“The SFT Conference this year gave fleet and transportation experts a valuable platform to explore cutting-edge vehicle technologies, as well as tools and resources tailored to enhance efficiency and emissions reduction,” said Heather Brutz, Director of the Clean Transportation program at NCCETC.
In its seventh year, the annual SFT Conference returned to the Raleigh Convention Center where the inaugural conference was held in 2017. The Raleigh Convention Center’s large exhibit halls were the perfect space to display all of the heavy, medium, and light-duty vehicles in addition to transportation and charging technologies for attendees to explore during expo hall hours.
The exhibit hall was brimming with exhibitors for the 2023 conference including AssetWorks; Alliance Autogas; Kempower; Southeast Propane Alliance; Propane Education & Research Council; Centralina Clean Fuels Coalition; Land of Sky Clean Vehicles Coalition; Triangle Clean Cities Coalition; Lightning eMotors; Advanced Energy; DC-America; Daimler Truck NA/Thomas Built Buses/Freightliner Custom Chassis; North Carolina Department of Transportation; Piedmont Natural Gas; Verizon Connect; Pakistan Smart Energy; ZEVX Inc.; Guardian Fueling Technologies; bp pulse; Revels Turf & Tractor Co.; Forward Thinking Systems, LLC; Atom Power; Sourcewell; NAFA Fleet Management Association; Pioneer Power e-Mobility Solutions; Viatec; The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company; ROUSH CleanTech; Faster Asset Solutions; Webasto Charging Systems, Inc.; and PortFi.
Pictured: Attendees gathered around a display of Viatec’s flagship electric power take-off (ePTO) product, SmartPTO, which can be retrofitted to fleet vehicles and provides the benefits of enhanced safety, reduced maintenance, lower cost of ownership, and social responsibility for electric utility providers.
Pictured: The industry’s first and only production all-electric bucket truck which debuted last year thanks to a unique collaboration between Viatec, Terex and Navistar/International Trucks.
Pictured: Pioneer Power Mobility’s e-Boost mobile electric vehicle (EV) fast charging solution plugged into a Volvo’s first all electric crossover C40 Recharge.
Pictured: The City of Durham’s Mach-E and City of Charlotte’s Ford F150 and Mach-E fleet vehicles.
Pictured: Ryan Krogh, Manager of Production System Solutions at John Deere, delivered the opening keynote, From Products to Solutions: The Next Phase of Technology.
Pictured: The keynote plenary, From Good Ideas to Success Stories, featured a panel moderated by Leigh Shamblin, Director of Leadership and Professor of Practice for NC State University Poole College of Management and also included Jamie Cooke, Chief Operating Officer for the Department of Generals Services in Montgomery County, Maryland; Al Curtis, Fleet Services Director for Cobb County, Georgia; and Rick Longobart, Fleet Operations Manager for the City of Raleigh, North Carolina.
Pictured: Ameya Joshi from Corning, Inc. was on the panel for the Advancements in Medium/Heavy Duty Vehicles and Infrastructure keynote plenary along with Rick Sapienza from NCCETC, Mark Childers from Thomas Built Buses, Stuart Weidie from Alliance AutoGas, Jennifer Weaver from Clean Fuels Alliance America, and Marcus Suvanto from Kempower.
Pictured: The final keynote plenary, Advancements in Light Duty Vehicles and Infrastructure, was moderated by Heather Brutz of NCCETC. She was joined by Brian Bradford, Chief Commercial Officer of Jule Power; Bob Glaser, President of the North Carolina Automobile Dealers Association; Ryan Kennedy, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Atom Power; and Chris Thomas, Government Sales Manager at Stellantis.
The 2023 SFT Conference offered 12 breakout sessions across three tracks related to Funding and Planning, Vehicle Technologies, and Fueling and Charging Infrastructure. Pictures from several breakout sessions can be seen below.
The NCCETC hosts the annual Sustainable Fleet Technology Conference as part of its mission to advance a sustainable energy economy by educating, demonstrating and providing support for clean energy technologies, practices and policies.
PowerPoint presentations will be available in the coming weeks at www.SustainableFleetExpo.com. Stay tuned for next year’s conference dates. Don’t miss out on future updates for the 2024 Sustainable Fleet Technology Conference – sign up for the clean transportation newsletter now!
