Electric Vehicles can do more than move people from A to B; they can serve as home generators during power outages. During the massive power loss emergency that afflicted Texas this winter, owners of the hybrid Ford F-150 truck were delighted to plug home appliances, furnace blowers, and even televisions into the truck’s built-in 7.2-kilowatt onboard generator. In fact, electric vehicles look like they will play a vital role in home energy and grid management. Montreal-based Dcbel is bringing to market later this year its r16 unit that enables bi-directional power flow between an EV, home, rooftop solar array, and the grid.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1LFORdLDgw
Greater Power Efficiency Through Precision Management
The r16 hardware is mounted in a garage and manages power inputs and outputs for an EV, the home, the grid, and rooftop solar panels if present. The r16 accepts DC power coming from solar panels. EVs charge more quickly with DC power. An r16 can also optimize EV charging from the grid. Peak power pricing raises consumer electricity prices during high demand, and the r16 can charge the EV when prices decrease during low demand. Additionally, a homeowner may avoid costly grid power during peak pricing and draw stored power from the EV battery through the r16.
At this time, the Nissan Leaf and the Mitsubishi Outlander are the EV models equipped to handle bi-directional energy flow. Dcbel anticipates more EV models will be designed to take advantage of power management among an EV, home, and the grid.
EV Battery Storage Could Reduce Grid Strain
In California, where peak electricity demand can cause rolling blackouts, the utility PG&E has been exploring the potential of EVs as backup power. Since 2015, the utility has worked with automaker BMW to test EVs as backup power units in homes. Potentially, the utility will partner with customers in the future to use power stored in EVs to relieve strain on the grid during high-demand events.
Could easy backup emergency power make EVs more desirable?
ABOUT Dcbel
dcbel™ r16 is not just the most powerful solar inverter or fastest residential bidirectional EV charger available, it is the first smart home & EV energy appliance. dcbel™ r16 serves as a home’s smart energy controller, adapts to your habits, and provides optimized, autonomous & clean power when you need it.
We built dcbel™ r16 to optimize your space and energy consumption. During a blackout, dcbel™ r16 powers your home with your EV. Get the ultimate energy solution for your home, car and solar energy management.
ABOUT Nissan Leaf
The Nissan LEAF is an all-electric vehicle, its motor doesn’t require gas at all. It’s not a hybrid — instead it gets the energy it needs to drive the electric motor between its front wheels from the large lithium-ion battery mounted along the floor of the car. Charging is as simple as charging your cell phone: plug it in, and let it go.
Owning a Nissan LEAF keeps getting better with numerous benefits to going electric beyond lower cost of ownership. You’ll never have to stop for gas again, so forget the pump and stop worrying about the price of gas. And depending on where you live, you may qualify for potential state and Federal tax incentives, HOV lane access, and more
ABOUT Mitsubishi Outlander
PHEV has plenty of options for charging. Head to your nearest DC Fast Charging station and charge your PHEV to 80% in about 25 minutes — time for you to stop and grab a coffee. Visit a level two public station to reach full power in less than four hours. More time on your hands? Plug into a standard 120V outlet at home to charge your battery in less than 8 hours, or reach full capacity in half the time, with a professionally installed 240V charging station.
The magic under the hood that makes everything tick, this smart system automatically switches between drive modes to optimize performance. PHEV runs on electric power until it absolutely, positively, has to use gas. Outlander PHEV boasts an exceptional 74 MPGe2 combined energy consumption and automatically cycles between one of three driving modes to help you drive more efficiently.
Article Sources
https://www.theverge.com/2021/3/26/22352090/bmw-pge-ev-california-vehicle-g…
https://www.popsci.com/story/technology/dcbel-home-electric-car-charger/
https://jalopnik.com/this-home-ev-charger-is-super-fast-and-prepares-your-h…
https://www.thedrive.com/news/39319/ford-f-150-hybrid-owners-in-texas-are-u…
