The Oil Drum

Thanks, Nick. As you say, EV/PHEVs could help utilities dramatically expand their renewable energy portfolios, certainly well beyond what is possible today.

I have an oil-fired boiler and I really don't care when my service provider fills my tank, provided I don't run out of fuel. It could be today, tomorrow or sometime next week; it really doesn't matter, again, so long as I have sufficient heat whenever I need it. Now imagine if electrical utilities could operate the same way -- electricity delivered not strictly on the basis of customer demand, but whenever conditions were optimal and the cost of service was low.

In a sense, electric vehicles are a step in this direction. I get home at 17h30 and plug in the Chrysler. The next morning when I'm ready to head back to work, my batteries are fully recharged. It really makes no difference to me if charging began right away or at 02h00 in the morning, or if the flow of power were continuous or intermittent; I'm happy, so long as I'm fully charged when I'm ready to hit the road. Ideally, I would have the option of immediate, continuous charging if I needed a fast boost, but if the vehicle won't be used for another twelve or fourteen hours I could care less (a discounted rate for overnight/interruptible charging would offer suitable financial incentive).

So to recap, smart controls would allow utilities to provide consumers with the same level of service they enjoy now, but in a more efficient and cost-effective manner; any complexity would be hidden from the user and their patterns of usage would remain unchanged (e.g., they would still plug in their car for overnight charging but the utility would determine when and how power would be delivered over that timeframe). The second component is real-time pricing. In this case, utilities would charge consumers rates that vary day-by-day or hour-by-hour according to the true cost of supply. Providing this information to consumers (by way of a household display or internet website) would encourage a shift in discretionary demand to periods most favourable to both parties. Together, these two things would allow us to dramatically increase the amount of renewable energy we can incorporate into our power systems.

Best regards,
Paul