Industry members attend semi-annual SMART@CAR consortium review; microgrid announced
It was announced at the review that the consortium will implement a microgrid--a small scale version of a centralized electricity system--at CAR. The microgrid will utilize the solar panels on CAR's roof to collect and store energy in after-market automotive battery packs, which will then be used to power vehicles at CAR's seven charging stations.
Additionally, through a program with the Department of Energy, the College of Engineering will purchase two Via plug-in hybrid electric vans. The vehicles will be housed at CAR to be used for general research and also will be utilized in an Electric Power Research Institute project that studies usage and profiles of fleet vans.
The meeting concluded with a members-only roundtable discussion and a ride and drive with a Nissan Leaf, thanks to Buckeye Nissan. Communication regarding the next meeting will be sent to members. Non-members who would like more information regarding the consortium should contact BJ Yurkovich, yurkovich.7@osu.edu.
View more photos here.
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About SMART@CAR
SMART@CAR is an industry driven research and development program focused on Plug-in Electric Vehicles (PEVs) and intelligent charging. SMART@CAR is a program of Ohio State Center for Automotive Research that takes a multi-disciplinary systems approach to research problems related to the development, manufacturing, deployment, and application of plug-in electric vehicles. The SMART@CAR collaborative intends to merge academic research with the insights and experience of: automotive manufacturers and suppliers; battery manufacturers; electric utilities; and others. http://car.osu.edu/research/smartcar
