California needs to charge electric vehicles during day, not night, to save grid, study says
California could save millions by charging electric vehicles throughout the day, rather than during peak hours, a new study suggests.
A study released Oct. 27 by Stanford researchers found that charging electric vehicles at night would cost an extra $1.4 million per year to run the power grid and result in lost revenues of more than $11.6 million for electric vehicle users.
While charging electric vehicles at night would produce no net benefit, it would save an estimated $3.8 million per year on grid power costs and $9.5 million in lost revenues.
The project was conducted out of Stanford’s Bioenergy Engineering Division and involved a study of nighttime vehicle charging in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle.
“The findings suggest that charging electric vehicles throughout the day is economically feasible and that nighttime charging would be even more financially advantageous,” says Stanford professor William Ruhm.
The report adds to evidence of the economic benefits that the electric power grid would receive even if the California Energy Commission mandates that the state charge electric vehicles overnight.
On Nov. 21, the California Energy Commission issued its first-ever order to charge electric vehicles overnight and study the effects on the state’s power system, the Associated Press reported.
According to that order, the agency would study “the potential economic benefits, including the potential savings on electricity demand, and the potential grid response benefits, such as reduced emissions and avoided congestion.”
If the commission determines that shifting to overnight charging would lead to significant benefits, it could approve a rule that would mandate that electric vehicles be charged during the day.
The commission’s order said that the commission believes the benefits, costs and risks of charging electric vehicles at night “will be fully investigated,” the San Jose Mercury News reported.
Currently, in California, when electric vehicles are charging, they are allowed to charge at a higher rate than gas cars. The California Energy Commission is also studying a plan that would allow charging through the night for electric vehicles charging at 60 miles per hour.
As electric vehicles move from the niche market of only charging for occasional trips, to the broader market of powering thousands of daily vehicle trips across the state
