Environment

GM is launching a new business to connect homes and businesses with EV chargers, energy storage

Published

2 years ago

October 11, 2022

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Electric Chevrolet Silverado shown at the New York Auto Show, April, 2022.

Scott Mlyn | CNBC

General Motors on Tuesday said that it is forming a new business unit to offer stationary battery packs, solar panels, electric vehicle chargers and other energy-management products for homes and businesses.

The new unit, called GM Energy, aims to build on the battery and software expertise that GM has amassed in recent years to develop a new line of electric vehicles that will, in time, replace its internal-combustion offerings.

GM Energy will offer products and services for what the company calls “energy management,” including hardware such as batteries and solar panels as well as hydrogen fuel cells and — importantly — cloud-based software that can link these offerings with electric vehicles and utility companies. The products, some of which will be provided by partners, can be tailored for individual homeowners as well as businesses, including companies operating fleets of electric vehicles.

The commercial operations are already underway, while home energy systems will be available starting next year as the 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV goes on sale.

The goal of GM Energy is twofold: assist the automaker in controlling the customer experience when they purchase a new EV, and create a sustainable business as GM attempts to double annual revenue to $280 billion by the end of this decade.

Travis Hester, vice president of GM’s EV growth operations, said the new business unit offers customers and energy grids “resiliency.”

“If you have a sudden unexpected power outage, then you can use your vehicle or your stationary storage box to be able to power your home or small business,” he said. And the batteries can feed energy back into a regional power grid during a heat wave or other event.

GM isn’t first into this space. Most notably, Tesla has offered charging, solar and energy storage for several years. There are also more traditional competitors such as Generac. Ford Motor is also entering the space.

The total addressable market of products and services being targeted by GM Energy is between $125 billion and $250 billion, according to Hester. He told CNBC that growing concerns about the U.S. power grid make this a timely offering.

Hester said that GM Energy has already signed up a series of partners that will help it deliver products and services and integrate its offerings into the grid. Those partners include solar giant SunPower, which will install GM’s home systems and provide solar panels, and regional utility companies including Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) and Con Edison.

“It was really important to us that when we launched this that it was not a plan for the future, but actually something we’re doing right now,” Hester said, adding more partnerships will be announced soon.

PG&E is working with GM Energy on a pilot test of a “bi-directional charger,” which allows an EV to provide power to a home during a blackout. The EVs charge at night when rates are low and potentially provide energy back to the grid during peak hours.

“The business fundamentals behind this are very solid,” Hester said, adding that energy management can save commercial customers hundreds of thousands of dollars a year and provide additional savings, if not income, for consumers.

The companies expect to begin making that charger available to PG&E customers next year.

Ford Motor has a similar deal with PG&E for its electric F-150 Lightning. It also has partnered with Sunrun as a preferred installer of home energy systems. Installations of those systems began earlier this year.

Environment

Loren McDonald stops by Quick Charge to discuss EV charging, Paren, and more

Published

9 hours ago

November 14, 2024

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Loren McDonald stops by Quick Charge to discuss EV charging, Paren, and more

Leading electric vehicle analyst, author, and industry thought leaders Loren McDonald and Bill Ferro stop by Quick Charge to discuss EV Adoption’s acquisition by Paren, the “crisis” of EV charging reliability, and the real state of the EV market.

Depending on who you listen, EVs are either driving brands to record growth and are about cross that critical 10% of the overall market nationwide, or the future is bleak, the market is down, and EVs just aren’t selling. What’s really going on? Loren and Bill (probably) have some answers.

Today’s episode is sponsored by BLUETTI, a leading provider of portable power stations, solar generators, and energy storage systems. For a limited time, save up to 52% during BLUETTI’s exclusive Black Friday sale, now through November 28, and be sure to use promo code BLUETTI5OFF for 5% off all power stations site wide. Click here to learn more.

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Environment

Chevy EV owners in Texas now get free overnight home charging with Reliant

Published

11 hours ago

November 14, 2024

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Chevy EV owners in Texas now get free overnight home charging with Reliant

Chevy EV Texas Reliant — Chevy Blazer EV (left), Chevy Equinox EV (middle) Chevy Silverado EV (right) (Source: GM)

Chevy EV owners in Texas who have Reliant as their electric utility can now charge for free at night with renewable energy.

