February 3, 2021 – The problem with electric vehicles has always been that they don’t have enough battery to achieve a decent driving range at a reasonable cost, a group of experts said on a panel discussion on January 26 led by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

That’s why electric cars have been eyed as a solution for improving deliveries by drivers, yet guaranteeing battery efficiency is still in the future.

Additional alternative energy vehicle options such as fuel cell-powered may serve as a complement to electric vehicles, said Amy Adams, vice president over fuel cell and hydrogen technologies at Cummins Inc. Fuel cell-powered cars may be better equipped for larger vehicles that need to travel longer distances, especially in rural areas, she said.

Despite the potential electric or fuel cell-powered cars bring, they do have drawbacks. For example, a delivery driver who drives an average of 65 miles per day makes up to 200 stops or more per day. That’s equal to 1,000 foot motions on the brakes, and that can deteriorate knee health and decrease efficiency.

Electric vehicles for delivery drivers should incorporate regenerative braking systems to capture all that lost energy for each stop made, said John Lindsey, head of electric vehicle sales for Schneider Electric North America.

But electric and fuel cell-powered cars haven’t been readily integrated into the U.S. economy compared to other countries like in Europe. That’s why delivery companies need to balance neighborhood safety with delivery driver safety, said Duane Hughes, CEO of Workhouse Group. Hughes called for the integration of lane departure and lane collision warning systems for delivery drivers to protect both themselves and others around them.

To combat additional costs from incorporating these ideas, the experts supported a standardized, universal-like nozzle fill-up system for electric and fuel cell-powered cars to reduce customization costs. Reducing the overall core weight of vehicles would also improve battery efficiency.

And incentives and grant programs are needed from the federal government to jumpstart more research and development to achieve this, said Thomas Jensen, a senior government relations executive at UPS.

WASHINGTON, July 12, 2013 – Several leaders of microgrid initiatives from around the country spoke on the successes of their projects at the National Town Meeting on Demand Response and Smart Grid on Thursday.

First, Tom Vosburg, Policy and Project Manager for Fort Collins Utilities Light and Power Operation, discussed the Renewable and Distributed Systems Integration project in Fort Collins, Colorado. The program, which received over $10 million in funding from the Department of Energy and local entities, employed a number of strategies to increase energy efficiency.

Microgrids, or modern, small-scale versions of the centralized electricity system are one such strategy.

Vosburg and his organization worked specifically to reduce peak loads by 20 to 30 percent. Peak loads at one of the feeders were reduced by 25 percent, meeting this goal.

John Bradley, Associate Vice President of Energy and Technical Services at New York University also presented his work on the university’s microgrid. NYU utilizes cogeneration to power about 40 buildings on the campus, although they do rely on other connections as a backup.

Many buildings on the campus also employ wireless occupancy-based sensors and controls that adjust power usage based on occupants as well as the state of the building itself. These controls have resulted in a 30 percent reduction in power usage, Bradley said.

Finally, Will Agate, Senior Vice President of the Navy Yard Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation, described the progress toward establishing a microgrid in the Navy Yard in Philadelphia. His organization has worked with a number of corporations and other groups to develop a plan that focuses on smart grid infrastructure development, a sustainable business plan, customer efficiency, demand reduction, innovative technology and a small carbon footprint.

Agate also spoke on why microgrids are important to advancing smart grid technology. An important part of such programs is their grass roots nature, which he believes has been a model for success in a variety of areas.

“This is a way that customers in the field can decide what they want and what they are going to ask service providers to provide for them,” Agate said.

WASHINGTON, July 12, 2013 – A panel discussion held Wednesday afternoon addressed advances in smart grid technology as well as the challenge ahead for the future, at the 10^th annual National Town Meeting on Demand Response and Smart Grid.

Jason Wilson, Senior Vice President of Business Management and Product Development for On-Ramp Wireless, said that much of the current smart grid growth is not necessarily a result of new technology but rather more affordable technology, allowing utility companies to pursue the creation of smart grids.

This increasing utilization of smart grid technology has led to improved service from utility companies. While they still perform the same functions, they are able to perform those functions much more efficiently and reliably, as Robert Ethier, Vice President of Market Developments for ISO New England, noted.

The panel also discussed the role of smart meters in the development of smart grid technology. A poll of the audience showed that the majority felt that smart meters were over emphasized. The panelists agreed that smart grid technology went far beyond simply utilizing smart meters, but Chris King, Global Chief Regulatory Officer for Siemens Smart Grid claimed that they are a necessary starting point as a means of gathering crucial data.

“[The smart meter] is not going to get you all the way there, but you can’t start without it, Mike Carlson, General Manager for Software Solutions at General Electric Digital Energy, said.

The need for standards was also a major subject of debate among the panelists. Carlson discussed both benefits and disadvantages to the imposition of strict standards. Although they could prevent needless losses, excessive standards may hinder pioneers from innovating, he noted.

Consequently, King praised the National Institute of Standards and Technology for their recommendations. NIST released a number of standards that have applied successfully within the industry without applying any strict mandates.

The panelists also addressed security and privacy concerns associated with smart grid data collection. Kara Rinaldi, Executive Director of the National Home Performance Council, dismissed as overblown and irrational concerns that some people have about others knowing when they are home based on energy use, since potential thieves are highly unlikely to have access to this information.

Rinaldi also noted that most companies in the industry are highly committed to security and must have such a commitment to be successful.

“If you can’t handle security and privacy, you shouldn’t be in this business,” she said.

Additionally, King argued that the benefits from such data collection are far too great to ignore. The more immediate and specific feedback consumers receive about their energy usage, the more likely they are to adjust their use, he noted.