0
1
Could running your own hybrid vehicle actually contribute energy?
A recent article which appeared on engadget, talks of the new type of electric V2G vehicle, the Vehicle-to-grid.
The University of Delaware research centre explains: "Electric-drive vehicles, whether powered by batteries, fuel cells, or gasoline hybrids, have within them the energy source and power electronics capable of producing the 60 Hz AC electricity that powers our homes and offices. When connections are added to allow this electricity to flow from cars to power lines, we call it "vehicle to grid" power, or V2G. Cars pack a lot of power. One typical electric-drive vehicle can put out over 10kW, the average draw of 10 houses. The key to realizing economic value from V2G is precise timing of its grid power production to fit within driving requirments while meeting the time-critical power "dispatch" of the electric distribution system.
Now it appears a team at the University of Michigan is conducting a study on the technology as part of a national sustainable energy solution. An Engadget article says: "While current electric plants are good at generating power, they often fall short when it comes to storage -- which can be a problem when there's a power surge or when demand increases. V2G will let hybrid-electric owners sell the power their car generates to the electrical power grid whenever the car is not in use. The research team envisions a time when millions of hybrid vehicle owners will come together to create one large battery, allowing us all to play a small part in building our nation's energy independence. And sure, this all sounds good in theory. But wouldn't that mean relying on the neighbors to provide a key piece of the nation's infrastructure? Have you met the neighbors? Doesn't that seem a little... iffy?
transport
| grid
| hybrid cars
Comment this pulse
Related pulses
Super Nova 60: The Great, Green Glitterati Yacht
Sauter Carbon Offset Design , a firm dedicated to reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) by up to 100 percent in the shipbuilding industry, recently announced the Super Nova 60, a mega ...
The zero race isn't about speed but green
The Zero race aims to take electric vehicles round the world in 80 days - non-driving time spent on boats and so on discounted. It isn't so much about speed ...
electric cars
all hybrid cars contribute a lot to our environment which produce zero emission.
New type of solar cell converts both heat and sun's rays
According to Ars Technica , "a team of scientists has invented a new type of solar cell that converts both the sun's heat and light into electricity, potentially giving a ...
EV around the globe
Finally, we're beginning to see various plug-in or plug-less public systems being set up for recharging electric vehicles. There's also news about EV rental schemes, together with other ...
Harvesting wave energy to generate electricity
This morning at TED Global in Oxford, Melanie Nadeau who is Chairman of IEC Technical Committee 114: Marine energy - Wave, tidal and other water current converters, gave a TED University ...
Savings
Summer is here, and that means more long and hot days, spending time outside, and getting some projects done around the house. There are a lot of different opportunities to ...
Shai Agassi of Better Place on future of EVs and the grid
Inspirational businessman: "In any market 99 % of all energy for all cars comes in the form of liquid fossil fuel molecules. Even a hybrid car depends on oil to drive ...
I did it (electrically) my way - or M-way
An article published yesterday on European Motor News about electric vehicles puts Switzerland on the map as part of a European development in a new move towards building up a ...
Students design Pakistan's first hybrid car
The Pakistan Daily reports that a small group of Pakistani students studying to be mechanical engineers have designed the nation's first hybrid car. The Pak-Wheelers, as they call themselves ...
The Annual Top 10 Solar Utility Rankings Announced
The Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) is a non-profit solar organization dedicated to providing valuable information to utilities, businesses and stakeholders involved in the solar industry. As diverse as those ...
Mini-course: How to “do” eco-design?
Dear Colleagues, let me invite you for a free mini-course on how to perform ecodesign for energy systems. This 2-session online course clarifies the basis for developing and understanding Life ...
Pedestrians generate their own street lighting
Toulouse, in south-east France, is experimenting a new pedestrian crossing system . The local authorities have set up a temporary pavement made from eight suspended Plexiglas slabs. The vibration caused by ...
Standardization of electric car chargers: 1st Japan, then the world?
One of the ways of helping the electric car really catch on is to standardize its plug-in charging system, so that drivers can recharge anywhere, regardless of their make of ...
Charge your EV while you eat...
A British company is proposing to install EV charging points at Little Chef roadside cafés in an aim to boost the confidence of both manufacturers and the public. Reuben ...
2 Comments
I would say this idea of V2G would be good if we could honestly say that the energy storage of the car is a good one and the way we got the energy into the car is also a good one. However, isn't this the very thing we have been struggling with for many years? A lightweight, high capacity storage device that fits in a car with efficient conversion? Typically a charging a battery consumes about 150% of the energy it is capable of giving back to you. About a year I attended a presentation in Boulder Colorado by Dr. Dean Patterson (IEEE Fellow, Lincoln Ne.) where he talked about this very thing. As it turns out, today's automotive battery technology still has a long way to go.
If you don't trace the true source of the energy you're using, you're fooling yourself as to it's ultimate cost effectiveness. I propose we borrow from the "five whys" technique, but slightly modified.
For every joule of energy stored in a device (e.g. the car battery), ask yourself three questions:
- Where did it come from?
- What did it cost to get it?
- What does it cost to store it?
When you have answered these, add up the total cost. Now, if the source of energy is not from something primary like the sun or the wind, ask the three questions again and add the total cost. After five iterations of this method, you begin to see what this little bit of energy you're trying to put back on the grid is really costing you.
-Doug
we are in the process of reducing the use of carbon parts based fuels in any way possible... we can't change the past, isn'it it? but we can change the future ahead! hydrogen, electric and hybrid vehicles are the viable alternatives. Solutions already presented. Hybrids has a bigger economic value.