Will people all charge their EVs at the same time? Will a user charge at the same time every day, or at 5 p.m. “What makes it even more complicated is that user behavior of EV charging is unknown. But if suddenly most of your neighbors do too, “you could reach a point where we’re pushing the limits of the local distribution infrastructure that supplies a neighborhood,” Su says. If you add an EV charger to your house, it’s no big deal.
These lines are designed to carry specific loads, and if demand rises beyond the limit of what a particular part of the transmission or distribution system can handle, we’ll need more capacity. Su says things get even more complicated when you factor in the strain this could put on the transmission and distribution system, the network of large and small lines that carry electricity to our homes, buildings and businesses. To power millions of new EVs and electrify other parts of the economy still relying on fossil fuels, the state estimates it will need to triple power generation and build solar and wind facilities three to five times faster than it is now. For example, California recently passed a law requiring 35% of new cars to be zero-emissions by 2026, and 100% by 2035. But as high-consuming technologies like electric cars and heat pumps become widespread, we’ll need a plan for making more electricity. For starters, there’s the question of quantity: As we replace cars and appliances that directly burn fossil fuels with ones powered by electricity, will there actually be enough electrons to go around? Su says if you want an EV now, you shouldn’t be concerned. ) But if we quickly ramp up our electricity use, it begs the question, can the grid deliver? Wencong Su, an associate professor of electrical and computer engineering who specializes in power systems, says it’s a complicated issue, but in short, the answer is “no way, not even close.” That is, unless we start making some big changes, relatively quickly. (Check your eligibility with this calculator.
Su no longer home free#
Here in the U.S., the Inflation Reduction Act offers generous incentives and tax credits, which greatly reduce the cost of the new technologies, and in some cases, make them free for lower-income folks.
Associate Professor Wencong SuĬountries across the world are banking on this “electrification” of our homes and businesses - and a greening of electricity generation - to slash climate-warming emissions.
And heat pumps usually offer savings over gas or oil furnaces, especially when volatile gas prices spike. On average, it’s about three times more expensive to fill up a gas car than to charge an EV. Needless to say, while your gas bill might shrink or go away altogether, your electricity bill will go up, though on the whole, you’ll likely be saving a substantial amount of money. While you’re at it, you may also swap out your gas stove, water heater and clothes dryer and make your home fully electric. Instead of a natural gas-powered furnace or boiler, you’ll have an electric mini-split heat pump or two, a technology that works like an air conditioner in the summer, but when thrown in reverse, can actually heat your home, even if you live in a cold climate. Rather than stopping at the gas station every week to fill up, you’ll plug your electric vehicle (EV) into a small port on the side of your house anytime it’s sitting in the driveway. Fast forward a decade and the way we power our cars or heat our homes may look a lot different than it does today.
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