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42 SEPTEMBER 2014 • FOOD LOGISTICS www.foodlogistics.com Minimize waste: With electric forklifts, there are no engine, transmission or coolant fluid changes and no need to dispose of used fluids, oil and filters. Furthermore, batteries may be recycled. More than 98 percent of all battery lead is recycled. Reduce noise pollution: An electric forklift does not produce engine noise, allow- ing the operator to hear better for enhanced operation and safety. Increase floor space: With an electric forklift, there is no need for gasoline or propane storage outdoors. Electric charg- ing stations do not present the same hazards that come with storing liquid fuels on-site. Today's new battery charging technologies (i.e., opportunity or fast charging) eliminate battery changing stations and reduce battery inventory, further freeing valuable floor space. Reduce maintenance: Maintenance is the key to efficient forklift operation. Unlike IC forklifts, electric forklifts don't have engines, transmissions or cooling systems. With fewer moving parts, maintenance is significantly reduced. An IC truck costs, on average, 30 to 40 percent more to maintain over its life than electric trucks due to more frequently sched- uled maintenance. Electric forklifts continue to gain in acceptance as they help companies enhance their "green" profiles through reduced emis- sions, energy, fuel usage, waste, noise level, maintenance and floor space. For more infor- mation on converting from an IC fleet to an electric fleet, including an online "IC2E" calculator, visit www.douglasbattery.com/ calculator.aspx. ◆ Brian Faust is the general manager of Douglas Battery, a brand of EnerSys, a provider of stored energy solutions for industrial applications. For more information: DOUGLAS BATTERY , 800-368-4527, douglasbattery.com ELECTRIC POWER RESEARCH INSTITUTE , 650-855-2000, epri.com E NER SYS , 610-236-4040, enersys.com U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY, 202-586-5000, energy.gov EPRI, Utilities, Auto Manufacturers To Create Open Grid Integration Platform For Plug-in Electric Vehicles T he Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), eight automak- ers and 15 utilities are working to develop and demonstrate an open platform that would integrate plug-in electric vehicles (PEV) with smart grid technologies enabling utilities to support PEV charging regardless of location. The platform will allow manufactur- ers to offer a customer-friendly interface through which PEV drivers can more easily participate in utility PEV programs, such as rates for off-peak or nighttime charging, according to EPRI. The portal for the system would be a utility's com- munications system and an electric vehicle's telematics system. As the electric grid evolves with smarter functionality, electric vehicles can serve as a distributed energy resource to support grid reliability, stability and efficiency. With more than 225,000 plug-in vehicles on U.S. roads – and their numbers growing – they are likely to play a significant role in electric- ity demand side management. The platform enables integration across multiple communication path- ways, such as automated metering infrastructure, home area networks, building energy management systems and third party entities that aggregate energy management services for com- mercial and industrial power customers. Researchers anticipate that grid oper- ators in the future may call on electric vehicles to contribute to grid reliability by balancing solar and wind generation, mitigating demand charges and provid- ing ancillary services such as frequency regulation and voltage support. Utilities and regional transmission organizations participating and support- ing in the software and hardware devel- opment and demonstration include DTE Energy Co., Duke Energy, PJM Inter- connection LLC, CenterPoint Energy, Inc., Southern Co., Northeast Utilities, Southern California Edison, Pacific Gas & Electric Co., San Diego Gas & Electric, Commonwealth Edison, TVA, Manitoba Hydro, Austin Energy, Con Edison and CPS Energy. Auto manufacturers are American Honda Motor Co., BMW Group, Chrysler Group LLC, Ford Motor Co., General Motors Co., Mercedes-Benz Research & Development North America, Inc., Mitsubishi Motors Corp. and Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc. "A key aspect of the platform's ben- efits will be giving customers flexibility and choices," says Dan Bowermaster, EPRI manager of electric transportation. "It can help the PEV customer determine the value of using their parked vehicle as a grid resource, and help the industry develop a convenient, user-friendly customer interface. We see this as the foundation for future developments to integrate PEVs with the grid." Additionally, it could increase service reliability to customers by helping to mitigate the impact of strain on the grid during peak periods and could contribute to curbing greenhouse gas emissions. Utilities might benefit by bet- ter managing their loads and avoiding upgrades to infrastructure – savings that can be passed onto utility customers. Sumitomo Electric will develop the core platform technology on the first phase of the project. This software platform aligns with the Vehicle Grid Integration Roadmap Initiative of the California Public Utili- ties Commission and the California Independent System Operator, as well as conforming with standards set by IEEE, IEC/ISO, and SAE, and Open ADR Alliance, making it globally applicable. Jan 2001 Jan 2002 Jan 2003 Jan 2004 Jan 2005 Jan 2006 Jan 2007 Jan 2008 Jan 2009 Jan 2010 Jan 2011 Jan 2012 Feb 2013 5.00 4.00 3.00 2.00 1.00 PRICE (USD) Gasoline vs. eGallon Prices 2001 - Present GAS PRICE EGALLON PRICE Douglas_Group_Shot