Award-Winning Demand Management Programs for Charging Electric Vehicles

Electric vehicle (EV) demand is increasing day by day. In response to this demand, there must be ways to manage the increased charge of electric vehicles in the network to ensure system reliability of electrical installations. Demand management programs that encourage owners of electric vehicles to charge their vehicles during hours when energy demand is intense allow customers to save money, manage public services more effectively and make infrastructure investment decisions. Con Edison and Eversource offer two innovative programs to manage the load caused by Electric vehicle charging.

 Con Edison SmartCharge New York

SmartCharge New York is an incentive program managed by Con Edison that uses an innovative monitoring system that is open to people who are not Con Edison customers. This program encourages electric vehicle drivers by rewarding them to charge their vehicles when energy demand is not intense. Participants who charge their vehicles using the service provided by Con Edison will avoid charging a high fee of $ 150 a month on summer days and between 14:00 and 18:00 on weekdays to install and activate the FleetCarma tracking device. They get $ 20 a month for their prizes. They also earn a $ 0.10 / kWh reward for charging their vehicles throughout the year between midnight and 08:00. Additionally, participants can earn extra rewards for setting up their devices within a week, sending feedback with annual surveys, and inviting other customers. With this award system, participants can win up to $ 1,000 a year. This program rewards not only participants but also their dealers. Dealers are encouraged by rewarding $ 200 for each client applying for the program.

Eversource ConnectedSolutions

Eversource began offering incentives for electric vehicle charging in Massachusetts as part of the ConnectedSolutions demand response program in 2019 to investigate best practices to reduce peak energy demand impacts cost-effectively with the rise of electric vehicles. Through the program, customers with suitable WiFi-powered household chargers receive rewards by allowing Eversource to adjust the charging speed and timing of the electric vehicle charging. Eversource’s regulations reduce charger energy use during a charging session, thereby creating a more manageable and efficient charging program for the network. However, if the customer needs to check the charging process, it can override the adjustments and return the charger to normal settings. Customers who comply with this program are entitled to a reward of up to $ 300 and can receive this fund in two different ways depending on whether they purchased the charger. Customers who do not purchase a charger will receive $ 300 after signing a three-year contract with Eversource when they install a suitable charger. Customers who have previously installed a charger receive $ 150 on registration and the rest of $ 300 in three years increments of $ 50 per year.

Goals and Process

Both programs are designed to reduce peak load during electric vehicle charging. programs deal with this situation with different approaches.

SmartCharge New York is designed to increase customer engagement with electric vehicle load management by providing an incentive structure that is easy for customers to monitor and understand. This allows a higher number of customers to enroll in the program and ultimately reduces peak energy demand and regulates it.

Eversource’s ConnectedSolutions program is designed to monitor the charge charge of the electric vehicle and control the customer’s charging capabilities when needed. These programs reduce infrastructure costs and control peak load demand, ensuring that the grid continues to operate steadily.