The North Carolina Clean Energy Technology Center (NCCETC) at NC State University has released a new resource for both commercial and public sector customers interested in purchasing an electric vehicle or installing a charging station.
The new guidance document – Electric Vehicles & Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment Incentives in North Carolina – will help customers navigate the variety of direct financial incentives for electric vehicles (EVs) and supporting EV infrastructure and planning offered throughout North Carolina. Incentives are available through federal, state, regional and electric utility funded programs.
Heather Brutz, Director of the Clean Transportation program at NCCETC, is seeing a frenzy to electrify in both the commercial and public sectors of the transportation industry. “We are seeing light-duty electric vehicle ownership skyrocket and medium duty and heavy duty vehicles are following close behind,” Brutz said.
With a burgeoning EV market, transportation electrification has gained significant momentum and is leading the way towards an emissions-free future. North Carolina, along with the rest of the United States, is poised to make substantial advancements in the development and adoption of clean transportation technologies in order to affirm the state’s commitment to reducing statewide greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and drive the adoption of zero emission vehicles (ZEVs).
The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) released a statewide GHG inventory in 2018 which found that North Carolina’s transportation sector contributed almost 36% of the state’s total greenhouse gas emissions. NCDOT states reducing GHG emissions in the transportation sector is a critical component of the state’s strategy, and the department has been working with stakeholders to develop plans and strategies to reduce transportation emissions.
On Oct. 29, 2018, Gov. Roy Cooper signed into law Executive Order No. 80 (EO 80), “North Carolina’s Commitment to Address Climate Change and Transition to a Clean Energy Economy.” EO 80 calls to reduce greenhouse gas emission to 40 percent below 2005 levels by 2025.
In January 2022, Gov. Cooper signed Executive Order 246 (EO 246), “North Carolina’s Transformation to a Clean, Equitable Economy.” EO 246 builds upon EO 80 and calls for a 50 percent reduction in economy-wide greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. It also sets a transportation-specific goal to increase the total number of registered zero-emission vehicles to at least 1,250,000 by 2030 and increase the sale of zero-emission vehicles so that 50 percent of all in-state vehicle sales are zero-emission by 2030.
The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022 is the most significant action Congress has taken on clean energy and climate change in the nation’s history. The bill includes $370 billion in investments committed to building a new clean energy economy through a combination of grants, loans, rebates, incentives and other investments.
The IRA makes several changes to the tax credit provided for qualified plug-in electric drive motor vehicles, including adding fuel cell vehicles to the tax credit. The IRA also added a new credit for previously owned clean vehicles.
Legal and regulatory barriers can affect the pace of EV technology adoption and deployment, but clear policy goals can both provide market certainty and help accelerate deployment. Incentive programs are driving demand higher across the nation, resulting in an increase in EV adoption as electric and hybrid vehicles move past early adoption and into mainstream use.
Drivers who purchase EVs are eligible for tax credits and incentives for making the green choice. Some all-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles purchased new are eligible for a federal income tax credit of up to $7,500. In North Carolina and many other states, qualified EVs may use HOV or carpool lanes, regardless of the number of occupants, allowing them to bypass high congestion traffic areas.
If you place in service a new plug-in electric vehicle (EV) or fuel cell vehicle (FCV) in 2023 or after, you may qualify for a clean vehicle tax credit. Find information on credits from the IRS for used clean vehicles, qualified commercial clean vehicles, and new plug-in EVs purchased before 2023. The IRS has also released a fact sheet with frequently asked questions related to new, previously owned and qualified commercial clean vehicle credits.
Visit the Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency (DSIRE) to learn more about federal, state and utility policies and incentives to assist with upfront costs of electric vehicles and electric vehicle supply equipment. Maintained and operated by the NCCETC, DSIRE is the most comprehensive source of information on clean energy related policies and incentives in the United States with summaries of more than 2,600 incentives and policies.
The North Carolina Clean Energy Technology Center (NCCETC) at NC State University is celebrating its 35th anniversary in 2023. The NCCETC has dedicated more than three decades to advancing a sustainable energy economy by educating, demonstrating and providing support for clean energy technologies, practices, and policies.
