Posts Tagged: Power Utilities
August 20, 2018
How utilities can encourage electric vehicle adoption in their territory
Falling demand for electricity threatens utilities Since steam ceded its position as the main provider of mechanical power to electricity in the early 1900s, there has been one stable relationship; as a country’s output and economy has grown, so too has its consumption of electricity. Thanks to the electrification of factories, by the 1920s, American manufacturing productivity soared to far greater heights than ever[…]
July 18, 2018
Will Additional Public Charging Infrastructure Improve EV Adoption?
On the surface, it seems like a strange question to ask; surely more charging infrastructure increases the chance for electric vehicles (EVs) to thrive. There appears to be a fascination of expanding the number of public charging stations that can charge at rapid rates as investment continues to pour into public infrastructure projects. The question this article asks is whether the public infrastructure is[…]
June 6, 2018
Are EV fleets the answer to controllable loads and grid efficiency?
The adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) is set to grow exponentially. Primarily driven by the reduction in cost compared to the Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) counterparts and generous government incentives to encourage users to switch to EVs. However, increasing the EV fleet puts pressure on global electricity demand. EVs operate via a battery that requires electricity to run. Therefore, the more EVs on the[…]
May 2, 2018
Energy market schemes – how utilities make money from trading electricity
In the past, electric utilities were what economist would call natural monopolies, dominating all parts of the value chain from electricity production to retail supply. Energy service providers buy from a third party and sell electricity to individual households. While, energy marketers trade future contracts that enable power-hungry businesses to secure power at a fixed price, all of which has supported strong utility balance[…]
January 8, 2018
Is Gamification the Solution to Electric Vehicle Load Management?
The principles of gamification have been applied in user-centric product and
process design to influence participant behavior. Many of the applications have been in the form of software design or online marketing programs. But can these same principles, which have been used successfully in other areas, be applied to large challenges such as electrical load management across a utility’s grid?
November 29, 2017
Kilowatt and Kilowatt Hour Explained
***Updated November 30th thanks to great feedback from our readers. As someone new to the electric vehicle (EV) industry, I know working and understanding measurements of energy can be very confusing. To that end, two of the most confusing and misunderstood terms are the kilowatt and kilowatt-hour. These terms are put into action all around us on a daily basis. Your electric bill is[…]
November 27, 2017
What Are the Impacts of Renewables and Electric Vehicles on the Grid?
Despite a challenging political climate in the US, the renewables energy sector is growing. So too is the market for electric vehicles, but while both of these advances will help to mitigate our effects on the environment, what impact will they have on the stability of the grid and what should utilities firms be doing now to prepare themselves for these impacts? In 2016,[…]
November 23, 2017
How to Charge your EV with Clean Energy
At times, electric vehicles have proved a conundrum to consumers looking to contribute to a greener environment. Although you can get them down to zero emissions, many people are wondering if an accelerated demand for EVs will trigger a greater consumption of fossil fuels. Approximately 41% of electricity worldwide is fueled by coal, with some of the biggest producers, like China, rising each year[…]
October 11, 2017
How Utilities Are Trying to Keep the Lights On During Severe Weather
It’s hard to imagine life on earth without electricity. In fact, electricity has become so ingrained in our daily lives, that it is pretty much impossible to imagine living without it. Power grid systems, a critical resource for any nation, ensure uninterrupted power supply to keep our homes, workplaces, and gadgets running. One of the major threats to the power grid is, which has[…]
September 27, 2017
How Utilities Can Use Gamification to Change Charging Behavior
Historically, utilities have faced the challenge of low enrollment rates when implementing electric vehicle (EV) Time of Use (TOU) programs. When EV owners are requested to pay an additional delivery charge or install a second meter at their own expense, it can feel as though there is little incentive to join the program – this is where gamification comes into play. What is Gamification?[…]
