Smart grids and demand response are a cost-effective solution to the imbalances, blackouts and large investments typically associated with renewable energy and electric cars, according to a new whitepaper authored by the OpenADR Alliance, Eindhoven University of Technology, E-laad Foundation, Greenlots and Alliander.
The white paper, "Using OpenADR with OCPP" shows how combining the leading open protocol for demand response (OpenADR 2.0) and the leading open protocol for charging electric cars Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP) allows utilities to create a smart charging ecosystem that can improve grid management, enhance energy efficiency and lower the costs of deployment.
"Electric cars and solar energy are here to stay, and creating an EV charging infrastructure using open standards such as OpenADR and OCPP minimizes the risk -- and costs -- they bring," said Rolf Bienert, technical director, OpenADR Alliance. "The synergistic relationship outlined in this whitepaper is one of many opportunities we see for the OpenADR standard to better manage a variety of energy resources."
The whitepaper includes a case study on how Southern California Edison (SCE), one of the largest electric utilities in the U.S., used OCPP and OpenADR to implement smart charging at work. Developed through a partnership between Greenlots, a global provider of open standards-based technology solutions for electric vehicles, and EVSE LLC, a leading electric vehicle charging manufacturer, the pilot project examines how electric vehicle drivers respond to demand response events and dynamic pricing when charging their EVs at the workplace.
"Together with the OpenADR Alliance, we are helping utilities balance the intermittency of renewable energy and identifying the availability of stored energy as a resource to help manage the grid. Utilities can leverage OpenADR to evolve their business models around EV charging demand response applications and to embrace the new distributed energy paradigm," said Harmeet Singh, CTO, Greenlots. "Through the SCE pilot project, we'll all have a better understanding of how consumer behavior changes in response to these signals, and ultimately, how EV demand response programs at the workplace will impact building loads, energy costs and grid flexibility."
