Toyota Testing Advanced Energy Management System to Integrate Plug-in Vehicles, Smart Homes and Grid; Possible Japan Market Launch with PHEVs in 2012
05 October 2010
Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) has developed a system that links homes, plug-in vehicles (hybrids and full EVs), electric power companies and users, and enables integrated control of energy consumption. The Toyota Smart Center is one of the company’s smart-grid initiatives.
Under a smart-grid demonstration project that began on 16 September in Rokkasho Village, Toyota is conducting trials of the Toyota Smart Center in two houses constructed by Toyota Housing Corporation linked with eight plug-in hybrids (PHEVs). Trials will be conducted over approximately two years to improve the system. TMC says it hopes to market similar systems with PHEVs scheduled for launch in early 2012 and with some Toyota Housing homes.
The Smart Center uses plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) and electric vehicles (EVs) and home energy management system (HEMS)-equipped smart houses to monitor and coordinate energy used by the vehicles and houses involved, the electricity supplied by the power company, as well as the electricity generated by the houses from, for example, solar panels.
It also enables remote monitoring and coordination by providing information to the people using the vehicles and houses.
Specifically, the system collates information transmitted from a household-linked PHV or EV regarding remaining vehicle-battery charge, household power consumption information transmitted by the HEMS, weather forecast data and charge-rate information for specific time segments from the power company.
In this way the system can coordinate vehicle recharging and household energy consumption with an aim to minimize CO2 emissions and reduce electricity costs. With a smart phone, users can remotely check the current battery charge of their vehicle and the distance it could travel, adjust the charging time or turn the air-conditioning on or off to ready the car for use.
As for the house, the system monitors power consumption, solar-panel electricity production, battery charge and Eco Cute (an electric heat pump water-heater system) hot water volume; it also enables users to remotely control their batteries and water heater.
The system can also optimize energy consumption based on users’ lifestyles and automatically control vehicle-battery charging and water-heater use.
There may be something here. Not necessarily smart grid. But a smart HOME system could make sense. What is missing is the CHP generator. Were there a CHP unit with grid backup, the integration of solar and the vehicle battery might be useful. Say the EV is a second car.
It sits home days where the battery can charge from home solar roof. At night the home could shut down the FC/genset and run the appliances off EV battery. Or a hybrid mix of CHP and EV.
We would be far more comfortable with these smart systems controlling an off-grid home that produces it's own electric along with hot water and heat. The battery would be a real benefit to a solar installation. However, at this early stage any system cycling an EV Li-ion battery is going to reduce its long term value. And the whole V2G is highly suspect.
Posted by: Reel$$ | 05 October 2010 at 11:43 AM
I could see a separate Time Of Use meter for the EV with even a remote turn on feature. If you need to charge about 4 hours per night with 220 VAC at 30 amps, then you do it between 10 pm and 6 am. Those 4 hours can be enabled by the utility whenever grid load allows it.
Posted by: SJC | 05 October 2010 at 12:32 PM
SJC. Those type of meters existing already. Low cost $75 electronic 40 Amps timers could be modified with remote control capabilities.
Posted by: HarveyD | 05 October 2010 at 03:29 PM
They exist to have utilities turn on and off Air Conditioners. My point is that you can get what you want without a lot of high technology.
Posted by: SJC | 05 October 2010 at 04:49 PM
A good idea might be to use the vehicles own heat pump to heat a tank of water or thermal store overnight, the water can be first used to cool the batteries as they are being charged.
Posted by: 3PeaceSweet | 06 October 2010 at 11:35 AM
I had the idea to have an SOFC car heat, cool and power the home while in the garage. The SOFC needs to run continuously even though you can turn it down. So run it on $1 methanol and get more for the money.
Posted by: SJC | 06 October 2010 at 01:53 PM
Time of Use would be a separate power meter just for the car. It is networked to the central office and gives preferential rates for use off peak hours. It can be controlled to contour the load on the grid at night.
Posted by: SJC | 08 October 2010 at 07:00 PM