The much anticipated Chevy Volt, an extended range electric vehicle to be offered by GM at the end of 2010, has been called a variety of things (good and bad) since it has
been announced.Regardless of what you think of it, the Chevy Volt has undoubtedly raised the bar for technology in cars.The most recent example is the new On-Star application for your smart-phone that lets you control various aspects of the car, including:
·Charge mode and charge status
·Lock/unlock
·Remote start
·Remote climate control (heat up your car before you get there)
The app is free and fully functional, albeit on a demo Chevy Volt that only exists in your phone.I installed the app on my IPhone and have been tinkering around with it for the past week.It is impressive on a number of fronts.Not only have they managed to make OnStar (more) useful, but they have added some serious tech savvy to the vehicle itself.
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Most impressive from the Smart Grid perspective is that the vehicle will come with a “grid-friendly” charging mode, which according to the app means that the charging will occur “mostly off-peak”.Hopefully they will make this the default mode for the app when these vehicles are actually deployed.If they could also get it to talk to the meter and figure out the price of electricity, then they could show price per charge as well, allowing you to compare the cost of driving your Volt to the cost of running your gasoline car.
Intel recently unveiled its futuristic-looking Intelligent Home Energy Management Proof of Concept, which sports a relatively technology-forward 11.5” capacitive OLED touch screen, Z530 Atom processor, motion sensor, video camera, stereo audio, WiFi, and most importantly, Zigbee integration.The device allows you to integrate thermometer functions, energy management tools, home security monitoring, and other functions such as home network management, task reminders, and video memos.
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Intel’s Proof of Concept Home Energy Management Tool
The device represents Intel’s most recent foray into the Smart Grid sector.It is one of the most impressive human-Smart Grid interfaces to date, both in terms of software and hardware.It is also the first major device to integrate Smart Grid functionality with “premium” electronics hardware such as a capacitive OLED screen, normally not seen in run-of-the-mill consumer electronics.It could potentially target the high-end home energy management market, for those with multiple electronic systems in their home.While it is far from production-ready, it raises the bar for future home energy management portals.
A computer virus recently caused a lot of trouble at Integral Energy in Australia, forcing it to rebuild all of its 1,000 desktop computers. The utility uses Symantec antivirus on its computers, but apparently had not updated some of its computers’ virus definitions since February.The Virus (W32.Virut.CF) affected all of the company’s Windows machines, threatening to take down some of its vital control room operator displays.The control systems for the electric power system itself was UNIX-based and thus not endangered by the virus, however the control room operator displays, which had not been properly separated from other computers, were left vulnerable.Fortunately, these computers were changed out in time to prevent a major outage from occurring.
Supposedly, the only reason that the operators were running the Windows boxes in their control center was to run remote terminal Windows connecting to the UNIX based grid control system.It may have been the case that there were additional Windows-based user interface applications that the operators were using.We are told that the Windows boxes were substituted with Linux boxes at the time of infection to prevent the spread of the virus, however it should be noted that simply switching operating systems does not form a viable solution for cyber-security over the long term.
While it may be easy to say that this is a “Windows problem,” the fundamental errors of this utility go beyond operating systems issues.The utility clearly did not have adequate antivirus practices within its computer base, and lacked a strong separation between critical operating computers and the rest of its desktop computers.While the quick utility response should be commended, it probably came at a much higher cost than prevention.
The recent Frankfurt Auto Show brought a large number of new electric vehicle offerings.However, one highly anticipated vehicle, the new plug-in hybrid version of Toyota’s popular Prius vehicle, appeared to show dampened interest in the electric vehicle market.
The vehicle, originally rumored to be released in 2010 to coincide with GM’s Chevy Volt release, is now delayed for retail release until 2012.Instead, Toyota is expected to offer limited leases for up to 500 vehicles in late 2010.However, these 500 vehicles will be spread around the world, resulting in far less than widespread availability in the US.
The vehicles will be able to run at speeds up to 62 mph for up to 12.5 miles in all-electric mode.The cars can charge their lithium-ion batteries in 1.5 hours on a 230 V power supply.
Toyota’s apparent change of plans for its PHEV Prius line comes at a time when it is still ramping up production of its traditional hybrid vehicles. It appears that concerns about the cost of next generation vehicles are growing as key enabling technologies such as advanced batteries face increasing uncertainty.This week, both GM and Toyota appeared to express concerns that the cost of battery technology remains prohibitively high, especially given the relatively moderate price that gasoline has settled at.