Founded in December 1987 as the North Carolina Solar Center, NCCETC was first established through a partnership among the state government of North Carolina, NC State University, and the solar industry with sponsorship from the Energy Division of the NC Department of Commerce (now known as the State Energy Office). The North Carolina Solar Center was created to meet the need for a central clearinghouse that could assist the state’s citizens, businesses, and institutions in using solar energy.
Over the years, NCCETC’s focus expanded into a broader array of renewable energy resources, alternative transportation technologies, clean power technologies and industrial energy efficiency. In 2003, environmental leaders from across North Carolina gathered to dedicate an Alternative Fuels Vehicle (AFV) Demonstration Facility while celebrating the 15th anniversary of NCCETC. The AFV Facility served as a research and education facility for a variety of alternative fuels, adding clean transportation to NCCETC’s outreach, education and research activities.
Clean transportation is one of the primary programmatic areas of focus for NCCETC today. Working with government, non-profit organizations and businesses, NCCETC is helping diversify fuel supplies and support clean, more vibrant local and state economies with the ultimate goal of cleaner air and greater energy diversity.
Anne Tazewell joined NCCETC in July 2004 and shortly thereafter established the Clean Transportation program before successfully obtaining funding for the Clean Fuel Advanced Technology (CFAT) project. Tazewell remained at NCCETC for 17 years before she retired in 2021. “I quickly fell in love with the idea of public service and working with others to serve the greater good,” said Tazewell.
To move forward this mission, Tazewell secured regional Congestion Mitigation Air Quality (CMAQ) funding to open the state’s first publicly accessible biodiesel service station in Garner, NC. In 2006 and 2009, NCCETC was awarded a total of $2.6 million in CMAQ funding from the NC Department of Transportation and Federal Highway Administration to reduce transportation related emissions in North Carolina counties that do not meet national air quality standards.
The NC Division of Air Quality and State Energy Office also contributed $200,000 each to support the CFAT project. The three million dollar project encompasses three broad areas: education and outreach, recognition of exemplary activities, and direct project funding. From 2006 through 2019, NCCETC has provided $11.9 million in federal funds to help private and public fleets in North Carolina purchase clean transportation technologies to improve the state’s air quality.
In 2020, Tazewell efforts were recognized with the Lifetime Achievement Award by the NC Sustainable Energy Association for being a tireless champion of clean air and clean energy. Tazewell explained she first entered into clean energy to express her passion for reducing oil dependence. Before joining NCCETC, she worked at the Triangle J Council of Governments where she saw the power of public and private partnerships for advancing affordable domestic transportation fuels, energy efficient mobility systems, and other fuel-saving technologies.
One key project completed during Tazewell’s tenure was the tracking and compliance on behalf of the state of the Petroleum Displacement Plan (PDP) Provision, mandated by the NC General Assembly. Implementation of the PDP requirement in fiscal year 2010-2011 has resulted in a 16% reduction in petroleum use by state fleet vehicles as compared to the baseline of fuel use established in fiscal year 2004-2005, through the use of alternative fuels, efficient vehicles and other policies and practices that conserve fuel.
Providing Technical Assistance & Fleet Education
NCCETC engages with government entities and employees through a variety of ways including holding Clean Transportation Demonstration Days where attendees come from across North Carolina to gain education and experience with clean transportation technologies. The Clean Transportation team hosted two Clean Transportation Demonstration Days this year in April – one in Garner and one in Jacksonville, North Carolina – where hundreds of attendees were able to hear about real-world case study results, experience hands-on static review of technologies, network and participate in a closed-course ride and drive.
Clean Transportation Demonstration Days start with classroom instruction before the ride and drive begins. This year, speakers from Alliance Autogas, Potter EV, Cenntro, Cary Cartco, Pioneer eMobility and Electrify EVSE presented on topics such as telematics, safety, idle reduction technologies, vehicle electrification, and other strategies that improve fleet sustainability. Following classroom instruction, attendees explored a diverse display of vehicles and alternative fuel technologies such as electric and alt-fuel vehicles, buses, police vehicles, utility vehicles, charging equipment and more.
