IBM has teamed with American Honda Motor and Pacific Gas andElectric Company on a new pilot project that will allow communication betweenelectric vehicles (EVs) and the power grid.
This project is aimed at demonstrating and testing anelectric vehicle's ability to receive and respond to charge instructions basedon the grid condition and the vehicle's battery state. With visibility intocharging patterns, energy providers will have the ability to more effectivelymanage charging during peak hours and create consumer-friendly programs toencourage electric vehicle adoption.
The energy requirements for electric vehicles will challengethe current power grid as plug-in vehicle counts continue to grow to anexpected 2.9 million worldwide by 2017. This project has the potential to easethe infrastructure and consumer concerns associated with the mass adoption ofEVs, by adding another layer of agility to the EV charging process. This levelof intelligence will help make charging seamless for consumers, while ensuringthe electricity source is reliable and the infrastructure is stable.
This demonstration combines grid and vehicle data to createan individualized charging plan for Honda's Fit EV battery electric vehicles(BEV), using IBM's cloud based software platform. By using the existingin-vehicle communications system in the Honda Fit EV, the electric vehicle caninteract with utilities and the grid, creating a direct channel for sending andreceiving usage information that could improve local grid management.
"This pilot project with IBM and Honda will help usdemonstrate that third-party providers have the systems and capabilities tohelp meet some of the challenges that electric vehicles could place on thepower grid as their adoption increases in the coming years," said SaulZambrano, senior director for consumer products for PG&E. "Withupdated charging patterns for EVs, we have the ability if needed, to shiftdemand to non-peak times to ensure the reliability of the grid so that we cancontinue to deliver safe, reliable and affordable energy to ourcustomers."
Once plugged into a charge post, the Honda Fit EV initiatesa charge request via the vehicles telematics system, an integratedtelecommunication application that is often used for navigation. This requestis sent to IBM's Electric Vehicle Enablement Platform where vehicle data suchas battery state and grid data received from PG&E, is combined to create anoptimized charge schedule, which is then communicated back to the vehicle inseconds. Using this aggregated data, the vehicle has the intelligence to chargeto the level that is needed while factoring any current grid constraints.
Using real time and simulated data, the system will test anddemonstrate the ability to alter, as well as adapt charging patterns based ongrid conditions. This smart charging capability will enable energy providers tomanage the power used by EVs during peak times by instructing vehicles to delayor adjust charging if required.
Additionally, the IBM EV platform can collate historical EVcharging data and create a profile that can be used to forecast the locationand duration of EV charge loads. For example, the program can determine howmany EVs are plugged in one neighborhood and the time it will take for each toreach a full charge. This level of insight will allow utilities to optimizegrid operations and help reduce the chance of outages -- a possible concern asthe number of EVs increase.
By communicating information directly to the vehicle, thisproject has the potential to significantly improve driver services. Forexample, the IBM's cloud based platform could provide charge post locationinformation and availability directly to the EV, using the telematics andSatellite-Linked Navigation to guide the driver to the most convenient place tocharge.
This project along with the recently announced EKZSmartphone Application (app) pilot will help engage consumers and encouragemore drivers to "plug in." The smartphone app shows the vehiclesbattery level, range of travel distance, vehicle location, and current energycosts in real time. This technology coupled with the ability to communicatedirectly with charging stations via a GPS system, will offer consumers auniquely "connected" driving experience.
In addition to the two pilot projects, IBM is currently amember of the EcoGrid EU consortium, a group focused on developing an energygrid that uses at least 50% of renewable energy sources, such as wind power,solar energy and biogas. Instead of just using car batteries to balance theload like EDISON, the EcoGrid consortium is using appliances, heat pumps andelectric water heaters to also store excess energy.
Visit IBM at http://www.ibm.com/press/smarterenergy.
This article first appeared on EETimes and EE Times Europe.
