Garages are Getting Smart

When I talk to people about installing solar panels on their roofs in order to generate their own electricity, there is always a point in the conversation when their eyes light up and they say, "Then MLGW would owe ME money!"

I've covered why solar panels aren't really an economically sound option for Memphians right now, but there's a chance that just by driving a car MLGW could someday owe you money.

Yep, you heard me.

The Smart Garage is an idea developed by the Rocky Mountain Institute. It's a sweeping concept about the seamless integration of vehicles, homes, and offices via the electric power grid.

Now, when you picture your smart garage, be sure to picture an electric vehicle. Utilities sell a disproportional amount of their power on hot summer afternoons. At night, business plummets. “Night-charging” vehicles, therefore, could be a money maker for utilities.



Not only will you plug in your car to juice it up, but you'll also plug it in to drain it. By some estimates, a battery-electric vehicle, with about 40 kilowatt-hours of usable energy, could power an entire residential block for over an hour if necessary. On hot summer afternoons, electricity is extremely high demand. Electric car owners could let their batteries drain onto the grid during the day, then drive home from work on gasoline and receive a credit on their electricity bill.

It could happen...