Basics of renewable energy infrastructure

[kristopher]

This blog post does a good job of covering, in simple language, what problems we face with building a renewable energy infrastructure, and how the pieces of technology we presently have will work to overcome those problems. If you are interested in renewable energy, but couldn't explain it if you had to, this article might be for you:
http://newenergynews.blogspot.com/2009/02/electric-vehicle-grid-economy.html


Wednesday, February 04, 2009
THE ELECTRIC VEHICLE, THE GRID & THE ECONOMY

V2G technology is about to go from science fiction to facilitator of the New Energy economy.

Willett Kempton, a professor focused on New Energy at the University of Delaware, has redesigned a Toyota Scion as an Electric Vehicle (EV) with software allowing its batteries to charge FROM an electric outlet as well as return its power TO the grid via the same outlet. Called Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G), Kempton’s technology is presently little more than an experiment but the experiment has proven the theory and the theory is a preview of the very rapidly approaching driving future.

President Obama, in pre-election speeches and interviews, envisioned the V2G concept as part of his New Energy for America agenda. The stimulus bill now making its tempestuous way through Congress provides spending to enhance the national grid and put more battery-powered cars on the road. The energy bill expected to come from the administration later this year will likely have provisions for whatever doesn’t make it through the legislative sausage-making in the stimulus package process.

Initially, V2G technology’s key service will be balancing supply and demand. Presently, grid operators pulse information to coal and natural gas power plants every 2-4 seconds, increasing and reducing load. This “revving” (called "ancillary services (A/S)" by grid engineers) causes wasted fuel and excess spew. Adding V2G technology would allow grid operators to call on stored power to fill gaps with changing power plant output and grid demand so the fossil fuel burners can remain in their “sweet spot” of highest efficiency and lowest spew....

http://newenergynews.blogspot.com/2009/02/electric-vehicle-grid-economy.html