In my opinion, Toyota’s delays represent a short term shift in their stance on electric vehicles, not a long term turnaround in strategy.I believe that this is as much driven by the recession as it is by technology risk.Similar moves can be seen for example by Sony, which has delayed the deployment of their new OLED TV screens due to the global recession.
One largely unnoticed part of the recent energy and climate bill making its way through the national legislature is the section on Energy Innovation Hubs. (See link below for a full analysis.) This important clause establishes a number of geographical hubs to address technical barriers to widespread commercialization for a specific technology.It lists eight technologies:
·Fuels from sunlight
·Nuclear fuel management
·Energy efficiency building systems
·Batteries and energy storage
·Solar electricity
·Novel carbon capture and storage
·Modeling and simulation for nuclear reactors
·Electrical grid systems
Modeled after famed innovation centers like Bell Labs and the Manhattan Project Labs, these centers are meant to bridge the gap between basic and applied science. They are structured as multidisciplinary research centers that include researchers from academia, government labs, and industry.
The DOE plans to fund these centers with an initial $10 million grant for facilities, and then $25 per year after that, to be funded with permits from the cap and trade program in the bill. This comes to a total of $280 billion for fiscal 2010.The research hubs are to be led by a university, a national lab, a nonprofit organization, or a private firm.
While the vision for these is compelling, the current bill as written is somewhat inconsistent with this vision.The climate bill that came out of the House (HR 2454 section 171) has the following language:
Entities Eligible for Support- A consortium shall be eligible to receive allowances to support the establishment of a Hub under this section if--
(1) it is composed of--
(A) 2 research universities with a combined annual research budget of $500,000,000; and
(B) 1 or more additional qualifying entities;
Many states (including my own state of WA) will have a lot of trouble meeting these requirements, given the sparse number of major research universities, and the difficult state these universities are in given the recession’s impact on state budgets.It is likely that this requirement will bias the bids towards private universities.
The bill also gives excessive control to universities in each of these innovation hubs:
(B) MEMBERS- Each Advisory Board shall consist of--
(i) 5 members selected by the consortium’s research universities;
(ii) 2 members selected by the consortium’s other qualifying entities;
(iii) 2 members selected at large by other Advisory Board members to represent the entrepreneur and venture capital communities; and
(iv) 1 member appointed by the Secretary
This clause is inconsistent with the DOE’s vision of having flexible management and a variety of leadership organizations.This would make it difficult for organizations like IBM and GE, already making great strides towards advanced battery and grid research (see link below), to lead such a research effort.
It’s unclear why the bill puts such a large emphasis on universities instead of allowing for a more flexible management structure.If the goal of these centers is truly to find ways to remove technology barriers to commercialization, then private sector participation is vital.Universities are probably the wrong managing entities given the goals and timeframes that DOE has in mind for these centers.Private sector involvement will also be vital to the ability of the centers to actually spur job growth in the future.
Coincident, Inc. has announced the beta release of the Coincident Visualization & Analysis Tool, an Internet application with information on smart metering projects and utility initiatives around the U.S. and Canada. Users can explore the projects visually instead of having to look through dozens of individual filings. The product maintains a database of metering projects and uses that information to create interactive maps, data filters, summary information, and detailed project tables. The product is targeted at utility professionals and related organizations involved in AMI.
“One of the ongoing challenges we face as a startup has been identifying and tracking the progress of smart metering initiatives across various utilities and geographies,” said Jason Hanna, President and Founder of Coincident. “There’s a lot of great information in the public domain, but much of it is tucked away in press releases, regulatory filings, and utility presentations. We wanted to create a framework that adds some structure to this data. Once you’ve done that you can start exposing the information in some very interesting ways — applying mapping, charting, aggregate analysis, filtering, etc.”
Presently, the beta edition has the following features:
AMI Project Details: Utility information, deployments by state or province, projected timelines, etc.
Thematic Mapping: Interactive map of states or provinces showing intensity of smart meter deployments
Advanced Data Tables: Quickly locate and sort metering projects by utility, region, no. of planned meters
Drill-Down Capability: Clicking map and data table information drills into detailed project information
Data Filtering: Remove projects from analysis based on project type, deployment timelines, and/or utility type
The Coincident Visualization & Analysis Tool is currently free and the beta program is scheduled to continue for several weeks. During this time Coincident is seeking feedback from the community about data and features they would like to see added to future releases. Timing, availability, and pricing of a premium edition are also being considered.
