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US installs 6.2 GW of solar PV in 2014, up 30% over 2013

Green Car Congress

Newly installed solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity in the US in 2014 reached a record 6,201 MW, growing 30% over 2013’s total, according to the new US Solar Market Insight 2014 Year in Review report released by GTM Research and the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA). In 2014, 3.9

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Hydro-Québec and Sony forming JV to develop large-scale Li-ion energy storage system for power grids

Green Car Congress

Hydro-Québec and Sony Corporation will establish a joint venture to research and develop a large-scale energy storage system for power grids. Sony and Hydro-Québec plan to establish the new company in June, 2014.

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Audi introduces new CNG A3 Sportback

Green Car Congress

Audi first introduced an A3 Sportback g-tron in 2014. The power-to-gas plant in Emsland is both a research facility and production site that also serves to stabilize the power grid in light of the increasing share of fluctuating green electricity from wind and solar power generation.

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BMW i ChargeForward Program to demo contribution of intelligent EV charging to grid efficiency

Green Car Congress

Working with a select group of BMW i3 drivers, BMW i ChargeForward will demonstrate how intelligent management of electric vehicle charging can contribute to improved electric power grid efficiency while reducing total cost of electric vehicle ownership. EV battery “second life” system using MINI E vehicle batteries.

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How to Prevent Blackouts by Packetizing the Power Grid

Cars That Think

That need for balance is true of electric power grids, too. Spiking demand for electric heat collided with supply problems created by frozen natural-gas equipment and below-average wind-power production. Packetized energy management (PEM) allows the power grid to flexibly handle a varying supply of renewable energy.

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CA Energy Commission awards CSE $1.5M for development of standards-based smart EV charging platform; first employment of ISO/IEC 15118

Green Car Congress

CSE will work closely with KnGrid , a leader in vehicle-grid communications, to create a standardized platform that optimizes charging benefits for both grid operators and vehicle owners. Group 2: Grid communication interfaces for plug-in electric vehicle charging to support vehicle-to-grid services. Schmeck, H.

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BMW i home energy storage system integrates 2nd-life i3 vehicle batteries

Green Car Congress

This system can enable energy produced from solar panels to be used more efficiently. In 2013, BMW and the University of San Diego installed a micro grid application with Battery 2nd Life MINI E batteries. In 2014, BMW integrated high-voltage batteries into a stationary storage system in Hamburg.