Category: Battery Storage

BMW Releases ChargeForward Report – Solar PV to V2G

 

The BMW Group is leading the charge of accessing and storing renewables on the grid through its innovative ChargeForward program. The pilot program is a collaboration between California-based utility company, Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), and UC Berkeley’s Transportation Sustainability Research Center.

The aim: to use as much solar energy as possible while contributing to the overall stability of the electricity grid. This is made possible through the ChargeForward application that allows participants to input when they’ll use their vehicle. While the vehicle is parked, and at a charging station, this information allows the BMW charging control system to regulate the charging process; enabling the vehicle to charge during non-peak hours and when GHG emissions are the lowest.

Recently, the ChargeForward program finished the second phase of testing and released its report. The report highlighted many different findings that can help drive clean energy forward in the transportation sector, including:

  • Smart-charging EVs have the ability to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by an additional 32% on average in Northern California studies.
  • Smart charging can enable EVs to accept an additional 1,200 kWh of renewable energy per vehicle per year. This is the equivalent of 3,500 to 5,000 miles of additional zero carbon travel.
  • Telematics data from automakers are a critical enabler of smart charging programs as it provides a holistic view of a driver’s mobility needs and helps facilitate daily charging during non-peak hours.
  • ChargeForward vehicles can create an average of $325 in estimated grid savings annually per vehicle in California.

Source: BMW Movement   Full Report

FLATLINE – a demand-side approach to energy management with Domestic Properties

FLATLINE, an industry led research project aiming to demonstrate the viability of a demand-side approach to energy management at domestic level, has reached a major milestone as residents move into three pilot homes at The Mill site in Cardiff.

Backed by the Department of Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, the ‘Fixed Level Affordable Tariffs Led by Intelligently Networked Energy’ (FLATLINE) project aims to significantly reduce residents’ energy bills, using a combination of domestic Demand Side Response and demand shifting for both heat and electricity.

The specially built pilot homes at The Mill development site in Cardiff will be closely followed by a further 46 homes at a separate site, Parc Eirin in Tonyrefail – which will see first residents move in this autumn as the first phase of the 225 new home scheme is complete.

See Press Release

And the Fully-Charged Video :-

How the Internet of Things could change the energy market

No longer are laptops and phones the only devices connected to the internet. Smart appliances are taking over the home with smart dishwashers, TVs, fridges and more entering the market.

These appliances can be programmed to run when energy is at its cheapest or when a consumer is generating surplus energy and doesn’t need to buy any from the grid. This function, alongside the advent of the smart grid, rooftop solar and energy storage, is enabling customers to take control of their energy consumption, generating their own and trading it with each other to balance supply and demand across their communities – making a profit while they’re at it.

Read the full article in Clean Energy News

Tonik Energy partners Powervault for ‘storage tariff’ trial

Independent utility Tonik Energy is to partner with battery storage manufacturer Powervault to trial a new ‘storage tariff’ in the UK market.

The collaboration will place domestic Powervault batteries in the homes of Tonik Energy customers with smart meters and place them on a tariff that incentivises them to charge during off-peak times and draw down from the battery when electricity is at its most expensive.

Tonik Energy said its aim was to halve customer bills by 2022 and that the trial with Powervault marked an “important step” towards it.

Source: Clean Energy News

Read the full article

Orison – pre-launch their plug and play battery Storage

US company Orison have pre-launched their plug and play battery storage – that is due to be shipped globally to pre-paid customers from August 2016 through Kickstarter

Orison

Orison will automatically store energy when utility rates are low, and then use that energy to power your home or business when rates are high. During a power outage, it will automatically power a home or business and make sure none of your stored energy is sent back to the grid. By localizing your energy distribution, you save money and reduce peak demand on the grid.

In the UK his may not be particularly useful at present unless Economy & is used – but over the next few years “Time of Use” incentives are likely to come along with the roll out of smart metering.

Orison utility rates

However, for those that have solar PV already installed, Orison provides  a way to store the solar energy you produce so you can use it whenever you need it.

Orison diagram

The storage devices come as plug and play – in the form of an elegant panel that fits to a wall and

orison panel

in a lamp-stand shape tower.

orison lamp

The likely retail prices are for an 2.2 kWh tower $5580 and $9750 for 11 kWh. A panel will be $4900 for a 8.8 kWh system with expansion panels added to it for an additional cost. It will be shipped globally for an additional cost

More details