Incentives for Electric Vehicle Chargers in CT

A DEEP and DOT partnership: www.ct.gov/deep/evconnecticut

The state of Connecticut is offering funding incentives to double the number of electric vehicle charging stations!

EVSE LLC is offering our stakeholders a discount on electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSEs). Contact Dan Shanahan at dshanahan@controlmod.com.

To find out more about the state program visit EVConnecticut.

Last week on July 9, 2013, the DEEP held an electric vehicle expo that kicked off an EVSE initiative to increase the number of EVSEs in the state. One of our stakeholders was there and wanted to follow up with information on their EVSE manufactured in Connecticut…

It was great seeing everyone at Middlesex Community College this week. EVSE LLC, an EV charger manufacturer based in Enfield was impressed with the attendance and is extending discounts to help Commissioner Dan Esty and the state in doubling the number of EV chargers in CT.

Businesses and municipalities that are interested in participating in the EV Incentives program should email EVConnecticut@ct.gov. More information is available at www.ct.gov/deep/evconnecticut.

If you have employees with electric vehicles and need EV chargers please feel free to contact me at 860-916-7162 or dshanahan@controlmod.com.

In addition to some funds from the state, EVSE LLC chargers can be purchased directly off CT DAS Contract 09PSX0014. This simplifies purchasing for cities, towns, state agencies, schools, state colleges and universities and quasi-public entities. For all Clean Cities coalition members we offer deep discounts! Call me at 860-916-7162.

EVSE LLC’s offers ceiling, wall and curbside Level 2 chargers with cable management that protect pedestrians from tripping accidents, are ADA compliant and protects cables from weather, vehicles and vandals. We are also a partner with ABB, a leading Fast Charger company with both SAE Combo and Chademo receptacles. Both EVSE and ABB chargers are networked on the Open Charge Protocol to ensure any EV drivers can access the chargers without a proprietary member cards. Open charging system networks are crucial to the Commissioner’s goal of reducing range anxiety; current charger networks are closed to members only which will leave many EV drivers stranded.

EVSE has installed chargers throughout CT and US—and our chargers are manufactured right here in CT. Some of our customers include Executive Valet near Bradley Airport, cities of New Haven and Bridgeport, United Illuminating, Norwich Public Utilities, Northeast Utilities, Goodwin College, Yale, Manchester Honda, Crowley Nissan, So. CT. State University, UCONN-Storrs, Westport Train Station and many others.

If you are planning to participate in this initiative feel free to contact me.

Remember to buy from a CT manufacturer to keep jobs here in CT.

August 2013 Question of the Month

Question of the Month: Where can I find case studies and other information about fleets that have successfully adopted alternative fuels and advanced vehicles?

Answer:
Alternative Fuels Data Center (AFDC) Resources
The AFDC Case Studies search is a great resource for examples of what real fleets are doing related to alternative fuels. This page allows the user to search by category or keyword.  Categories include fuels and technologies, such as biodiesel and idle reduction, as well as applications such as law enforcement and public transit. The Case Study search functionality was recently updated to provide a better search experience, so be sure to check it out.

Another useful tool is the AFDC Publications database. The publications database includes more detailed reports and case studies written by the national laboratories and other organizations regarding the implementation of alternative fuels and advanced vehicles in fleets. This page is also searchable by category or keyword.

Clean Cities Resources
The Clean Cities YouTube Channel is one of the newest Clean Cities tools. The channel features more than 200 case study videos, including MotorWeek Clean Cities Success Story segments, and other educational media for fleets. In addition, Clean Cities Now includes a “Fleet Experiences” section in each biannual publication. Each “Fleet Experiences” article contains information about a fleet that has successfully transitioned their fleet to alternative fuels.

Clean Cities coalitions are also great resources for information about the “real world” use of alternative fuels and advanced vehicles at the local and regional level. The Clean Cities Coalition Contacts page provides a list of coalitions and their websites. Some coalitions post stakeholder fleet case studies on their websites or feature success stories in their newsletters.

Industry Associations and Publications
Some industry association websites also contain useful case studies that focus on the use of specific fuel and technology types. For example, the National Biodiesel Board “Market Segments” page provides examples of fleets using biodiesel in different applications, as well as stories on several “feature fleets.” Additionally, fleet publications such as Automotive Fleet and Green Fleet publish articles about fleets that are adopting alternative fuels and advanced vehicles.


