, do they want to make added billions selling electricity? Quite possibly. The U.S. total grid load is about 417 GW. If all U.S. cars will converted to V2G plug-ins with an average of 15 kWh per vehicle, they would provide 2,865 GW. A U.S. fleet of electric vehicles could provide 7X entire electricity needed in U.S.
100 Vehicle-to-Grid Electric Cars
100 Electric Cars will use V2G in 2010 – advancing smart grid charging and storage. The University of Delaware has signed the first license for its vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology with AutoPort. The licensing agreement launches the first large-scale demonstration of the UD-developed V2G technology, which enables electric car owners to plug in their vehicles and send electricity back to electrical utilities. The system is designed to generate cash for the driver, while strengthening the nation’s power supply and reducing dependence on fossil fuels.
President Obama Awards $2.3 Billion Tax Credits for Cleantech Jobs
President Obama announced this January 8 the award of $2.3 billion in Recovery Act Advanced Energy Manufacturing Tax Credits for clean energy manufacturing projects across the United States. 183 electric car, smart grid, renewable energy projects in 43 states. “Building a robust clean energy sector is how we will create the jobs of the future,” said President Obama. “The Recovery Act awards I am announcing today will help close the clean energy gap that has grown between America and other nations while creating good jobs, reducing our carbon emissions and increasing our energy security.”
$620 Million for Smart Grid and Energy Storage Projects will spur Renewables
DOE awards $620 million for projects around the country to demonstrate advanced Smart Grid technologies and integrated systems that will help build a smarter, more efficient, more resilient electrical grid. Electric cars will be smart charged and lithium batteries reused in grid demonstrations. These 32 projects include large-scale energy storage which will enable wind and solar power to be delivered when needed. Projects include most states and over 50 utilities serving over 100 million Americans.
Electric Cars Facilitate Smart Grid 2.0
The electric car will help make the smart grid relevant to consumers. Right now most cars use inefficient engines fueled with gasoline or diesel. In the coming decades, many cars will use electricity. With a smart grid, renewable energy will do much of the charging. New electric cars from Nissan, Toyota, GM, Ford and others will use a charging standard J1772. The new charging units at home and work will include a smart meter chip. When a driver plugs-in, charging will follow preferences pre-established by the car owner. Many will prefer to save money and charge at night when rates are cheaper.
Duke Energy’s Electric Vehicle Future
Duke Energy and FPL Group committed to buy 10,000 plug-in vehicles in the coming decade, as they upgrade their fleets. The energy storage in these vehicles could eliminate the need for peaking plants and enable the expanded use of renewable energy. Duke Energy CEO Jim Rogers shared a few minutes with me before he spoke at the Society for Environmental Journalist conference. At first his commitments to clean fleets, energy efficiency, and renewable energy seem surprising, given that he is CEO of the nation’s third largest emitter of greenhouse gases. The emissions are largely the result of being the nation’s third biggest consumer of coal.
Al Gore Prioritizes Energy Innovation
At the Society of Environmental Journalists Conference I asked Vice President Al Gore about energy innovation. He answered with a surprisingly optimistic discussion of energy efficiency; renewable energy innovation in wind, solar, enhanced geothermal, and use of waste heat; and a transformative super grid. He also had some predictions for the Copenhagen Climate Summit.
Intelligent Electric Vehicles and Smart Grids
The smart electric vehicle is symbiotic with the smart grid. The new freeway-speed electric vehicles will also be smart electric vehicles (SEV). They will be smart about using energy inside the vehicle so that it can go 100 miles between charges. The SEV will be smart about navigation options that consider your preferences. The smart gird will be used to encourage cost-effective off-peak charging.
Clean Energy and Climate Protection Bill Accelerates Electric Vehicles and Renewable Energy
The House of Representatives passed the historic climate legislation. ACE encourages more electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids, and advanced batteries to be developed and commercialized in the United States. Should HR 2454 become law, cities will more rapidly roll-out convenient electric charging stations.
What Makes a Smart Grid Smart?
The answer is Intelligent Energy Transfer! It is smart to not waste energy and not waste money in power generation capacity, but it takes some intelligent technology and control to make it happen. Electricity energy storage is one of those key technologies to minimize transmission losses and enhance grid stability while adding more renewable wind and solar power.
