Coulomb & GridPoint Unveil First Smart Grid Enabled Smart Charging Stations For Electric Vehicles
GridPoint, Inc. and Coulomb Technologies unveiled what they describe as the first ever smart grid enabled smart charging stations for electric vehicles. The integrated solution using Coulomb’s ChargePoint™ Networked Charging Stations for plug-in electric vehicles and GridPoint’s smart charging software application extends municipalities and utilities ability to manage vehicle-charging load.
Utilities and municipalities will now have a networked infrastructure solution that easily and rapidly adapts to critical grid events while prioritizing the need to provide fuel for electric vehicles. In times of peak demand or during critical grid events, utilities are able to utilize public charging infrastructure to manage the electricity load. Demand response events can be dispatched system-wide or targeted to specific locations within the distribution system.
"This announcement brings significant benefits and advances the EV infrastructure," said Richard Lowenthal, CEO of Coulomb Technologies. "Coulomb’s charging stations are first to market with a smart grid integration that is effortless for drivers and responsive to the needs of the grid. GridPoint is extending the proven smart charging capabilities of the ChargePointSM Network and this integrated solution now provides a single solution to adaptively manage the flow of energy to vehicles and charging stations."
"For over two years, GridPoint software has been used by utilities to dynamically dispatch plug-in vehicle charging load in response to real-time grid conditions. Our work with Austin Energy, Seattle City Light, Duke Energy and others has provided the smart charging expertise that we are happy to extend to EVSE charging infrastructure in readiness for the arrival of the next generation of vehicles," said John Clark, Electric Vehicle Management, GridPoint.
Coulomb Technologies charging stations are used in municipalities, utilities, green office buildings and parking garages and to allow consumers to charge their electric vehicles wherever they live, work and shop. Consumers subscribe to the ChargePoint Network and receive a ChargePoint Smart Card that allows them to charge their car at any charging station worldwide.
