Posted by: Metering International December 9, 2014
US utility Duke Energy and Siemens this month revealed results of a demonstration of their new electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE).
The EV charging system, which has been approved by Underwriters Laboratories, aims to gives consumers a better understanding of how much it costs to charge their car, as well as when to take advantage of cheaper charging tariffs, said CSP World in a report last week.
EVs and grid stability
Duke Energy Envision Center EV chargingDuke Energy said that the system also gives utilities the chance to implement demand response programs to manage the time and level of EV charging to ensure grid stability.
Mike Rowand, director, technology development at Duke Energy, said: “As EVs gain in popularity, it will be important for both drivers and utilities to have improved information – making charging more available and cheaper.”
Results of the 18-month trial were released at Duke Energy’s Envision Center in Kentucky, a working demonstration of an integrated smart grid in action.
Duke Energy’s customers can access the EVSE through remote web-connected computers, smartphones or tablets allowing them to monitor the status of the EV charging, schedule future charge events, and control the total kWh consumed and the cost of charging.
Automated load management
The system can also be monitored and controlled from an OpenADR, an open standard for Automated Demand Response, allowing utilities to manage grid load resources remotely and automatically, said the report in CSP World.
Barry Powell, head of low voltage & products at Siemens, said: “This demonstration marks a turning point for the EV industry and proves the tangible benefits of bringing advanced EVSE technologies into the home and the power marketplace.
“Intelligence in EV charging stations means homeowners can reduce the cost of charging up to 60% by automatically charging during low energy rate periods, where such programs are available. Utilities can shift loads off critical peak periods to avoid the need for new generation sources.”
European EV charging solution
Electric car charging-station newsIn other EV news, France’s Alstom Grid and G2mobility, an electric vehicle supply equipment, signed a memorandum of understanding late last week (MoU) to jointly commercialize solutions for smart electrical vehicle charging.
The pair have committed to develop solutions to provide cities with dashboards to better monitor and smartly manage the electrical vehicle charging, deployed on their territories.
The solutions will also allow electrical aggregators to expand their demand response portfolio to cover electrical vehicle fleets whether in private campus or public car parks.
The solution will include Alstom’s Community Energy Management System software to monitor, analyze and optimize energy usage within territories as well as Alstom’s demand response management system.
G2mobility will provide smart charging stations as well as electric vehicle supply equipment information system to provide analytics on the charging stations energy usage, and advanced energy management features.