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Why the Next Microgrids Will Be Well Connected

Cars That Think

The winds had barely died down when electric-power specialists and others began calling for a radical overhaul of Puerto Rico’s electricity networks, one that would emphasize renewable energy, distributed generation, and, critically, microgrids. A microgrid is like a miniaturized, tightly controlled version of a power grid.

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Two-way charging is becoming increasingly popular among EV owners

Setec Powerr

Liu, whose business in Shaanxi province often operates beyond the reach of power grids, plugs a hairdryer-like charger into his hybrid electric car, a sport utility vehicle from Chinese automaker BYD Co. The other end of the charger connects to his kettle. A few minutes later, it lets out a whistle, and tea time begins.

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The Benefits of Bidirectional Charging

Wallbox

To make it clear, in a unidirectional (one-way) EV charger, electricity flows from the electric grid into the electric vehicle and with a bidirectional (two-way) EV charger, electricity can flow both ways. Let’s put it this way, if you’ve already paid to charge your vehicle, why not use the left-over power to run your home too?

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11 Intriguing Engineering Milestones to Look for in 2023

Cars That Think

A Sea-Monster-Proof Internet The initial segment of what will be the first underwater fiber-optic link to skirt the North Pole, connecting Japan and Europe, will light up in early 2023. The transmission line will sidestep the growing difficulties of connecting renewable-energy sources to the power grid. Several U.S.

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Audi unveils e-gas project: synthetic methane from the methanation of green hydrogen; series production of CNG models in 2013 powered by e-gas

Green Car Congress

The e-gas project consists of two main components: Audi is contributing to the construction of offshore North Sea wind turbines which will generate clean power,that is then fed into the public power grid. Audi wants to use green power to produce and also operate its electric-drive e-tron models in the future.

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

Green Car Congress

The remarkable advantage for BMW customers in using BMW i3 batteries as a plug and play storage application is the ability to tap into an alternative resource for residential and commercial backup power, thus using renewable energy much more efficiently, and enabling additional revenues from the energy market.

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Wind-to-Hydrogen Tech Goes to Sea

Cars That Think

Then, as now, wind farms are operating off the world’s coasts—but not all of these offshore sites are connected to the mainland via underwater power cables. Because there’s no grid connection, the platforms will basically operate as small, isolated power grids and therefore have to handle any sudden surges in power.

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