Okay, I've been "off the air" for a while. Busy with some new projects since last October, and I'm still pretty busy, but an article in the Philadelphia Inquirer got my attention.
The Philadelphia Inquirer published an article this week covering the PA PUC's consideration of "alternative fuel" vehicles (i.e. Electric and Natural Gas) and their effect on Utility Systems. A couple of paragraphs from that article are interesting:
"Terry Boston, chief executive of PJM Interconnection Inc., the regional
grid operator, said that if a million electric vehicles had attempted to
tap into the mid-Atlantic system on a hot day similar to last July 21,
when the grid labored under record loads, a massive blackout would have
occurred.
...
But the distribution system could accommodate 25 million vehicles if
smart-grid controls were installed — they’re currently in the works —
and all vehicles were remotely synchronized to recharge between midnight
and 7 a.m., when there is an abundance of generation capacity.
Time-of-use rates, which allow suppliers to price electricity hourly to
encourage customers to shift loads to discounted off-peak hours, would
help manage a more efficient use of the electrical system, the experts
said. Pennsylvania utilities are currently mandated to devise
hourly-rate options for customers who want them." [emphasis mine]
OK, campers. Here's a question for you:
Why is it that time-of-use rates are just dandy for getting customers to shift loads to off-peak hours, but if the load is an electric vehicle it has to be remotely synchronized?
