Policy

IBM is joining a Danish research consortium aimed at developing a smart network for electric vehicles (EVs) powered by renewable energy.

The EDISON (Electric Vehicles in a Distributed and Integrated Market using Sustainable Energy and Open Networks) effort already includes Danish energy companies DONG and Oestkraft, along with the Technical University of Denmark, Siemens, software specialist Eurisco and the Danish Energy Association.

The project, which will be partly funded by the Danish government, will look at the entire end-to-end picture of introducing EVs and powering them from renewable sources, particularly wind.

The consortium will first focus on developing smart technologies that are able to coordinate the charging of EVs with the availability of wind energy.

Prototype systems will be tested on the Danish island of Bornholm, which has a population of 40,000 and is already largely powered by wind. Researchers from IBM Denmark and from the company’s Zurich Research Laboratory will study the impact of increasing numbers of EVs on the energy system, particularly the provision from renewable sources.

IBM will be creating an intelligent management system for the project, says Tim Mondorf of IBM’s energy & environment division. In the longer term, such a system could potentially be rolled out to Denmark as a whole, he adds.

“There is already broad consensus that both wind energy and electric vehicles have enormous potential for a sustainable energy future – bringing the two together promises to be a winning combination,” commented Guido Bartels of IBM’s global energy & utilities division.

Denmark is pushing development in EVs and could see more than 10% of the country’s vehicles being electric or hybrid-electric in coming years.

“EVs are one of the technologies we can use to incorporate renewable energy into transportation,” says Connie Hedegaard, Danish Minister of Climate and Energy. “Projects like EDISON show how it’s possible to create sustainable solutions in real life.”

For further information:
www-03.ibm.com/industries/utilities/us/index.html
www.dongenergy.com/
www.oestkraft.dk/
www.dtu.dk/English.aspx
w1.siemens.com/entry/cc/en/.com
www.eurisco.dk
www.danishenergyassociation.com/

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