Clean Cities Technical Response Service Team
technicalresponse@icfi.com
800-254-6735

EPA Finalizes 2013 Renewable Fuel Standards

EPA Finalizes 2013 Renewable Fuel Standards to Help Promote American Energy Independence, Reduce Carbon Pollution

EPA also announces steps to address concerns about the E10 blend wall

WASHINGTON – As part of an ongoing effort to enhance energy security and reduce carbon pollution, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today finalized the 2013 percentage standards for four fuel categories that are part of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program established by Congress. Most of these fuels are produced by American farmers and growers domestically and help reduce the carbon pollution that contributes to climate change.

The final 2013 overall volumes and standards require 16.55 billion gallons of renewable fuels to be blended into the U.S.fuel supply (a 9.74 percent blend). This standard specifically requires:
•           Biomass-based diesel (1.28 billion gallons; 1.13 percent)
•           Advanced biofuels (2.75 billion gallons; 1.62 percent)
•           Cellulosic biofuels (6.00 million gallons; 0.004 percent)

These standards reflect EPA’s updated production projections, which are informed by extensive engagement with industry and a thorough assessment of the biofuels market.

During this rulemaking, EPA received comments from a number of stakeholders concerning the “E10 blend wall.” Projected to occur in 2014, the “E10 blend wall” refers to the difficulty in incorporating ethanol into the fuel supply at volumes exceeding those achieved by the sale of nearly all gasoline as E10. Most gasoline sold in the U.S. today is E10. In the rule issued today, EPA is announcing that it will propose to use flexibilities in the RFS statute to reduce both the advanced biofuel and total renewable volumes in the forthcoming 2014 RFS volume requirement proposal.

EPA is also providing greater lead time and flexibility in complying with the 2013 volume requirements by extending the deadline to comply with the 2013 standards by four months, to June 30, 2014.

A January 2013 ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals required the agency to reevaluate projections for cellulosic biofuel to reflect market conditions; the final 2013 standard for cellulosic biofuel announced today was developed in a manner consistent with the approach outlined in that ruling.

The Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) established the RFS program and the annual renewable fuel volume targets, which steadily increase to an overall level of 36 billion gallons in 2022. To achieve these volumes, EPA calculates a percentage-based standard for the following year. Based on the standard, each refiner and importer determines the minimum volume of renewable fuel that it must ensure is used in its transportation fuel.

More information on the standards and regulations: http://www.epa.gov/otaq/fuels/renewablefuels/regulations.htm
More information on renewable fuels: http://www.epa.gov/otaq/fuels/renewablefuels/index.htm

Proterra All Electric Bus Visits CT DOT

Proterra EcoRide™ BE35 is an all electric bus.

Newington, CT – Today at the Connecticut Department of Transportation Office, a new type of bus was shown and test driven. The Proterra EcoRide™ BE35 is an all electric bus. It will be expanding its public service this year to six transit authorities. It has already been in use for about a year now at Foothill Transit in the San Gabriel Valley northeast of Los Angeles, and it has been featured on Jay Leno’s Garage channel. Also the Worcester (MA) Regional Transit Authority will receive three transit buses along with the on-route charging station provided by a $4.4-million Federal Transit Authority Clean Fuels grant.

Proterra’s on-route fast charge system allows the bus to “automatically connect to an overhead system that links the bus to a high-capacity charger without driver involvement. The bus is then rapidly charged in 5-10 minutes while passengers load and unload,” as stated on the company’s website.

The composite body of the bus reduces the weight of the bus by 20-40% of a traditional steel or aluminum transit bus while still being crash and element resistant meaning more batteries can be added without going over weight. The battery cells sit on the bottom of the bus to give even weight distribution and a low center of gravity.

The ride on the bus was very quiet. The noise only noise came from the air conditioner’s compressor, which the company says they are working to reduce that noise as well. There was absolutely no diesel smell, in fact, one rider said “it has a new car smell.”

The bus is the first of its kind to pass the rigorous testing of the Altoona Bus Research and Testing Center. “The technology is proven; out company is performing and winning orders as a result,” says Garrett Mikita, president and CEO of Proterra, Greenville, SC.

EVConnecticut state program and EVSE LLC discount

DEEP and DOT partnership

The state of Connecticut is offering funding incentives to double the number of electric vehicle charging stations!