Currently, the clean transportation team is hosting webinars through the Sustainable Fleet Technology Webinar Series, a collaborative partnership with NAFA Fleet Management Association and The 100 Best Fleets, to share the best practices and information on the latest fleet technologies.
In 2014, the Center held the Southeast Alternative Fuels Conference. In 2017 the conference was renamed the Sustainable Fleet Technology (SFT) Conference & Expo was held to expand education, training, and networking on advanced clean transportation technologies. The event has been hosted every year since (even going virtual for two years during the pandemic).
Registration for the 2023 Sustainable Fleet Technology Conference & Expo is open now! Join us on August 14-16, 2023 in Raleigh, North Carolina. Come and learn from your peers and experts. Or, join us and share your expertise – opportunities to sponsor, exhibit, and display vehicles are still available.
The 2023 SFT Conference will feature keynote presentations, 50+ panelists, breakout sessions in 3 conference tracks, indoor vehicle/equipment display and plenty of networking opportunities to engage with more than 350 other registered attendees. Attendees will be able to attend 4 breakout sessions where they can choose the session that best fits their needs or interests across 3 conference tracks:
A. Funding & Planning
Federal Funding Sources
Data for Sustainability and Success
Innovative Funding
Training for Success
B. Vehicle Technologies
New Horizons: AI and Autonomous Vehicles
Sustainable Trucking Solutions
Advancements in Engines, Powertrains, and Batteries
Off-Road Equipment
C. Fueling & Charging Infrastructure
Longer-Term Planning for Infrastructure Deployment
GRANT FUNDING TO IMPROVE AIR QUALITY & ACCELERATE FLEET SUSTAINABILITY
The Transportation sector represents the largest contributor to North Carolina’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions according to a statewide inventory of GHG emissions produced by the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Air Quality (DAQ). The Transportation sector represents about 36% of all GHG emissions with onroad light-duty gasoline vehicles representing 72% of Transportation sector GHG emissions in 2018, while on road medium/heavy-duty diesel vehicles are the next largest contributor at 16%.
Emissions from the Transportation sector decreased by an estimated 3% from 2005 to 2018 in North Carolina according to the DAQ. The fact that on road vehicle GHG emissions decreased while vehicle-miles traveled increased over this period demonstrates the effectiveness of vehicle fuel efficiency improvements. The Clean Fuel Advanced Technology (CFAT) supported a diverse set of projects that included truck stop electrification and supporting the use of electric motorcycles for a municipal police patrol as well as propane powered delivery vehicles and electric vehicle charging stations.
Other types of projects funded by CFAT has included infrastructure projects such as fueling stations and electric vehicle charging stations, purchasing alternative fuel and electric vehicles, diesel and propane retrofits, idle reduction systems, and more. See link HERE for a list of projects supported by the CFAT project.
“The CFAT project aims to promote and accelerate the adoption of new clean transportation technologies,” said Heather Brutz, Director of the Clean Transportation program at NCCETC.
Propelling Public Education on Clean Transportation Technologies
The initial CFAT project started by Tazewell also included education and outreach activities that included billboards, workshops and conferences that continue today with Ride & Drive and Vehicle Displays for a variety of audiences to provide an opportunity for attendees to learn more about clean transportation technologies including electric vehicles (EVs) and other alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs), along with dealers and local EV drivers onsite to answer questions about the driving experience behind the wheel of an EV.
The Student Art Contest is another annual event hosted by the NCCETC. Students from kindergarten, middle and high schools across North Carolina are invited to submit their artwork for a chance to be featured on billboards across the state. Earlier this month, NCCETC announced the 2023 “Keep Our Air Clean” Student Art Contest winners.
Heather Brutz created the Student Art Contest while drawing on her previous experience as a middle school teacher. “The art contest is an engaging way to get young people involved in spreading awareness about the ways we can reduce air pollution from vehicles,” Brutz said. Students were asked to create art focused on actions that people can take to reduce air pollution from vehicles and help keep the air clean. NCCETC congratulated three artists located in Kernersville, Hampstead, and Cary, NC.
