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Smart Charger Controller Simplifies Electric Vehicle Recharging

By Anne M. Haas, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
May 7, 2009 | 6 Comments

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Washington, United States [RenewableEnergyWorld.com] Electric vehicle owners can plug in their cars and forget about them, knowing they'll get the cheapest electricity available and won't crash the grid - using a new technology called the Smart Charger Controller. Developed at the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, the controller automatically recharges electric vehicles during times of least cost to the consumer and lower demand for power. Widespread use of these devices could help advance a smart power grid.

Electric vehicles will ultimately reduce the nation's dependency on oil. While the new vehicles will serve as an additional source of power demand, they also could contribute to an even "smarter" grid if equipped with controller technology.

"If a million owners plug in their vehicles to recharge after work, it could cause a major strain on the grid," said PNNL engineer Michael Kintner-Meyer. "The Smart Charger Controller could prevent those peaks in demand from plug-in vehicles and enable our existing grid to be used more evenly."

That efficiency translates to a more stable grid and cheaper power.

"Using the device could save up to $150 a year for electric vehicle owners who pay based on when they charge their vehicle," Kintner-Meyer said.

How it Works

Electric vehicles will become widely available starting in 2011. The current Administration supports a goal of one million electric vehicles on the road by 2015. A previous PNNL study showed that America's existing power grid could meet the needs of about 70 percent of all U.S. light-duty vehicles if battery charging was managed to avoid new peaks in electricity demand.

The Smart Charger Controller does just that. Owners program the controller to charge at a specific time of day or night or at a set price point. The controller uses a low-range wireless technology to communicate with the power grid and determine the best and cheapest time to recharge vehicles. By charging vehicles during off-peak times, the controller saves consumers money.

Previous PNNL studies with household appliances show that "smart" technologies also save the grid from brown-outs with little impact to the consumer. Grid Friendly™ technology inside the Smart Charger Controller senses stress conditions on the grid. When the grid says more power is needed, the controller can temporarily stop charging the vehicle until the stress subsides.

This instant reduction in charging load, multiplied on a large scale with many vehicles, could serve as a shock absorber for the grid. The technology would relieve load instantly and give grid operators time to bring new power generation sources on line to stabilize the grid - a process that usually takes several minutes.

The Road Ahead is Now

With more electric vehicles on the horizon, road-ready, smart charging technology can be used now, according to Kintner-Meyer. Advancing technologies like the Smart Charger Controller today will enable the new generation of electric vehicles to be "smarter" once they're available commercially, he noted.

Video: Managing Demand for ElectricityVideo: Smart Charger Controller: What a user will see during a charging cycle

Anne M. "Annie" Haas works in the media relations department at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.

Bioenergy, Geothermal Energy, Green Power, Hydropower, Hydrogen - Fuel Cells, Ocean Energy, Other, Solar Energy, Wind Power, Energy Efficiency

6 Reader Comments

Comment
1 of 6

jen-aitchison-169463

May 8, 2009

HELLO! what about a solar charger? why aren't we using the sun to restore power to our vehicles? If we can power a house, a building or industrial plant, why can't they be used to recharge an electric vehicle?

Comment
2 of 6

paul-johnson-34828

May 8, 2009

1. Because they are not efficient enough . One outfit that advertised panels for the roof of a Prius that at best would increase mileage by 10%.

2. When most people get home from work, the sun is down and no solar power at the exact time you need to recharge.

Solar can certainly supplement, but is not capable of providing the full amount with current levels of efficiency.

Comment
3 of 6

alex-kelley-155377

May 8, 2009

Solar will be built directly into a vehicle at some point but that is not where growth will occur in the near term. Homeowners will install PV systems in rising numbers but car charging will be a home appliance separate from the PV. Those without a PV system could still use a charging station and vice versa. Combining the technologies wouldn't be a direct coupling; it would be more like getting a more efficient refrigerator after installing a PV system.

Solar and charging electric vehicles will most likely end up combining as a parking lot application. The solar charging station will top off vehicles while they park at work or a shopping location. Retailers will be motivated to install solar charging stations for green building points, resale of the RECs & any surplus electricity, and for differentiating themselves from their competitors. Cities will install them as will businesses for similar reasons.

A electric vehicle owner will drive home with a battery full of solar electricity, park it at their smart charging station, and consume the car electricity down to a pre-set point for powering house loads. The smart charger will switch to car battery charging mode at night/low electricity rate times. This concept will serve as a further load leveler for the power grid. Additionally, electric vehicle owners will never have to make a run to the filling station.

Comment
4 of 6

c-tim-c-136467

May 8, 2009

Home based on-demand Hydrogen power generators, combined with solar panels and battery packs will provide the most versitile combination of technologies - battery packs can be used in off peak hours, hydrogen generation and to power the home. The device in the article is a good first step towards getting the least expensive power... a good thing.

Comment
5 of 6

-11407

May 8, 2009

I own two EV's, a Solectria Force, and a Chevy S10-EV. Here in Seattle, where people think there isn't enough sun, I get all the energy I need from the roof of my house to run both vehicles. The Solectria gets 3.3 miles per kWh of electricity going into the battery charger. 130 square feet of roof is enough for 2kW of PV modules (Sanyo) and will produce about 2,300 kWh per year, or about 7,500 miles of driving. We have 6 kW of PV and net metering allows us to 'store' that power with the utility and use it later. You don't need to leave the country, you don't need to leave the state, you don't even have to leave your house to get all the energy you need for personal transportation.

Why are people so hung up on putting PV on the car? I have no idea. No one ever poo-pooh'd internal combustion cars because they don't carry their own oil wells in the trunk, so why the double standard?

Comment
6 of 6

william-hughes-66196

May 8, 2009

For a more gentle buffering of the grid using demand balancing, the customer should be able to dial 'power on demand', option1, option2, option3 and supply (option 4). This system should be available for his vehicle charger, hot water tank, dish washer and so forth. Power on demand is self explanatory. It is what we use now and will be the most expensive option. Option 1 will cut in when the supplier signals that there is excess power. This could be because the wind is blowing strongly, the dams are overflowing or the tide is running. Option 1 is cheaper than "power on demand". Option 2 cuts in when there is still excess power despite the load of Option 1 and is yet cheaper and 3 is cheaper still. Option 4 is what you use when you go on vacation and leave your electric car connected to the charger. It takes power when it is at its cheapest and sends back power when there is a need for peak shaving. It will earn a small income for the vehicle owner. Option 4 will also sometimes be used for people who store power at home. The supplier can always fall back on supply balancing as is done now when demand balancing is not taking care of the excess generation.

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