EVSE LLC is offering our stakeholders a discount on electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSEs). Check out the flyer EVConnecticutLaunch for more details and contact Dan Shanahan at dshanahan@controlmod.com.
To find out more about the state program visit EVConnecticut.

EVSE LLC cable management
at Southern Connecticut State University

CT Clean Cities Future Fuels Update

Greater New Haven Clean Cities was awarded an American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) grant. The grant included $13.1 million in federal funding through the U.S. Department of Energy and $16.6 million in non-federal funds provided by over 30 partner organizations. The collaboration will lead to development and implementation of a state-wide fuel neutral effort that will deploy 267 alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs) and 5 public access and 5 private fleet access fueling stations as part of the Connecticut Clean Cities Future Fuels Project. You can learn more at the project’s website, http://www.ct-futurefuels.com/.

If you are interested in finding out more about what alternative fuels are best for your fleet visit http://www.afdc.energy.gov/ or email Lee Grannis at grannis@nhcleancities.org.

Below are graphs and charts that illustrate the Connecticut Clean Cities Future Fuel results as of June 30, 2013.

This is total fuel sales from the beginning of the Connecticut Clean Cities Future Fuels Project
Q1 of FY 2011 through Q3 FY 2013.

The project consists of 7 compressed natural gas (CNG) stations of which 4 are public access stations and 3 are fleet only access stations, 1 liquefied natural gas (LNG) with CNG station where the LNG side is fleet only access, but the CNG is public access, 1 fleet only access biodiesel station of B20, and electric charging stations with 4 as public use and 4 for fleet only use.

Fuel sales for natural gas separated into CNG and LNG sales of in-project vehicles and out-of-project vehicles.
Data from the Connecticut Clean Cities Future Fuels Project.

The graph above illustrates how much fuel was used by vehicles that were obtained as part of the project and fuel used by vehicles that companies outside of the project purchased because it made economic sense to do so. This graph shows that businesses are finding it beneficial to switch their fleet from traditional petroleum fuel to alternative fuels. Below are the numbers as to the number and type of vehicles obtained through the project.

Connecticut Clean Cities Future Fuels Project vehicles by type and class.

The graph below gives the number of miles driven by in project vehicles by quarter. Thus far in the project over 20.2 million miles have been driven by these alternative fuel vehicles.

Connecticut Clean Cities Future Fuels Project vehicles cumulative miles driven by quarter.

If you would like to find out more, please visit the project website: http://www.ct-futurefuels.com/index.html. If you are interested in finding out more about what alternative fuels are best for your fleet visit http://www.afdc.energy.gov/.

July 2013 Question of the Month

Question of the Month: What are the key terms to know when discussing natural gas vehicles (NGVs) and their fueling infrastructure?

Enviro Express of Bridgeport, CT build a L/CNG station
where they fuel their natural gas vehicles.

Answer: As with all alternative fuels, it is important to know how to “talk the talk” when it comes to natural gas. Becoming familiar with the terms below will help you better understand NGVs and the associated fueling infrastructure, so that you can ask the right questions and make informed decisions:

Fuel Types

• Compressed Natural Gas (CNG): CNG is one of two forms of natural gas used to power vehicles. CNG is a gaseous fuel stored in a cylinder on the vehicle at a high pressure (see “psi” below). It may be kept in the vehicle cylinder for long periods of time without venting. A CNG vehicle gets about the same fuel economy as a conventional gasoline vehicle on a gasoline gallon equivalent basis (see “GGE” below). CNG is used in light-, medium-, and heavy-duty vehicle applications.

• Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG): LNG is produced by super-cooling natural gas to negative 260°F in order to convert it to a liquid. The fuel is stored in a double-walled, vacuum-sealed pressure vessel. LNG is appropriate for trucks and other heavy-duty applications that require a long range because liquid is more dense than gas (CNG) and more energy can be stored by volume in the vehicle’s tank. LNG stored in a vehicle will increase in temperature and pressure over time and vent; therefore, LNG should be used within a week or two of fueling. 

• Renewable Natural Gas (RNG): Also known as biogas or biomethane, this emerging fuel source is derived from decaying organic materials, such as waste from plants, landfills, wastewater, and livestock. After purification, RNG may be compressed or liquefied to fuel vehicles.

Vehicle Types

The Town of Glastonbury has CNG light duty vehicles
that they fuel at their own CNG station.

