Should we allow electric cars during a heatwave?

[SunnySong]

People adopt new technology much faster than government can adapt. The VCR is one great example as is Email and large flat screen home theaters.


I bring this up because for the middle class electric cars are going to be available en-masse in a few years. I have no doubt in many places penetration may reach 20% by the end of this decade. (Honestly in some wealthier parts of the country penetration may hit that level by the middle of the decade.)

Now of course utilities and the government are completely unprepared to deal with the additional loads. So while gas stations got he way of the local blockbuster and everyone fuels at home the standard conundrum of the old lady who can';t cool her house because all the young people are stealing her electricity will come to the fore (Picture and internet is made of tubes argument)

So I propose we get ahead of this issue. Electricity without delay, brownouts etc should be a right like clean running water.

It is up to Electric Utilities and the government to prepare for the dramatic increase in electric consumption over the next decade.

If they are worried about brownouts now how are they going to handle the load in 2014?

[wtmusic]

1. Actually utilities are well-prepared to deal with the loads.

Most charging will be occurring at night during off-peak hours. I've seen estimates that suggest a 20% penetration will require no additional infrastructure.

[Turborama]

2. Heat waves are the perfect time for charging electric cars

Unless the heatwave is caused by something other than intense sunshine.

One win win solution is for electric car manufacturers partnering with solar PV panel companies and each car comes with a discount voucher for panels, and vic-versa.

And/or....

Using Solar Roofs To Power Hybrids:http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/05/solar_hybrid_ca.php



Mitsubishi Unveils All-Electric Car With Solar Roof: http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/09/mitsubishi_unve.php

[SocialistLez]

11. +1 NT

[csziggy]

15. Now people will fight for a place on the top deck of the parking garge

Instead of trying to get spaces on the shaded decks. Unless, of course the parking garages cover the top deck with solar collectors so they can generate power to sell to the people who park their electric vehicles there.

For more efficiency, they should have a section that pulls down over the front and back windows - more solar collectors and shade the interior.

[FBI_Un_Sub]

20. Auto Exhaust Causes Smog

Photochemical smog is a result of the interaction of sunlight with certain chemicals in the atmosphere. One of the primary components of photochemical smog is ozone. Ground level ozone is not healthy for children or other living things. Ground-level ozone is formed when vehicle emissions containing nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds (from paints, solvents, and fuel evaporation) chemically react in the presence of sunlight. So, we need to reduce IC engine exhaust on hot, sunny days.

[Liberty Belle]

3. How about solar-powered charging stations?

[Turborama]

5. Exactly. Heat waves would be a perfect time for solar charging stations at home and on the road. n/t

[grantcart]

4. Your question is based on a wrong assumption that there is a problem

of supply in off hours.

The problem only exists during peak usage, when air conditioners run at peak level.

At 2:00 in the morning there is more than enough surplus electricity to use for electric cars.

Not only that it might be possible in the future to use the batteries of cars to store extra electricity to be used for peak hours.

In other words we charge them up during the night and then at the afternoon peak use the batteries to help reduce the household's demand on the system.

[leveymg]

6. The $8 bill wasted on nukes would be a good start to install rooftop photoelectric and wind

on every home and business in America.

Decentralize the grid. Brownout problem solved. No need to build new centralized power plants.

[SocialistLez]

12. +1 NT

[DCBob]

7. Lots of relatively easy solutions to this issue..

compared to the much bigger issues that the increased use electric cars "solve".

[Warren Stupidity]

8. I'm missing how the gummint had to adapt to VCRs, email and HDTV.

And if we in fact have an electricity demand problem in 2014 caused by electric cars, I would welcome that crisis with open arms. Good News!

[SunnySong]

25. Copyright law, postal service... and strangly enough trash pick-up on the last one

[MineralMan]

9. It's a non-issue. Electric vehicles have far too many benefits

to let a non-issue like this to distract people.

