IoTecha’s Intelligent Power Platform (IoT.ON™) is a powerful cloud-based tool enabling charger manufacturers and charge point operators (CPOs) to significantly reduce charger downtime and monitor charger status and performance.
IoT.ON™ consists of valuable offerings for both Cloud and Edge.
IoT.ON™ Cloud offers Vehicle Grid Integration (VGI) and intelligent charging orchestration services. IoTecha leverages its unique Combined Charging System on Module (CCSoM) devices to collect vital operational data that IoT.ON™ uses to deliver easy to use and intuitive visualizations, as well as provide operational insights based on a wide range of analytics, while improving ROI.
IoT.ON™ Edge is the on-premises Smart Charging Manager that offers EVs demand-aware load sharing and load optimization. It has the capability to leverage IoT.ON™ cloud-based optimization algorithms or it can act autonomously in collaboration with the local BMS using available and forecasted load curve information.
IoT.ON™ capabilities include:
- Plug and Charge (or Plug & Charge)
- Remote firmware updates
- Continuous monitoring with advanced analytics
- Fleet charging and Multi-dwelling charging
- Power flow management
- Topology-Aware Energy Management™
- Vehicle Grid Integration (VGI) functions
- V2G / bidirectional charging, which enables power transfer from the EV back to the premises and grid
The IoT.ON™ platform also enables intelligent grid integration services that can potentially generate additional income for charger owners and operators.
Vehicle Grid Integration (VGI) involves modifying when and at what power level grid-connected electric vehicles charge or discharge to provide benefits or services to the grid, the EV driver, the charging site host, and to our planet.
Vehicle-to-grid (V2G), or bi-directional charging technology, can transform Electric Vehicles into energy storage assets for utilities, helping them balance the grid at times of peak demand. IoTecha’s V2G technology enables energy to be pushed back to the local battery storage or to the power grid from the battery of an electric car. With V2G technology, a car battery can be charged and discharged based on different signals — such as energy production or consumption nearby. V2G can also be a source of revenue for the EV owner.
The idea behind V2G is an important complement to regular smart charging. Smart charging, also known as V1G charging, enables us to control the charging of electric cars in a way that allows the charging power to be increased and decreased when needed. V2G goes one step further, and enables the charged power to also be pushed back to the grid from car batteries to balance variations in energy production and consumption, and to take advantage of electricity price fluctuations.
V2G is also referred to as bidirectional charging. Essentially, bidirectional charging allows your car to double as a moving battery pack. The electricity that is transferred into your car is no longer confined to your vehicle until it is used. Excess electricity can be stored in your car and then transferred back into your home when it is needed.
Over time, V2G or bidirectional charging is expected to become more prevalent and can create revenue opportunities for electric vehicle fleets, such as taxis, or for owners of electric cars by selling energy back to the grid.
As renewable energy penetration increases, the complexity of grid management increases due to volatile climatic factors, system noise, line losses, and behind-the-meter activities. While much BTM optimization research has focused on the reduction of household energy costs, there is also significant potential for aggregations of prosuming households – those who both consume and produce the energy – to be enlisted in managing the network.