New SDG & E Dash Placard for Public Charging

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Randy

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 22, 2010
Messages
2,175
Location
San Diego, CA
I have something new (and exciting) to show LEAF owners on the Forum...

I work at SDG & E in the Clean Transportation group, and we are always trying to think of new ways that we can bring some innovation to what we're doing to support the adoption of electric vehicles in San Diego. One of our challenges is to get the word out to customers about our special EV rates and also about the desire to have EVs charge from midnight to 5am for minimal impact to the grid.

So here is a new item we had made up that we'll be distributing for the first time on Sunday 9/23 at the National Plug-in Day event in San Diego. It is a dash placard that an EV owner can use at a public charging station to let others know when it is okay for them to unplug you so they can use the charging station...You can also put your name and phone number on the front so others can contact you with any questions. Just be careful of the signage at the public charging station. If you need to stay plugged in to be "legally parked", then we wouldn't recommend that you use the placard in that case...

Our new placard is a take-off on the legacy charging dash sheet that used a paper clip and a time scale. Ours has a spinning wheel that you can dial in to let people know when it's okay to unplug. And we have our EV website URL listed and more information on the rear...

Stop by and see us at Plug-in 2012 at CCSE and pick up your copy of the new dash placard. We hope you enjoy it!!!

dash1.jpg


dash2.jpg
 
Yes, Temecula is SCE territory...

Stanley: Yes, the experimental rates will go into 2013. We are planning on sending out communication to all affected customers with more details about the schedule/timetable and what will happen at the end of the study.
 
Randy said:
...the experimental rates will go into 2013. We are planning on sending out communication to all affected customers with more details about the schedule/timetable and what will happen at the end of the study.
Nice. I've been afraid that the people with the flatter rates also did the great portion of their charging from 12:00-5:00 and thus you'd conclude that you don't need to offer any incentives to get people to charge in super off-peak, and that would be the end of our great deal. :-(

What you need is the ability via the smart meters to turn our EVSE's to reduced power in times of severe grid load, in exchange for preferential rates - like you do for commercial customers. And what you REALLY need is the ability to do the same for Quick Charging stations, in exchange for waiving the demand fee. Then you'd really see EV usage take off in SDG&E territory. (One can always wish, can't one?)

By the way, the placards are really nice. I'm looking forward to picking one up.
 
Randy said:
I work at SDG & E in the Clean Transportation group, and we are always trying to think of new ways that we can bring some innovation to what we're doing to support the adoption of electric vehicles in San Diego.

Here's something new and innovative SDG&E could do; open their DCQC to the public! We could use one in San Diego.
 
I learned several things talking to the SDG&E guys on Sunday.
  • Schemes to keep power use within demand charge limits already exist. At least at the large industrial level. These customers (factories, for example) have automatic load balancing equipment that limit things like air conditioning when a heavy demand elsewhere comes on line.
  • The solar / DC quick charging setup at the Energy Innovation Center was built with the intent of having customers use it. But the P.U.C. intervened after it was built and reminded them that the utility is prohibited from "competing" with anyone else in...what, charge services?...however that's worded.
  • The results from the TOU rate study are starting to show that some of us have slipped out of the super off-peak times into earlier schedules, because the rates aren't all that different. I've done this myself. In addition, I like having the charge end before bedtime, so I know it's done and so I can record it and not forget to do it in the morning. So don't despair; we're being seen in the results.
I suggested they swap the X and Z rate plans halfway through the study so everyone got a chance to try both rates (you can guess which group I'm in :) ) and the response was, "You wouldn't believe how much work went into getting the study we have now, approved by all the different boards and committees..." Seems we're fortunate to have what we've got now.
 
kevin672 said:
Randy said:
I work at SDG & E in the Clean Transportation group, and we are always trying to think of new ways that we can bring some innovation to what we're doing to support the adoption of electric vehicles in San Diego.

Here's something new and innovative SDG&E could do; open their DCQC to the public! We could use one in San Diego.

Kevin, please see this CPUC decision from 2011 on alternative fueled vehicles:
http://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/SearchRes.aspx?DocFormat=ALL&DocID=457072" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Please see pg 52 of the pdf document. The company tried to make a case to own public charging infrastructure, and the decision went the other way...We can only own EVSEs for our fleet and employees vehicles.

By the way, there are several DC FC units coming to the public in San Diego. I've helped a bit with infrastructure questions and issues, so I know they're in the queue and will be installed soon...
 
Perhaps SDG&E could donate the QC to Tony Williams new
Non-Profit company, and Tony could allow everyone to use it?

Can SDG&E donate the electricity to the non-profit as well?
 
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