DETROIT – On
September 9th, NextEnergy will present the V2B Mashup that will feature a panel
discussion with industry leaders about the value propositions, business models,
and technologies emerging from the intersection of connected buildings and
connected vehicles – and the industries surrounding them.
Attendees
will also see live demonstrations that will offer a snapshot of the
capabilities offered by these emerging technologies.
Building and
Vehicle Communication
The ability
of vehicles and buildings to communicate with each other could present a
plethora of new possibilities. On your way home from work, your car could tell
your home that you’re two miles away and your HVAC system heats or cools to
your desired set point. Or, your driveway security lights turn on and the doors
unlock. In reverse, when you leave your house, it’s possible that your vehicle
and sensors in your home could communicate with each other, confirm that no one
is there, and literally “shut down” the house. Each day, almost all Americans
inadvertently leave power strips on, chargers in the wall, or lights on,
leading to unnecessary energy use. New communication and hardware solutions
could easily eliminate this waste, leading to valuable energy efficiency
propositions.
Smart
Charging for Electric Vehicles
Imagine a
few years from now; you pull up to work in your electric vehicle (EV) and park
in a structure with 30 additional EVs. Everyone plugs in during the morning,
has a different schedule during the day and leaves at a different time. It’s
feasible that our building energy management systems could talk to the cars and
car chargers to properly manage the charge. As long as your car is fully
charged when you need to leave, it really doesn’t matter when the charging
happens. The real benefit is for the parking structure owner, because charging
all 31 vehicles at the same time could pose an issue with electricity demand
charges. Emerging software and hardware technology can help solve this
potential problem.
Smart Energy
Management
Another
possible scenario is actively using the battery in an EV to power up a house or
a building. Imagine you drive home from work in your EV and you still have some
charge left. When the electric grid is experiencing high demand (everyone comes
home from work and turns on the lights, AC, and TV) why not use the stored
power in your vehicle to supply or supplement your needs. Then, when demand
goes down (and pricing too), your home automation system automatically allows
your vehicle to start charging. Commercial buildings also face certain demand
scenarios and, at times, it would be helpful to tap into a few electric
vehicles for a few minutes to either stop the charge or discharge stored
electricity to help get through a demand scenario. Imagine a building that can
utilize vehicles to match the demand forecast you set hours or days ahead of
time. These two examples present interesting business models for a variety of
ecosystem partners that play into demand response and time of use pricing
scenarios.
New
Platforms for Innovation
These
scenarios are the tip of the proverbial iceberg. As the technology becomes more
viable, what new innovations can be opened up when you integrate vehicles in
building and home automation systems? What could you do with predictive data on
vehicle and employee arrivals at the office? Can you imagine a world without
keys at home? Or a world with personalized parking lot lighting?
That’s
exactly why we’re convening the V2B Mashup. It’s a forum where thought leaders
and technology developers can begin tackling solutions that are still a few
years out. Whether you are a technology or software developer, utility,
commercial building operator or a homeowner, we look forward to seeing you at
the V2B Mashup to explore this exciting new frontier.
