3 – 5 plug-ins in one neighborhood could "overwhelm" grid
October 20th, 2009
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A solar-powered Prius
The Toyota Prius is hot in California. So, as they become available, it isn’t hard to imagine some wealthier California neighborhoods sporting multiple plug-in vehicles.
No problem, right? The grid has massive excess capacity, as long as you charge up after midnight.
What happens, however, if a few neighbors with plug-in hybrid vehicles return home from work on a hot summer day and need a quick charge before heading out to run errands?
“You’re going to overwhelm the circuits,” claims Peter Darbee, CEO of Pacific Gas & Electric Corp. in California, “you would create a peak load on top of the peak load.”
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