RE+ Tech Supp to POWER September 2023 - 38

EMPOWERING CLEAN ENERGY
ELECTRIC VEHICLES
in a worse position than she would have
been in but for electrification, then policymakers
must identify strategies and
solutions to fully eliminate the harm. "
A poll conducted by Siena Research
2. Adding EV charging infrastructure with energy storage and onsite solar can help existing energy systems
support added electricity demand and enable more flexibility. Courtesy: Eaton
" The bottom line is that today's electrical
systems need to do much more
than just receive power from the electric
grid, " said Maximous. " Now, and in
the future, there is an enormous opportunity
to manage power far more
effectively, taking advantage of the
levers available with the energy transition
including integrating renewables
and energy storage. "
Many in the energy sector believe any
discussion of electrification must begin
with the transportation/e-mobility sector,
from EVs (Figure 2) to trains, boats,
planes, and more. Dan O'Shea, director
of Utility Strategy and Business Development
for ABB, told POWER: " If we were
to reach a 100% electrified car fleet,
we could expect an increase in total
electricity demand of up to 10-20% depending
on the country and the level of
industrialization. In the short term, over
the next five years, given the current
rates of e-mobility adoption, we should
see little impact on the grid. This is even
taking into consideration countries such
as Norway where over 50% of new cars
are EVs. "
O'Shea continued: " Currently, overall
predictions signal that electricity demand
will grow 3,000 TWh by 2040 as a
result of electric vehicles. This would see
a compound annual growth rate increase
of 1.6% in today's utilities, which on a
macro basis could be managed through
existing planning processes. "
Several utilities already have created
jobs and business divisions devoted to
electrification and its impact on power
generation and the grid. Said O'Shea, " The
challenges we can anticipate associated
with mass EV charging include geographical
distribution, where distribution transformers
may need to be replaced due to
overloading given that the energy load will
be unevenly distributed over their system;
power peaks throughout the day, as car
power increases and consumer demand
for faster charging grows; and rush hour
peak demand. Given that two-thirds of the
demand will be for cars and buses, there
will likely be an afternoon rush hour peak
possibly reaching half of this new demand. "
Geography Lesson
Geographic distribution also plays into
electrification efforts in the residential
sector. Some municipalities are
moving to ban natural gas hookups in
new construction; there's been debate
about banning gas stoves due to methane
emissions. Such measures would
impact electricity loads in those jurisdictions,
but Paula Glover, president of
the Alliance to Save Energy, told POWER
policymakers should consider other
factors before pushing changes.
" The most important aspects of
electrification are the cost of conversion
for the end user, energy costs
post-conversion, and energy efficiency, "
said
Glover.
" An end-user cost
analysis is particularly critical when
considering impacts on low-income
and disadvantaged communities. If the
cost of conversion or cost of energy
post-conversion places the consumer
38 Supplement to POWER & RE+ 2023
in New York state, published in late
February, said just 39% of respondents
approve of a proposal to basically ban
any fossil fuel-burning equipment-including
gas-powered stoves-in new
residential construction. The costs of
equipment, such as heat pumps and
more-which often require an upgrade
to a home's electrical panel-are top
of mind for many of those concerned
about a full-on push to electrify.
" Electrification should not be pursued
absent an initial investment in energy efficiency,
including sealing the building
envelope and retrofitting the home with
the high-efficiency equipment and appliances, "
said Glover. " Focusing on energy
efficiency first will help define equipment
capacity needs, and will further lower energy
use for the consumer, reducing their
energy costs. If electrification is the policy
objective, then all identified parties should
be involved in its implementation, including
direct engagement at the community
level, particularly when considering low-income
and disadvantaged communities. "
Climate Change
Electrification is often seen as critical
to decarbonization, and as such, part of
the discussion around climate change.
Anders Sjoelin, president and CEO of
S&C Electric Co., told POWER: " First, I
believe we need to talk about climate
change, as it is one of the greatest
threats facing future generations. This
means decarbonizing our economies,
beginning with cleaner energy. Globally,
sustainability targets are driving
electrification, and this requires that
our electrical infrastructure becomes
more sustainable, intelligent, resilient,
and energy efficient. "
Sjoelin continued, " Any sustainability
conversation must include ways technology
can improve energy efficiency.
The industrial sector consumes more
energy than any other, besides transportation,
and most of the electricity powers
motors and machines such as pumps,
robotic arms, and conveyor belts. Energy-efficient
technologies will continue to

RE+ Tech Supp to POWER September 2023

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