2021 EDUCATION SESSIONS
Electric Vehicle Charging Stations and Community Transportation Resiliency
May 4, 12:45-1:45 pm
Approved for 1.0 general GBCI CE and 1.0 AIA LU
Speakers
Jason O'Neill, Energy Solutions Manager, SES Green Solutions
Lindsey Herneisen, Sales Director, Mid-Atlantic, ChargePoint, Inc.
Mike Cain, Managing Director, Era Building Solutions
Description
The electrification of our transportation network represents the most impactful change to the built environment over the next ten years. As communities prepare for an exponential increase in the number of electric vehicles (EV) on the roads, both public and private charger infrastructure will need to keep pace. There is opportunity in this shift, but concerns regarding the resiliency of not just the electrical grid, but transportation, and building resiliency as well.
Concerns about the capacity of the electrical grid to support the transition to a majority EV vehicle fleet are one of the most common concerns raised about EVs. This planning will involve a massive increase in the availability of charging stations and a commitment on the part of governments to ensure the stations are appropriately distributed and funded. Increasing electricity generation and storage (especially of renewables) will require close coordination between utilities, distributors, and governments as well, but more important than electricity generation is the time of charging. Our electrical grid already generates far more power than it typically needs in order to handle peak loads. A more resilient grid will take advantage of lower energy use times (especially overnight) to charge electric vehicles, enabling a more even distribution of energy generation. Huge changes in the regulatory environment will be required to realize this goal.
Building electrical grid resiliency will also require support in order to meet these challenges. While a national program to evenly distribute EV chargers is a necessity, most charging will still take place in the home at night. Building electrical infrastructure, particularly in the DMV, is older and not sized appropriately to handle these additional loads.
Finally, the switch to electric vehicles may actually help grid resiliency more than hurt it in the long run through the application of vehicle-to-grid charging wherein electric vehicles with excess charge may “sell” a portion of their electricity back to the grid while plugged in during demand times. Northern Virginia is already piloting a program to fully electrify their school bus fleet with an explicit aim to use the buses’ large capacity batteries to provide power back to the grid during peak use times when the buses are not on the road.
Our presentation will feature a panel discussion including representatives from an EV charging manufacturer, an owner/developer installing EV charging stations, and an installation contractor with first-hand knowledge of EV charging installations in the DMV.
Learning Objectives
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Participants will have a better understanding of the various resiliency issues involved in the switch from internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles to EVs including the electrical grid, buildings, and vehicles.
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Participants will gain a better understanding of EV charging station infrastructure, considerations for their installation today, and what will change with the technology tomorrow.
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Participants will learn about common issues related to installing charging stations in the DMV, including old technology, lack of sufficient power in electrical rooms, and ways to increase a building’s overall electrical resiliency while adding charger infrastructure.
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Participants will learn about several DMV case studies of successful EV charger installations at both commercial and municipality sites and potential impacts to the resiliency of these locations.