Old Westbury, NY – New York Institute of Technology (NYIT), Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) and Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) are partners on a project that will study the use of solar carports, located on NYIT's Old Westbury campus and Central Islip site, in charging electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.

Each NYIT location currently has a solar carport installation, constructed by EmPower CES, that generates up to 10 kilowatts of electric power and can charge several vehicles at the same time. The systems qualified for a LIPA solar rebate of approximately $90,000.

"As more and more Long Islanders purchase electric and hybrid vehicles, LIPA needs to address the impact on LIPA's electric grid," said President and CEO Kevin S. Law. "We are pleased to be partnering with NYIT and EPRI to assess solar as an alternative to charging this technology, the research will better prepare us for the future."

"By employing solar carports to charge electric and hybrid vehicles, NYIT seeks to demonstrate that commuters can reduce their carbon footprint, transportation costs, and dependence on foreign oil," said Director of Business Development Greg Banhazl. "We are happy to partner with LIPA and EPRI to determine the effects of solar charging on the electric grid."

This project will help LIPA understand the impact of electric vehicle technology on the electric system and investigate solar power as one potential technology to charge the vehicles without drawing power from the grid. The project will also investigate the ramifications of vehicle to grid (V2G) charging and its impact on the LIPA distribution grid. V2G charging is when a vehicle battery is used to support the grid by putting power into it rather than drawing power from it.

LIPA and NYIT are exploring the use of solar power to charge electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. Electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles are becoming a popular alternative to conventionally powered vehicles due to their reduced emissions and lower fuel cost. Larger acceptance of this technology could have a significant impact on the Long Island electric grid.

EPRI will assist LIPA and NYIT in the collection and analysis of the data. EPRI is an internationally renowned expert in the electric power industry and has led national efforts over the past decade to promote and develop the use of electric and hybrid-electric vehicles.

The total cost of the project, which includes two Toyota Prius cars, plug in conversions, solar carports and data acquisition equipment was $250,000. In addition to the $90,000 rebate for the two solar systems, LIPA contributed $45,000 through its research and development budget for monitoring and data collection and analysis. The project is also supported by the U.S. Department of Energy and NYIT.

The solar carport installation at NYIT's Old Westbury campus will be open to the public on Saturday, Oct. 3, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., as part of Renewable Energy Long Island's National Solar Tour, a self-guided tour of homes and businesses with solar energy systems and other green building features. For more information, visit www.renewableenergylongisland.org.

 

About LIPA

LIPA, a non-profit municipal electric provider, owns the retail electric Transmission and Distribution System on Long Island and provides electric service to more than 1.1 million customers in Nassau and Suffolk counties and the Rockaway Peninsula in Queens. LIPA is the 2nd largest municipal electric utility in the nation in terms of electric revenues, 3rd largest in terms of customers served and the 7th largest in terms of electricity delivered. In 2006, LIPA outperformed all other overhead electric utilities in New York State in all three major reliability categories. LIPA does not provide natural gas service or own any on-island generating assets. More information about LIPA can be found online at: www.lipower.org, or contact LIPA Media Relations at 516.719.9892.

About EPRI

The Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. (EPRI, www.epri.com) conducts research and development relating to the generation, delivery and use of electricity for the benefit of the public. An independent, nonprofit organization, EPRI brings together its scientists and engineers as well as experts from academia and industry to help address challenges in electricity, including reliability, efficiency, health, safety and the environment. EPRI's members represent more than 90 percent of the electricity generated and delivered in the United States, and international participation extends to 40 countries. EPRI's principal offices and laboratories are located in Palo Alto, Calif.; Charlotte, N.C.; Knoxville, Tenn.; and Lenox, Mass.

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About NYIT

NYIT is the college of choice for more than 15,000 students enrolled in more than 90 specialized courses of study leading to undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees in academic areas such as architecture and design; arts and sciences; education; engineering and computing sciences; health professions; management; and osteopathic medicine. As a private, nonprofit, independent institution of higher learning, NYIT embraces an educational philosophy of career-oriented professional education for all qualified students and supports applications-oriented research to benefit the greater global community. Students attend classes at NYIT's campuses in Manhattan and Long Island, as well as online and in a number of programs throughout the world.

Led by President Edward Guiliano, NYIT is guided by its mission to provide career-oriented professional education, offer access to opportunity to all qualified students, and support applications-oriented research that benefits the larger world. To date, 81,500 graduates have earned degrees from NYIT. For more information, visit nyit.edu.

Bobbie Dell'Aquilo
Office of Communications and Marketing
516.686.7851