[SunnySong]

22. If we build more capacity it won't be an issue at all.

I think electric cars will be very popular. I wonder if the government is up to the task

[blondeatlast]

23. Shouldn't you be wondering if the automakers are up to the task?

:shrug:

[slampoet]

10. Non-issue. Electric cars charge at off peak hours, after dark when no one is using their AC as much.

[Statistical]

13. Most electric vehicles charge AT NIGHT when power demand is at the 24 hour low.

Thus there is plenty of reserve capacity.
Rolling blackouts and brownouts are caused a peak power usage when load exceeds capacity.

Even when rolling blackouts do occur they don't occur for 24 hours straight. Power demand is pretty predictable in terms of demand vs time of day.

Here is a 24 hour graph to illustrate the point.



See left side of graph between midnight and 6am. Notice how much less power is consumed compared to the peak hours 4 to 8 pm? That is spare capacity. The system could generate 150MW 24/7 but it only uses the capacity for brief time. Burring midnight to 6am demand is only about 100MW thus 50MW of capacity just sits idled with nothing to do.

One way to encourage more overnight charging is to offer a lower rate during off peak hours.
40% cheaper electricity when charged between midnight & 6am.
$0.10 per kWh between 6am and midnight
$0.06 per kWh between midnight and 6am.

That combined with a charger programmed to start charging at minnight = win-win for consumer and power companies.

I remember reading the overnight capacity of current grid is good for something like 50 million of so EV and that is without building a single new power plant. So rest easy.

[sinkingfeeling]

14. George W. Bush promised to upgrade the grid back in 2003. How's that workin' for ya?

President George W. Bush made grand promises in the aftermath of the August 2003 blackout, vowing to modernize the nation’s dilapidated electricity grid, and to work with Congress on a comprehensive energy bill that encouraged investment in the country’s energy infrastructure.




http://www.atlanticfreepress.com/news/1/4786-5-years-after-blackout-power-grid-still-in-dire-straits.html

[Throckmorton]

19. Pretty Well Actually

New England has made enormous strides in transmission line improvements since 2003.

In spite of record heat over the past 4 days, the ISO-NE controlled grid has kept the lights on and entered OP4 only once this week (Action 1 only).

www.ISO-NE.ORG

Action #
1. Implement Power Caution and advise Resources with a Capacity Supply Obligation to prepare to provide all associated capacity.

Notify “Settlement Only” generators with capacity supply obligations to monitor the status of reserve pricing to meet those obligations.

Begin to allow the depletion of 30-minute reserve.

[Ganja Ninja]

16. What I'd like to see the government do is declare one day a month

for electrics, hybrids and scooters & motorcycle under 250cc only and ban all other vehicles.

[AngryAmish]

17. This sounds crazy but the suburbs are a better spot for electric cars

A minority of city dwellers have garages. Are we going to have chargers on every inch of urban curbs? What if someone pulls out your plug during the night for kicks (hey, I lived in Uptown. Plenty of assholes there) then you are stuck in the morning.

IIRC, the density of the cities spike the electrical load during heatwaves - plus the urban heat island effect means air conditioners run all night.

So, what does this mean. Hell if I know.

[Statistical]

18. One idea is induction charging.

No cable.

You have an induction coil under the pavement in parking spot. There is in another induction coil under your car. If you create an electric field in one coil (the one under the pavement) it will generate a current in the coil in your car. Induction is a method of transfering current without a physical link.

How it would work:
"Charging spots" for EV are marked with green lines (like handicap spots are marked blue). You park on spot. The RFID in your car talks to the spot and provides your electric company account number. The spot turns on and the induction field charges your car without any wire to plug in. When you leave (or car is charged) the spot turns off induction coil and bills your electric bill account. At end of the month the vehicle charges show up on your power bill (like an itemized phone bill).

The technology already exists today (it actually existed decades ago) we simply need enough EV for it to make sense, the govt support, and the infrastructure.

[spanone]

21. vcr? email? wtf do you mean?

[Subdivisions]

24. People still just cannot perceive of the energy trap we're in. *shakes head* n/t