Plug-in vehicles fall into one of two main categories: Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs) or Plug-in Electric Vehicles (PEVs) sometimes referred to as Battery Electric Vehicle (BEVs). PEVs/BEVs are all-electric vehicles with no internal combustion engine (ICE). Collectively, all of these are more commonly referred to as Electric Vehicles (EVs). Both categories of electric vehicles differ from fossil fuel-powered vehicles in that they are able to consume electricity which could be generated from a wide range of sources, including fossil fuels, nuclear power, renewable sources (such as tidal, solar, or wind power) or any combination of these.
A plug-in hybrid’s all-electric range is designated as PHEV-[miles] or PHEV [kilometers] km in which the number represents the distance the vehicle can travel on battery power alone. For example, a PHEV-20, also designated as a PHEV32km, can travel twenty miles (32 km) without using its combustion engine. The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 defines a plug-in electric drive vehicle as one that:
draws motive power from a battery with a capacity of at least 4 kilowatt hours
can be recharged from an external source of electricity for motive power, and
is a light-, medium-, or heavy-duty motor vehicle or non-road vehicle.
This distinguishes PHEVs from regular hybrid cars mass marketed today, which do not use any electricity from the grid. The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) defines PHEVs similarly, but also requires that hybrid electric vehicle have the ability to be driven at least ten miles (16 km) in all-electric mode (PHEV-10; PHEV16km), while consuming no gasoline or diesel fuel. General Motors is referring to its Chevrolet Volt series plug-in hybrid as an “Extended-Range Electric Vehicle”.
The implementation of the Smart Grid is gradually changing the nature of the electrical distribution system in the United States. With the Smart Grid, electrical power generation and distribution is becoming a two-way process between customers and generators. Being a bi-way process, there are two sides of the smart grid; the first being the utility side and second being the customer side. As the utility side smart grid is implemented, customers will have the opportunity to tailor their electrical power usage and reduce energy consumption costs through the customer side components of the smart grid. This includes energy management systems, micro-generation, and energy storage systems. This presents many new opportunities for electrical contractors to enhance existing systems in residential, commercial, and industrial facilities.
This report focuses on how electrical contractors can expand their business opportunities taking advantage of this market by implementing smart grid technologies on the customer side. It serves as a guide for electrical contractors to procure customer side smart grid work and assist in their marketing strategies. Certification would be an important and valuable addition to the smart grid arena. The report includes the outline for a future certification program that could be implemented to certify electrical contractors as smart grid technology installers. Certification would be helpful for contractors to be able to demonstrate a base level of technical competency to both public agencies and private owners and provide assurance to all parties in the supply chain that equipment is being installed safely, and in compliance with all codes.
Watch Webinar of Customer Side Smart Grid Installations
On December 8, 2015, ELECTRI held a webinar about this report with the investigators, Thomas Korman and Lonny Simonian. A recorded copy of the webinar is available here.
As design-build contractual arrangements become more frequently utilized as a project delivery method, electrical contractors who provide services that range from pre-construction to commission, are becoming involved much earlier in projects than they have in the past. Not only are they entering contractual agreements where they are responsible for purchasing, fabricating, and installing their work but they are also designing large portions of the projects as well. Electrical contractors have become critical team members who provide basis-of-design documents, perform design-assist, and are even becoming the engineer-of-record for their particular segment of the work. Electrical contractors have always carried the labor risk of most construction contracts. It is not uncommon today to find that electrical contractors are often asked to complete design based on schematic drawings and basis of design specifications. The depth of this trend is changing the knowledge level requirements of electrical contractors’ employees and new recruits to these firms. Electrical contractors continue to face challenges in recruiting new employees from university-level construction management programs. A reoccurring discussion among many electrical contractors is how to better attract students to interviews and entice them to work in the electrical contracting industry. This research project seeks to determine methods to: 1) attract young employees to the electrical contracting industry and 2) seek employment with NECA contractors.
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