Smart Grid and Plug-in Vehicles

 Image courtesy of Argonne National Laboratory

Source: SmartGrid.gov

When connected to a "smart grid," plug-in vehicles may be charged at a lower cost and with cleaner energy such as solar and/or wind. This is done through the advanced technologies and networking used in a smart grid. For example, an owner may program their vehicle to be fully charged at a specific time in the morning. A smart grid will intelligently charge the car when power demands are low and renewable energy production is high. There is also talk among energy companies to create incentives for customers to integrate their vehicle’s battery as a source to power the grid during high power demand or blackouts.  

For more information on the Smart Grid

Browse our Resource Library  and visit the following sites/links:

EV Charging Station Locator 

Plug-in Electric Vehicles and Grid Integration 

US Dept. of Energy Smart Grid Page 

National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) 

CAAT Seed Funded Projects

• Ivy Tech Community College (statewide Indiana) developed a guide on how to build and integrate components for an “off grid” energy center, smart grid technology and modules on installation, maintenance, and data collection of the Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV)/EV charging station.
• Energy Center with Electric Charging Stations: Smart Grid Integrated Technology - NSF Grant No. 1003032

Browse the integration networking and communications section of our Resource Library for additional materials.