• Natural Gas Vehicle (NGV): There are three different types of NGVs available:

• Dedicated Vehicle: Dedicated vehicles are designed to run only on natural gas and are used in both light-duty and heavy-duty applications. In general, dedicated NGVs demonstrate better performance and have lower emissions than bi-fuel vehicles (see below).

• Bi-fuel Vehicle: These vehicles are able to run on either natural gas or gasoline because they have two separate fueling systems. Bi-fuel vehicles are typically light-duty models.

• Dual-fuel Vehicle: These vehicles are traditionally used in heavy-duty applications and have fuel systems that run on natural gas, but use diesel fuel for ignition.

Fuel Measurement and Characteristics

• CNG and LNG may be measured in:

• Gasoline Gallon Equivalents (GGE): A unit of measure that represents the quantity of fuel that contains the same amount of energy as one gallon of gasoline. Measuring fuel in GGEs is a good way of comparing natural gas to gasoline, particularly when looking at fuel price or range. A GGE is equal to about 5.66 pounds of CNG and 1.55 gallons of LNG.  

• Diesel Gallon Equivalent (DGE): A unit of measure that represents the quantity of fuel that contains the same amount of energy as one gallon of diesel. A DGE is equal to about 6.34 pounds of CNG and 1.72 gallons of LNG. 

• CNG is also measured in:

• Cubic feet (ft3): CNG is a gas, so it may be measured by volume. MCF represents 1,000 cubic feet.

• Pounds (lbs.): CNG may also be measured in mass. Approximately 21 cubic feet of CNG equals one pound.

• LNG is also measured in gallons, much like gasoline or diesel.

• Pounds per Square Inch (psi): Psi is a measurement of the CNG pressure when it is stored in a dispenser or vehicle cylinder. CNG is typically stored onboard a vehicle at a pressure of 3,000 to 3,600 psi. The vehicle psi rating is important because it indicates the psi that the fuel system, vehicle cylinder, and the safety hardware are capable of handling safely. 

Station Components

• CNG stations have the following components:

• Compressor: The device used to compress CNG to a high pressure.

• Storage Tank: Once the gas is compressed, the CNG is moved to storage vessel(s) or tank(s) specially designed for the fuel.  

• Temperature Compensation: The temperature of CNG is important because it affects the density and energy per unit volume of the fuel. At higher temperatures, CNG expands and becomes less dense, causing it to contain less energy per unit volume as it would at a lower temperature. The temperature compensation devices ensure that the CNG is delivered to the vehicle at the appropriate temperature. 

• Dispenser: The device used to transfer CNG into a vehicle’s tank. A CNG typically dispenser displays the pressure and temperature at which the tank is being filled and then calculates the amount of fuel being delivered.

• LNG stations also have storage tanks and dispensers, but do not require a compressor or temperature compensation devices.  

CNG Infrastructure Types

• The following are two different types of CNG infrastructure:

• Fast-fill: Drivers fueling their vehicles at a fast-fill station can fill up in approximately the same amount of time as a conventional vehicle at a gasoline or diesel station. This set-up is best suited for retail stations, where vehicles arrive in need of a quick fill, and CNG can be dispensed alongside gasoline or other fuel dispensers. Fast-fill stations receive low-pressure fuel from the local utility line and employ a compressor on site. Once compressed, the CNG is stored at high pressures so it can be delivered quickly to a vehicle. As such, fast-fill stations may have smaller compressors but a larger storage capacity than time-fill stations.

• Time-fill: At a time-fill station, a vehicle may take several minutes to many hours to fill up; the time depends on the number of vehicles fueling, compressor size, and storage. Time-fill stations are typically used for fleets with central refueling locations or private stations that allow vehicles to fill up overnight. Time-fill stations can also work for smaller applications, such as residential fueling infrastructure. The fuel is also drawn from a local utility line into a compressor on site. Time-fill stations may have larger compressors and the vehicles are generally filled directly from the compressor, not from fuel stored in tanks. Time-fill stations have an advantage over fast-fill stations in that their heat of recompression is less so that vehicles at these stations usually get a fuller tank of fuel than with fast-fill.

Additional information on natural gas production and distribution, NGVs, and natural gas infrastructure can be found on the Alternative Fuel Data Center website. The NGVAmerica website also provides a wealth of information on natural gas and NGVs.


Clean Cities Technical Response Service Team
technicalresponse@icfi.com
800-254-6735