Could electric cars help supply the power grid? Researchers will use Austin to find out

Aug 12 - McClatchy-Tribune Regional News - Laylan Copelin Austin American-Statesman, Texas

Dennis and Carole Mick are self-described "enthusiasts" about saving energy.

They live in the Mueller Community, have solar panels on their roof, participate in Pecan Street Inc.'s energy research project and drive a hybrid Prius.

They love their Prius, but it's their second love, a plug-in hybrid Chevrolet Volt, that might someday help homeowners and state grid operators to manage electricity use. It's Pecan Street's cluster of more than 50 Volts -- the largest in one neighborhood in the nation -- that has brought General Motors and OnStar to Austin as Pecan Street's newest partners.

For 16 years, OnStar has been communicating with GM customers in their cars, usually in times of emergencies. But now the company is re-imagining itself to also be an energy manager for a fleet of electric vehicles.

The electric vehicle market is minuscule today, but some day, they could potentially serve as a fleet of mobile batteries that could store power until it is needed by a homeowner or grid operators during peak power demands.

Until now, OnStar's experiments have been limited to small demonstration projects or work in the lab. Now they want to begin test-driving their theories with Austinites.

"This partnership provides us with a unique opportunity to observe charging details with many real customers in a concentrated setting," said Nick Pudar, OnStar vice president for strategy and business development. "We are moving our lab demonstrations into the real world."

The Micks already are monitoring their home's energy use on their home computer and use OnStar's apps on their computer and smartphones.

But they also grasp the broader possibilities.

Told of OnStar's vision, Dennis Mick now sees his Volt's potential as more than just a car. It also could double someday as a battery for his home's other electrical needs.

"Technically, I've got storage," he said.

Volts already can be programmed to begin charging at a set time, long after the cars have been plugged in.

With time-of-use rates, the Micks could charge their Volt at night, when power is cheaper.. Then they could use their solar panels and their Volt's stored power to reduce the need to pull electricity off the grid during the afternoon's pricey time period.

"We don't get any benefit from charging off-peak," Dennis Mick said. "We'd love to have that."

Come October, Austin Energy's new rates will include the option of time-of-use pricing for any customer who signs up for that option.

Unfortunately for the Micks, current Volts aren't equipped to allow them to charge for household needs or to put electricity back on the grid.

"The technology exists," said Scott Hinson, Pecan Street's lab director. "But I suspect it's going to be another generation (of electrical vehicles) before it happens."

He said car manufacturers want to better understand how quickly and how often car batteries could be tapped -- and what impact that might have on the battery life.

And from the perspective of the overall electricity grid, Hinson said "it's not well-known how the grid will respond" to a large number of electric vehicles plugging in.

He said the simulations and experiments contemplated at Pecan Street are the next critical step. GM's OnStar, however, is already looking down the road at what could become possible.

"Many utilities are trying to figure out how they get EV data," said Paul Pebbles, OnStar's business services manager.

Utilities don't know where someone plugs in and how long he or she may be there. But OnStar, with the permission of customers, could provide that anonymous, aggregated information.

"One thing useful is that we know the battery charge," Pebbles said. "We know how long it needs to charge."

That opens up possibilities for grid managers.

In the future, OnStar could determine the probability that a large number of electric vehicles will be arriving home, for example, ready to plug in during the peak demand for electricity.

Postpone that charging, and there's less demand on the grid. OnStar could warn homeowners to delay recharging during times of short supply.

OnStar also could determine that one customer has a 90 percent charge and could contribute electricity to a stressed grid, while another needs recharging now. Or an employer could offer charging stations for employees to recharge while at work, then contribute to the grid later during peak demand.

It's a different game for utilities and grid managers accustomed to fixed generation and points of demand for electricity.

"They've never had to deal with a mobile load before," Pebbles said.

And OnStar will recognize regional differences. In Detroit, for example, the peak demand for electricity is for heat on winter nights. In Texas, it's hot summer afternoons.

A Volt owner also could use OnStar to program for a utility's particular rate structure, always recharging at the lowest rate, or always recharging when renewable energy is most available. In Texas, that's usually electricity generated by wind at night.

Texas is positioned to take advantage of OnStar's efforts because it is leading many regions in adopting advanced meters -- so-called smart meters -- that are part of a grid that can adjust to demands on its electricity system.

OnStar officials say they would insist on two factors: customers' permission to anonymously share their charging information with utilities and a benefit -- usually lower prices -- for customers.

"Everything revolves around the customer," Pudar said.

Contact Laylan Copelin at 445-3617