ISE Faculty Candidate Seminar | Addressing Barriers to the Adoption of Electric Vehicles and the Management of Vehicle-to-Grid Integration
1971 Neil Avenue
210E Baker Systems
Columbus, OH 43210
United States
Seminar by Ona Egbue, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Informatics and Engineering Systems
University of South Carolina Upstate
The long-term goal of nearly all vehicle manufacturers includes the development of alternative fuel vehicles that can displace conventional gasoline and diesel vehicles. One way to accomplish this goal is through the deployment of electric vehicles due to their efficiency and their potential to reduce CO2 emissions, energy dependence and transportation costs. As a result, electric vehicles, including hybrid electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and battery electric vehicles, are increasingly gaining popularity. Despite the benefits of electric vehicles, some barriers related to widespread adoption need to be addressed. During this presentation, a study on the analysis of consumer attitudes and perceptions related to electric vehicles will be discussed. In addition, research aimed at developing optimization mechanisms to reduce potential problems to the power grid caused by large-scale deployment of plug-in electric vehicles by intelligently managing vehicle loads in a vehicle-to-grid system will be presented. By optimally scheduling the charging and discharging of these vehicles, they can be transformed from traditional loads to offer potential benefits to the grid. Results of this study can inform engineering decisions to incorporate consumer preferences into the design of electric vehicles and services. In addition, the results can be used for planning and managing future vehicle-to-grid systems particularly in applications where centralized control is needed for system operation.
Ona Egbue is an Associate Professor in the Department of Informatics and Engineering Systems at the University of South Carolina Upstate. She received her PhD in Engineering Management from Missouri University of Science and Technology. She holds a master’s degree in Earth and Environmental Resources Management from the University of South Carolina and a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Electrical/Electronics Engineering from Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Nigeria. Her research interests include technology adoption, modeling and analysis of energy and transportation systems, and socio-technical system analysis.