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Ford unveils C-MAX Solar Energi concept; “plug-in” hybrid not dependent on electric grid can fully recharge from sun

Green Car Congress

Ford’s C-MAX Solar Energi concept combines a rooftop solar panel with an off-board solar concentrator—essentially an inexpensive Fresnel lens canopy. The vehicle moves beneath the canopy during the day to maintain maximum concentrated solar irradiance. Ford C-MAX Solar Energi Concept. Click to enlarge.

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U. Mich spinout Spider9 offering dynamic control systems for grid-scale batteries and solar arrays

Green Car Congress

Spider9 , a cleantech company launched in 2011 at the University of Michigan, has finalized the license agreement for patented dynamic control systems and plans to launch its first commercial integration at the historic Henry Ford Valve Plant, known as the Water Wheel Center, in Northville, Michigan. —Spider9 CEO Glynne Townsend.

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False Starts: The Story of Vehicle-to-Grid Power

Cars That Think

They wanted to see whether an electric vehicle could feed electricity back to the grid. The company’s president, Tom Gage , dubbed the system “vehicle to grid” or V2G. And EV owners would become entrepreneurs, selling electricity back to the grid. And indeed, that’s how promoters of vehicle-to-grid technology perceive the EV.

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China’s State Grid and BYD launch 36 MWh battery system for grid energy storage

Green Car Congress

BYD and the State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC) have finished construction on what may be the world’s largest battery energy storage station. The State Grid system is demonstrating a stable solution for transferring vast amounts of renewable electricity safely to the grid on an unprecedented scale. billion RMB).

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This Dutch City Is Road-Testing Vehicle-to-Grid Tech

Cars That Think

Unlike those you may have grown accustomed to seeing, many of these stations don’t just charge electric cars—they can also send power from vehicle batteries to the local utility grid for use by homes and businesses. Debates over the feasibility and value of such vehicle-to-grid technology go back decades. This is good for the grid.

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Chrysler Group partnering with NextEnergy to evaluate vehicle-to-grid technology

Green Car Congress

Chrysler Group is working with NextEnergy to evaluate vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology using four all-electric minivans. The battery-powered minivans are connected to a charging module that, using NextEnergy technology, can simulate any electrical grid in the world. Electric (Battery) Plug-ins Smart Grid V2X'

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Arizona State University Professor’s Work to Stabilize the Grid Pays Off

Cars That Think

Whenever new technologies are introduced into the power grid, there’s always a chance they could disrupt the system, possibly even leading to blackouts. Finding ways to deal with the impact on the grid caused by incorporating renewable energy has been the focus of Vijay Vittal ’s research for nearly 20 years.

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