Electric Era's Innovative Energy Management System Predicts Peak Demand Events, Improving EV Charging Efficiency
In the rapidly evolving landscape of electric vehicle (EV) charging, Electric Era has made significant strides by launching a pioneering 5CP energy management program. This innovative system has demonstrated an impressive capability to predict all five PJM 5CP (coincident peak) events accurately, leading to substantial savings on capacity charges for their customers operating EV fast charging stations. With rising energy demands straining power grids, this achievement is particularly noteworthy.
Electric Era, a Seattle-based company founded in 2020, specializes in providing intelligent infrastructure solutions that integrate advanced battery storage with intelligent software control. Their recent advancements aim to alleviate some of the most pressing challenges faced by EV charging operators in the U.S. market, particularly those located within the PJM (Pennsylvania-New Jersey-Maryland) region, where three of their charging stations operate under PJM’s utility tariff methodology.
The significance of Electric Era’s program lies in its ability to navigate the complex structure of utility capacity charges, which can severely affect the financial viability of charging stations. Quincy Lee, the CEO and Founder of Electric Era, emphasized that demand and capacity charges often lead operators to operate at a loss. By leveraging their advanced energy management system, Electric Era is actively working to counteract this trend.
The PJM grid, similar to other grid operators like ERCOT (Electric Reliability Council of Texas), utilizes coincident peak (CP) charges to allocate costs based on system-wide peak demand intervals. This methodology means that operators must predict when these peak demands will occur to regulate their energy draw, avoiding unexpected higher costs that result from inadequate preparation.
Earlier this year, Electric Era developed the capability of its energy management system (EMS) to predict PJM’s critical peak events in real-time. By doing so, they can instruct their battery storage to minimize grid draw during these high-demand hours. This past summer, their predictions demonstrated a remarkable 97% accuracy during the predicted demand spikes, which occurred on July 1, July 2, July 15, July 16, and September 1, typically between 5 and 6 PM EDT.
At one of their sites, the system demonstrated its effectiveness by delivering an average of 72 kW to vehicles while drawing only 9 kW from the grid. Given the capacity rate of $16.28 per kW/month at this location, reducing the Peak Load Contribution (PLC) by 63 kW translated into savings of approximately $12,000 on an annual basis. Without this proactive approach, the financial burden on operators could have been significantly greater if peak demands had not been anticipated.
What sets Electric Era apart is their integration of hardware and software, transforming operational challenges into manageable software solutions. Through advanced machine learning algorithms, they can not only predict peak events but also optimize operations to ensure greater profitability for EV charging stations.
As the world transitions to a more electrified future, the importance of innovative solutions, like those from Electric Era, cannot be overstated. Their commitment to improving operational efficiency and profitability aligns with the broader goal of making electric mobility not just an environmentally friendly alternative but also a financially sustainable business. With over 30 deployments since their inception, Electric Era is poised to continue leading the charge in EV infrastructure solutions. For more information about their offerings, visit their website at www.electricera.tech.