Chapter 1

      Technical Transformation: Transportation Technologies

      Joshua Binus*, Barrett Lewis*, Horatiu Corban*, Fayez Alsoubaie*, Rasnia Tabpla* and Tugrul Daim*^,†,‡

      *Portland State University, Portland, Oregon, USA

       ^† Higher School of Economics, Moscow, Russia

       ^‡ Chaoyang University of Technology, Taiwan

      Abstract

      The power grid is an incredibly complex and important system, and is one of the most impressive engineering works of modern times. Previous research has confirmed that electric transport is now ready to move from traditional and complex uses to be more beneficial from social, economic, political and environmental perspectives. These perspectives, in the use of intelligent transportation, contribute significantly to the provision of energy, cost and time.

      In our research in this paper, we offer many assessments of transportation technology, which included evaluating a range of market-emerging Electric Vehicles (EVs) and Electric Vehicle Service Equipment (EVSE) options. We did so in order to craft a recommendation for future grid-integration programs that will be capable of providing realistic and affordable assistance to electric utilities during summer peak periods (typically occurring about 20 days/year). This research also discusses the most opportune behind-the-meter transportation technologies and products to use for future summer peak Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) programs in California, Oregon and/or Washington.

      This paper applied a multicriteria decision methodology known as the Hierarchical Decision Model (HDM). This model assessed current transportation technology to determine the technology options based on the judgments of experts who selected multiple criterions.

      Keywords: Technology assessment, transportation, electric vehicles.

      1.Background

      Electrical grids across the world are undergoing a period of prolonged transformation, from centralized, utility-controlled systems with unidirectional power flows (from generators to end-users) and captive customers, to grids that are increasingly integrating Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) at the “grid edge”. The grids taking shape in the 21st century are subsequently becoming more decentralized/distributed, with bi-directional flows (of energy and data) and an ever-increasing number of “prosumers” that are capable of exporting power to the grid from their homes and/or electric vehicles.

At the same time, local- and state-level policies are increasing the presence of renewable energy sources (especially wind and solar), which is having an impact on both wholesale and retail markets, systems and reliability requirements [1]. This growth in renewables has, in turn, created new challenges and considerations for electric utilities as they make determinations for the most cost-effective strategies to modernize their distribution and transmission grids through traditional resource, transmission and distribution planning efforts [2].

One of the key drivers shaping the grid of tomorrow is the threat of climate change—in particular, the need for stakeholders of all kinds to reduce their carbon emissions. The Pacific United States’ states of Washington, Oregon and California have been relatively aggressive in addressing the challenges associated with carbon-emission reduction (compared to other state and federal parties). Having already taken some substantive steps to clean their power generation portfolios, each of the three Pacific states have now begun to target emissions from the transportation sector, which has become the lead sector in emissions in each state (for California, see [3]; for Washington, see [4]; for Oregon, see [5]). Toward this end, Electric Vehicles (EVs) are not the only solution being pursued, but they play a significant role in each state’s climate action plans. However, while these states (along with many of their larger cities and electric utilities) are developing and promoting policies meant to increase their constituents’ adoption of EVs, there are issues that must be addressed to maintain reliability and cost-effective services in light of the increasing likelihood of a scenario that will see rapid and significant market adoption of EVs over the coming decades.

From a utility (or even transmission operator) perspective, the nightmare scenario of EV penetration involves the specter of uncoordinated charging. In particular, there is concern that if all EV owners charge their vehicles at the end of a work-day, the aggregate demand could dramatically increase evening peak loads. Ultimately, uncoordinated charging introduces a dual threat of higher costs (to build more peak-serving generation) and diminished reliability of the grid (at overtaxed portions within distribution systems) [6].

      1.1.Objective

      This research project endeavored to shed some light on what utilities might (or should) do to effectively integrate EVs into the grid in ways that reduce market barriers (for EV adoption) and maintain reliability at the lowest