As the market share of EVs continues to grow, there is a nationwide call to establish robust charging infrastructure and electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) to fuel transportation electrification in the U.S. To assist planners and developers in selecting the perfect site to fit their charging needs, NCCETC recently developed a customizable tool for prioritizing the placement of EV chargers. The EVSE Suitability GIS product is not only able to consider several variables relevant to determining charging infrastructure siting benefits, but also has a custom weighting function so developers can tailor the weight of each variable being considered to their unique situation.
NCCETC’s Alexander Yoshizumi coordinated with Roanoke Electric Cooperative while creating the EVSE Suitability GIS tool, identifying factors to include in the suitability tool in addition to the approximate weight that each factor should be given. The GIS product was created using data for the five counties covered by Roanoke Electric Cooperative: Bertie, Gates, Halifax, Hertford, and Northampton.
Last year, NCCETC staff provided assistance to the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) as they applied for grant funding to support cleaner student transportation in North Carolina. Following their groundbreaking award of VW Settlement funds for a new electric school bus in 2021, the EBCI received notice from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for an award for four additional electric school buses in 2022. EBCI will be replacing five diesel school buses with four new electric buses in collaboration with the Cherokee Boys Club (CBC) and the NCCETC. This award marked The Eastern Band as the first tribe east of the Mississippi to be awarded grant funding through the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) Program administered by the EPA.
The staff at NCCETC provides technical assistance to fleets interested in building toward a sustainable fleet. The Clean Transportation team has previously assisted municipalities such as the Town of Apex and Morrisville to assess their fleet utilization and ultimately transition to zero-emission vehicles and electrify their fleet.
This article is part of a series highlighting the work done by the NC Clean Energy Technology Center throughout its history in celebration of its 35th Anniversary. View the previous article to learn how the Training program at NCCETC provides educational opportunities for individuals to get the training and credentials they need to launch their clean energy careers and supports professionals seeking to integrate clean energy into their day-to-day work.
Students from kindergarten, middle, and high schools across North Carolina were invited to submit their artwork for a chance to be featured on billboards across the state for the sixth annual “Keep Our Air Clean” Student Art Contest hosted by the North Carolina Clean Energy Technology Center (NCCETC).
Students were asked to create art focused on actions that people can take to reduce air pollution from vehicles and help keep the air clean. NCCETC congratulated three artists located in Kernersville, Hampstead, and Cary, NC.
Heather Brutz, Director of NCCETC’s Clean Transportation Program, created the Student Art Contest while drawing on her previous experience as a middle school teacher. “The art contest is an engaging way to get young people involved in spreading awareness about the ways we can reduce air pollution from vehicles,” Brutz said.
Air pollution can harm children and adults in many ways. The American Lung Association reports that particle pollution and ozone are a threat to human health at every stage of life, increasing the risk of premature birth, causing or worsening lung and heart disease, and shortening lives. According to the 2023 “State of the Air” report, more than 1 in 3 Americans live in places with unhealthy levels of air pollution.
“Clean air is vital for health,” said Brutz. “Children are not only more susceptible to harm from air pollution, but are also more likely to be exposed to it than adults. Exposure to air pollution for children can be harmful to the growth and development or their lungs and breathing ability, increasing their chances of getting asthma, which is a life-long detriment to their health.”
Brutz tried a variety of different teaching methods to capture students’ attention during her teaching days, and artwork emerged as a powerful tool to do so. “That thinking is what inspired me to first come up with the idea for the art contest- I wanted to find a new way to reach our audience than what we were already doing,” she explained. “Young people have a lot of creativity and I wanted to capture that self-expression and merge it with an opportunity to learn more about transportation technologies and practices that help improve air quality.”
NCCETC received submissions from students in elementary, middle and high schools across the state. “I’m very pleased with the number of submissions we received this year. More than 80 elementary, middle and high school students participated,” Brutz said. “It was a very competitive year for selecting winners, and while we are only able to choose three winners to have their artwork displayed on billboards, every single young artist who took time to participate should feel proud of their contribution.”
To learn what clean air means to them, we asked the winners some questions about their artwork:
Elementary School Winner – Sophia Mira DeBusk | Piney Grove Elementary School | Kernersville, NC
Why did you want to enter the contest?