A number of readers have e-mailed me asking whether a comprehensive list of AMI projects in the US and Canada exists. This is perhaps the first step in building an accessible tool to fill this role. I encourage you to check it out.
Microsoft jumped in to the Smart Grid field this week with its announcement of Microsoft Hohm (a combination of the word “Home” and “Ohm”), a service for analyzing home energy use and offering suggestions to increase efficiency and conservation.
The service starts with local and national averages, but customizes its suggestions based on information input by the user. Hohm uses analytics provided by Lawrence Berkeley National Lab and the US DOE to suggest areas where the user might be able to reduce energy use. In the future, MS plans to have Hohm incorporate data from advanced meters. Hohm is also touted as helping utilities measure and meet their regulatory requirements for conservation and energy efficiency, and eventually to help reduce power consumption during peak hours.
Currently, the service is in beta form, but will launch with four utility partners on the West Coast.
MS and Google’s entries into the residential energy management sector are beginning to reveal the potential that access to energy consumption information has for the future. This goes beyond simply selling ad space when you log in to view your home energy use.
Imagine that these companies could not only show you your electricity use, but also your gas use and car use (through tools like MS Sync). They could then begin to construct a semi-complete carbon footprint for you. Paired with carbon offset projects that companies like Google are pursuing, they could begin mounting a vertically integrated operation for measuring and mitigating your carbon impact. This might be a good fit with the cap and trade system that is currently being discussed by the Congress.
The recent failure of the Detroit automakers has given the government the headache of creating jobs for a newly unemployed mass of blue collar workers.The high cost of these American workers, we are told, is responsible for the lack of competitiveness of GM and Chrysler.The “legacy costs” of these automaker’s promises to their employees have resulted in an “all-in” wage of $75 per hour, compared to $40 to $45 prt hour for other car companies.According to a report in Popular Mechanics, the estimated disparity can range from $600 to $2000 per car.
However, the relevance of this math may be fading.Disparities between rates for domestic construction of cars are almost a moot point given the larger disparity between labor rates in the United States and other countries like China and India.The U.S. may no longer be competitive for labor-heavy industries at all.
All this brings me to the “green jobs” we are now creating.Using the same cost structure to build electric vehicles instead of gasoline vehicles will not save Detroit from cheap imports.Take for example, Detroit Electric, which is attempting to produce electric vehicles with a 200-mile range costing approximately $30,000 by 2010.A great product if they can deliver.But despite its name, Detroit Electric is actually based in the Netherlands and plans to manufacture its vehicles in China.Hardly “An American Revolution.”
Simply shifting these problems to another industry won’t fix anything.Retraining a person to weld wind turbines instead of cars won’t guarantee their job security when someone across the world is willing to work for an order of magnitude less money.If we want job security over the long term, we have to fundamentally increase the value-added of the American employee.
Perhaps what the U.S. economy needs is to shift its cost equation away from labor.If we accept the premise that labor will never be as cheap in the United States as it is in China and India, even adjusted for productivity differences, then we must find a way to undercut their costs in order to be competitive.This is where automation can play a role.
Take for example Heartland Robotics, which is looking to build the next generation of intelligence-enabled, low cost industrial robots.In an article in Next Big Future, founder Rodney Brooks, a former cofounder and CTO of iRobot, maker of the Roomba automated vacuums, says his mission is “to effect a powerful evolution in the world’s labor markets, and my current focus is to develop low-cost robots that will empower American workers.”Entrepreneurs like Rodney Brooks offer an opportunity for the U.S. to change the equation back in its favor.
With the old fleet of American vehicle makers slipping into bankruptcy, the new guard of electric vehicle makers and associated “green energy” manufacturers should take automation seriously.Simply applying the old recipe to new products won’t be enough to overcome the sustained challenge of low-cost competition from developing countries.American automakers need to find a new “special sauce” to put them back above the competition.
San Luis Valley is the Nations Best Model for Renewable
As communities and utility companies battle over power lines and who is to blame for falling behind on renewable energy goals, a quiet revolution has occurred right under our nose.
With little fanfare, the San Luis Valley has already become the best model for distributed renewable energy generation in the West and maybe even the Nation.
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With little fanfare, the San Luis Valley has already become the best model for distributed renewable energy generation in the West and maybe even the Nation.
When the first energy crisis shook ...