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Smart grid pioneer warns Australia must prepare better for electric vehicles
QUEENSLAND-BASED international electrical switchgear innovator, NOJA Power has warned that Australia is already falling short in meeting the impending needs of the rapidly developing electric vehicle industry.
NOJA Power is highlighting the need to introduce smart grid technologies to keep ahead of the electric vehicle industry that may otherwise require expensive mitigation later.
According to the latest research by NOJA - in its report Using the smart grid to mitigate the impact of electric vehicles on future electricity demand - electric vehicle recharging will place additional load on an electricity distribution grid that is already struggling to meet peak demands. The NOJA research claims investing in smart grid technologies now will improve the flexibility of the electricity distribution network and ease the connection of diversified, renewable energy resources, helping utilities meet the future demand from electric vehicles (EVs).
In the four years since 2008, 27,000 EVs have been sold in the US, and since 2009, 29,000 in Japan and 27,800 in China. These fleets include popular cars such as the Nissan Leaf, Tesla Model S and Mitsubishi i-MiEV.
EV fleets will continue to grow as range increases and prices fall, NOJA Power is predicting. In 2011 US President Barack Obama announced an ambitious goal of putting one million EVs on US roads by 2015.
The UK is aiming for 1.7 million EVs by 2020 to meet its carbon emission-reduction targets, and industry experts predict one million EVs on Australian highways by 2022.
In 2010, Australian utilities generated 227 TWh of electricity, or around 622 GWh per day, according to the NOJA report. It estimates one million EVs would require about an additional 5 percent on top of this daily total to recharge batteries.
NOJA managing director Neil O'Sullivan said the Australian grid has very little spare capacity at times of peak demand, such as hot summer days, when consumers flock to air conditioning.
"I can picture a scenario where, on a hot day in Queensland, in the near future a shopping centre car park is hosting one thousand EVs all looking for a quick recharge before returning home," Mr O'Sullivan said.
"Commercial charging points are likely to offer 415 volt/32 amp three-phase power allowing each EV to receive up to 13.2 kilowatts. That's 13.2 megawatts just for that one car park. And those vehicles could be taking power for perhaps an hour or two.
"There are three million vehicles in Queensland. If, for example, in the near future, 10 percent of those are EVs and a quarter of those EVs are simultaneously being quick charged across the state, the utilities could see nearly 1000 megawatts of additional demand," Mr O'Sullivan said.
"The peak demand seen in Queensland is around 8900 megawatts, so an additional 1000 megawatts is easily enough to tip the grid over the edge if it occurs at the wrong time. To avoid this scenario, efforts should be made to enhance the network's capability by investing in smart grid technologies."
Smart grids are a more intelligent way of supplying electricity combining computerisation, digital communications, sensing and metering of the electricity network to create a bidirectional, interactive grid that encourages greater use of renewable energy sources, Mr O'Sullivan said.
Smart grids equipped with automatic circuit reclosers (ACRs) allow the connection of renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, geothermal, wave and tidal. A large installed base of renewable energy sources would be needed to ensure that EVs deliver on their promise of carbon-free motoring.
"ACRs are fundamental building blocks for smart grids," Mr O'Sullivan said. "The ability of reclosers to help utilities closely match supply and demand, rapidly switch in renewable energy sources and protect the grid is essential if the future additional demand from EVs is to be met."
Mr O'Sullivan said units from NOJA Power's OSM range of medium-voltage (15, 27 and 38 kV) ACRs have been installed by utilities in over 80 countries around the world. The ACRs have been subjected to full type testing by independent test laboratories, such as KEMA in the Netherlands, to the latest standards.
NOJA Power's ACRs also use solid dielectrics, replacing the environmentally unfriendly oil or sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) gas of older products, Mr O'Sullivan said.
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