Over 150 Chevrolet dealerships across Texas are now offering the Reliant Free Charge Nights plan to new EV buyers. With Free Charge Nights, customers can offset their charging costs by receiving credits for electricity used between 11 pm and 6 am. The plan is powered entirely by renewable energy, thanks to the purchase of renewable energy certificates (RECs).

Rasesh Patel, president of NRG Consumer, says the plan is about making power personal: “We’re excited to help Chevrolet EV drivers offset the cost of charging their vehicle all while having access to a renewable electricity plan.”

This collaboration aims to make EV adoption more appealing by making charging cheaper and greener. GM Energy’s chief revenue officer, Aseem Kapur, emphasized that partnerships like this help build the ecosystem needed to support an all-electric future: “The Reliant Free Charge Nights plan is a great example of how an automaker and an energy company can work together to make EV adoption an easy decision.”

Existing Reliant customers can also sign up for the Free Charge Nights plan. To get started, Chevrolet EV owners need to designate their vehicle on the GM Energy Smart Charging Portal before enrolling in the plan.

Reliant Energy, a subsidiary of NRG Energy, serves over 1.5 million customers in Texas, making it one of the largest electricity providers in the state.

If you live in an area that has frequent natural disaster events, and are interested in making your home more resilient to power outages, consider going solar and adding a battery storage system. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. They have hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.

Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisers to help you every step of the way. Get started here. –trusted affiliate link*

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Environment

Texas to get 1 GW AI-powered virtual power plant, enough to power 200,000 homes

Published

13 hours ago

November 13, 2024

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Texas to get 1 GW AI-powered virtual power plant, enough to power 200,000 homes

Texas is about to get a major power boost – a new AI-powered virtual power plant (VPP) delivering capacity equivalent to 200,000 homes during peak demand.

NRG Energy is teaming up with Renew Home to bring nearly 1 gigawatt (GW) of capacity to the Texas grid by 2035, aiming to make it more resilient while helping residents save on energy costs.

The new VPP will rely on hundreds of thousands of smart thermostats and other connected home devices, making use of AI technology provided by Google Cloud. These devices, like Vivint and Nest smart thermostats, will be offered to eligible customers at no cost. By automating HVAC adjustments, they help shift energy use to when electricity is cheaper, cleaner, and less strained.

NRG and Renew Home have big plans for the VPP. Starting in spring 2025, the companies plan to roll out the program across Texas, installing these smart thermostats in homes served by NRG’s retail electricity providers. Eventually, they plan to add home battery storage and EVs to expand the power plant’s capabilities.

Texas has faced record-breaking energy demands, with peak usage hitting 85 GW in 2023. As the state’s population grows and extreme weather becomes more frequent, VPPs like this one could play a key role in stabilizing the grid. VPPs aggregate a lot of small-scale energy resources, from smart thermostats to home batteries, and use them to help balance supply and demand during times of high stress on the grid.

This nearly 1 GW VPP will be one of the largest of its kind in Texas. NRG’s president of consumer operations, Rasesh Patel, calls it a “pivotal step” for improving customer experience while making Texas’ energy infrastructure more sustainable and resilient.

In addition to Renew Home, NRG is working with Google Cloud to maximize the power plant’s effectiveness. Google Cloud’s AI and analytics tools will help predict weather conditions, forecast renewable generation, and optimize energy usage, all of which will help make energy management smoother for both customers and the grid.

Ben Brown, CEO of Renew Home, said:

NRG’s commitment to creating a more resilient and sustainable energy future while also making electricity bills more affordable makes them an ideal partner for co-developing this unique VPP program.

This initiative raises the bar for future-proofing our electricity infrastructure and delivering cost savings to customers.

Read: Chinese solar giant Trina sells its Texas factory a week after it opens

To limit power outages and make your home more resilient, consider going solar with a battery storage system. In order to find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. They have hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and you share your phone number with them.

Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisers to help you every step of the way. Get started here. –trusted affiliate link*

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