August 5
Avangrid Works to Turn EVs Into a Grid Resource
Top consumer smart energy news hand-selected and brought to you by the Smart Energy Consumer Collaborative.
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Avangrid subsidiary United Illuminating expects to have 3,000 electric vehicles in its Connecticut territory by 2024 and has been working with Bidgely to utilize them as a grid resource and avoid driving higher peak demand when they are charging, Avangrid officials said. Avangrid says it is developing a similar program in New York and is still in the process of selecting a long-term vendor in both states.
Using battery storage to manage solar self-consumption is not efficient from the perspective of an individual consumer or the wholesale power grid, according to a new study from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The Berkeley Lab study set out to quantify the value of using residential battery storage to maximize solar self-consumption from the individual solar customer and the larger power system standpoint.
According to the eighth installment of the Smart Energy Consumer Collaborative’s “Consumer Pulse and Market Segmentation” series, 21 percent of American consumers fall into the Green Pioneers segment, a “sweet spot” of utility customers who highly value technology and environmental values.
Xcel Energy recently outlined a plan that seeks to provide the infrastructure and energy to run all vehicles in its service area on carbon-free electricity or other clean energy by 2050. This new transportation vision is part of the company’s overall goal to become a net-zero energy provider by 2050.
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Industry News
Manufactured homes are among the few affordable housing options for many low-income Minnesotans, but they can be notoriously drafty and expensive to heat and cool, placing significant energy burdens on many residents. A public-private partnership is reporting progress with initiative to lower that burden by connecting manufactured home communities with local utility programs and weatherization contractors paid by federal dollars.
As sales of new EVs continue to grow, data compiled by iSeeCars.com showed that EVs topped the list of fastest-selling used cars last month in nine major metro regions. In June, used EVs sold at faster rates than gasoline-powered vehicles in Austin, Texas; Denver; Las Vegas; Miami-Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Philadelphia; Phoenix; San Diego; San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose, California; and Tampa-St. Petersburg, Florida.
Siemens is working with ConnectDER to introduce a proprietary plug-in adapter for home electric vehicle chargers. These adapters will enable EV owners to charge EVs by connecting chargers directly through the meter socket. The adapter will save an estimated 60 to 80 percent of the charger installation cost by bypassing a home’s electric service panel and avoiding the need for electric panel upgrades.
Electric heat pumps are moving front and center in Connecticut’s energy efficiency program as the state seeks to speed adoption with a free consultation service and significant rebates. EnergizeCT has contracted with Abode, an energy management company, to operate the consultation service and develop a statewide network of trained heat pump installers.
