The government is encouraging Canadians to switch to EVs and heat pumps to fight climate change. But many CBC News readers have asked: won’t electrifying everything break the grid and drive up energy costs? Here’s what electricity operators and those researching the transition say.
The car charging argument is so stupid… Cars typically charge at night, when demand is usually lowest. If you need to charge when demand is high, you’ll simply pay a higher price for power – which will still be a fraction of what gas costs.
When car-to-home smart grid solutions roll out, there will be even less of an issue – the grid will feed into your car overnight to charge it up to 80-90%, then ‘borrow’ back 10-15% when it’s most needed (5am-6am in the winters when it’s coldest, 5pm-6pm in the summer when it’s warmest). Add in solar roofs and in-home battery storage, and it smooths out the demand.
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The car charging argument is so stupid… Cars typically charge at night, when demand is usually lowest. If you need to charge when demand is high, you’ll simply pay a higher price for power – which will still be a fraction of what gas costs.
When car-to-home smart grid solutions roll out, there will be even less of an issue – the grid will feed into your car overnight to charge it up to 80-90%, then ‘borrow’ back 10-15% when it’s most needed (5am-6am in the winters when it’s coldest, 5pm-6pm in the summer when it’s warmest). Add in solar roofs and in-home battery storage, and it smooths out the demand.