A nifty means of transport and mobile electrical storage ... - Siemens

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s country’s Renewable Energy Federation (BEE). This extra consumption can even be covered without problems through the growth in renewable energies. For example: Electricity generated from renewable energies increased from 2007 to 2008 by some 4.3 billion kilowatt-hours – more than twice the total consumption by the electric car fleet forecast by the government in 2020. However, there is the further challenge of developing workable business models for the future. After all, selling electricity for electric vehicles just does not pay off given their energy efficiency and current energy prices – especially when you also consider the enormous investments required to create the necessary infrastructure. Another focal aspect is currently a power supply system to flank everything. After all, the system of the future – the smart grid – must be intelligent and flexible, otherwise it will not be able to integrate the large volumes of fluctuating wind and solar electricity and the growing number of small, local power generators. Key technologies within these smart grids will include smart meters and virtual power plants to contribute intelligence to the medium- and low-voltage grids. They will meet future requirements as regards dynamic market activity, forecast mechanisms and quick balancing. The car as a source of revenue In general, it is always helpful to look further afield and to think about more than just the car itself when it comes to the issue of electromobility. “Looking to the near future, we have to take all possible electrically driven vehicles into account. Such drives already play important roles in various specialized areas, such as at warehouses or airports,” says Christian Lechler, Account Line Manager at Siemens IT Solutions and Services – Industry, Energy, Healthcare. “As far as cars and trucks are concerned, the purely electric drive is not all that important at present – unlike the hybrid-electric drive.” “A key factor in our commitment is for our developments and offers to keep pace with how society thinks and acts green,” notes Markus Zahnjel, head of the Car Electronics Automotive segment at Siemens IT Solutions and Services. “We mainly focus on applications that relate to driving, but also ones above and beyond that. One example is the use of vehicles or entire fleets as load sinks, i.e. a sort of electricity store: When there is too much energy in the grid, it can be delivered to the electromobiles. If the vehicles no longer require it or need a lower quantity at a specific time, the energy can be fed back into the grid, possibly even at a profit to the car owners, for example if there happens to be a shortage of electricity. Existing fleets where uniform conditions predominate are currently suitable for such energy brokering models. However, commuters with their set routes and times at which they travel, as well as second cars, which are normally not used for long trips, are potential targets.” The basis for such models is networking of the vehicles with the infrastructure – for instance the smart grid, which can also be used as a tool for communication. Thanks to them, the e-cars are informed of the current electricity price by the network 2
s operator and then decide independently whether to buy or supply it, i.e. feed it back into the grid – naturally always taking into account the distance left to travel and the battery power required for it. It is also conceivable for tomorrow’s e-cars to utilize the information in the vehicle owner’s calendar or the destination in the navigation device to decide on the best strategy. “Charge her up, please” What is now needed is innovative ideas and actions, with a focus on further feasible and potential components that will make a business model for electromobility workable worldwide. Zahnjel has a quick response to how using vehicles as load sinks when there is too much energy in the grid offers further benefits apart from the monetary aspect: “Renewable sources, such as wind and solar power, deliver energy only on an irregular basis, which makes forecasting difficult. Electric cars with batteries are a highly promising means of being able to buffer or store surplus capacities.” The power grid itself cannot assume this function since it is a finely balanced system in which supply and demand must always be exactly in equilibrium, otherwise the frequency of the alternating voltage deviates from the prescribed 50 hertz: It falls when demand is too high and increases when there is an excess supply. That would result in damage to the connected consumers, such as PCs, machines, motors or generators. The following situation illustrates why such load sink models are a sensible alternative: Excess supply is a problem because German network operators are compelled under the Renewable Energy Act to give preference to electricity from renewable sources when feeding power into their grid. If there is a large supply of renewable energy, conventional power plants have to be shut down. The upshot may be grotesque consequences. If there is too much wind, the surplus energy must be dumped at giveaway prices on Leipzig Energy Exchange – in the worst case at a negative price. However, some operators prefer to accept that rather than submit to the high cost and effort of shutting down their plant. This is where ecars come in: If they are connected by cable to the power grid, their batteries can be used as local buffer stores. Although their storage capacity is small compared with the amount of energy required in the grid, this shortcoming can quickly be made good thanks to their large number and current conduction with a power of up to 40 kW with 3-phase charging per vehicle. Electric is now trendy – and green is the icing on the cake For decades, the car has been the object of a wide range of technical innovations and above all the pride and joy of Germans. Now there is further potential as a result of electromobility: Green and lifestyle aspects are gaining in importance as an incentive to buy e-cars. “The image of e-cars as sluggish, slow and ugly no longer holds true. Solely in terms of driving dynamics and acceleration, conventional gasoline-powered vehicles have long since ceased to be a match for e-cars in towns and cities. The new electric motorcycles, for instance, accelerate noiselessly from 0 to 50 in two 3
Page 1: s The future is electric, clean and
Page 5 and 6: s There are other challenges: The o
Page 7 and 8: s great cost and effort for the exi
Page 9 and 10: s Siemens’ overall solution exper
Page 11 and 12: s : What is an electric drive? Such
Page 13 and 14: s Caption: Is the battery full enou
Page 15 and 16: s Caption: Cars stand around idle a
Page 17: s Caption: If more cars would run o

A nifty means of transport and mobile electrical storage ... - Siemens

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