AKgrampy
Well-Known Member
- First Name
- Mike
- Joined
- Jan 29, 2022
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- Fairbanks, Alaska
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Perhaps DCFC is not really needed in rural areas with no 3 phase power. Single phase lines can be long but normally not that long of a distance from a three phase source. We have some long distances here in Alaska but in general there is three phase power less than 50 miles from the end of a single phase line. DCFC will just need to be sited in these areas. Also a rural area could limit their DCFC to a smaller 50 kW version versus the higher kW units proposed for highway systems and urban areas. As many have stated one-size does not fit all. Utilities already use remote control for demand side management and there may be a way to work with manufactures to allow rural utilities to reduce power of a DCFC during peak loads. In that way the demand charge may be able to be reduced for that specific installation. There are benefits to live in a rural setting and there are also some challenges.big problem facing small utilities and suburban/rural areas for charging infrastructure is both the lack of 3-phase power, backlog and cost of obtaining/installing dedicated 500kva transformers, and load management.... having 150kw-600kw come on and off the line is difficult to manage for rural lines that don't have a whole lot of capacity.
Their rate structures have been developed to cover the costs by billing 'demand charges' based on peak loads, PLUS 'energy charges' for what is actually consumed. If a one-handle charge station is installed with max charge rate of 150kw, the demand charge of $25/kw (average from what I've seen) means the bill for the charge station is $3750 per month before you even sell one charge. Energy charges at commercial rates are probaably around $.06 off peak, but jump up closer to $0.20/kwhr during peak in most areas I've looked at, plus $50/mo service charge.
in a rural area, lets say you sell an average of one 50kwhr charge per day and $.40/kwhr. your gross revenue would be around $600/mo.... if you can adjust rate on the fly to charge more during peak. Then you have to take some percentage out for O&M, and billing admininstration/networking
you cost to operate this scenerio under typical commercial rate classes with demand charges would be $3750 + $90 + $50 = $3890
..... so, clearly a losing proposition unless you can lower/eliminate/change the demand charge which many small utilities simply can't figure out how to absorb unless they pass the infrastructure costs on to the owner/operator of the charge stations... which makes the initial cost high, and again makes the project unprofitable.
THESE are the challanges with 'rural' DCFC
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