I wanted to enter the contest because of how recent incidents (of forest fires before in CA now in Canada) have impacted our air quality to a lower condition than before. This makes me sad, and I wanted to attract attention to this problem. I believe we can make a difference through art.
What does your artwork mean/what were you trying to express?
I wanted to show that it’s important to prevent air pollution. At the center of my picture, there is a car. That car is dividing tree to two as if it is killing it, but you can also see flowers are coming from exhaust because if we can use clean energy, cars may not be that harmful to nature.
What does “Keep Our Air Clean” mean to you? Why do you think keeping our air clean is important?
“Keep Our Air Clean” means to keep the atmosphere healthy. I think keeping our air clean is important because breathing harmful gasses is not good for you or the wildlife around you.
Are you doing things in your own life– like riding your bike, carpooling, walking, etc.?
I have been composting as much as I can so that less waste goes to landfills to be burnt. I also ride the bus to school so that there are less pollutants coming from our car. Also, my family and I plant trees because trees are lungs of the nature and help keep air clean. I planted my first tree when I was 4 with Virginia Tech community on a creek week.
What was your reaction when you found out you won the contest?
I was so excited that I jumped! I didn’t really expect it, but I am so happy that I have won now.
What do you hope will come out of your artwork being up on a billboard for people to see?
I hope people will take it as advice to help keep our air healthy along with me and many others who believe good air quality is important. I hope they can really see that we have a beautiful world to live in, and we need to treat our nature kindly if we want to live healthily. This is important not only for people but also animals and plants.
Anything else you’d like to share?
I think having my artwork up on a billboard will do something to get all people of North Carolina to help renew our air to a better state. Thanks for this contest. It made me think more about our air.
Middle School Winner – Caiya Medlin | Surf City Middle School | Hampstead, NC
Why did you want to enter the contest?
I entered because I think the contest really has a great impact on North Carolina. Art is an amazing way to express ideas, and so I am using this opportunity to speed awareness on global issues such as idling cars.
What does your artwork mean/what were you trying to express?
I created an art piece with cars and the message “Stop Idling” on billboards throughout our state to raise awareness about the harmful effects of vehicle idling on the environment. My goal is to inspire people to take action and change their habits. Let’s work together to reduce unnecessary idling, protect air quality, and create a cleaner and healthier environment for everyone.
What does “Keep Our Air Clean” mean to you? Why do you think keeping our air clean is important?
“Keep Our Air Clean” means ensuring the preservation of air quality for the well-being of our planet and all living beings. To me, it signifies the responsibility we have to maintain a sustainable and healthy environment by minimizing pollution and harmful emissions.
Are you doing things in your own life– like riding your bike, carpooling, walking, etc.?
In my life, I am constantly using clean modes of transportation to lower my carbon footprint. My town, Surf City, is becoming a more pedestrian-friendly town everyday. I often find myself walking to get dinner, or to the beach. I am Also an avid user of my trusty skateboard, that can get me anywhere I need to go.
What was your reaction when you found out you won the contest?
I was so excited! I honestly had to double check to see if the email was correct, because I was so blown away. I have been entering this art contest for 3 years now, so when I have finally won, I felt really accomplished!
What do you hope will come out of your artwork being up on a billboard for people to see?
I hope that when people see my art work, they will just stop to think. Well, not actually stop, we are on the road! I just want people to recognize the meaning of my work and what it stands for.
High School Winner – Audrey Song | Cary Academy | Cary, NC
Why did you want to enter the contest?
I entered this contest because I was motivated to utilize my artistic abilities and contribute to the cause of promoting clean air. The breathtaking beauty of nature that surrounds me daily, too, serves as a constant inspiration. I firmly believe in the transformative power of art to inspire change and raise awareness. Thus, I saw this contest as a wonderful opportunity to make a positive impact through my artwork.
What does your artwork mean/what were you trying to express?
Through my artwork, I aim to convey the simple importance of keeping our air clean in a way that is accessible and relatable. I wanted to express that maintaining clean air can be a manageable task without excessive effort or complex solutions. Instead, it should be viewed as something enjoyable, simple, and integral to our daily lives.
What does “Keep Our Air Clean” mean to you? Why do you think keeping our air clean is important?
To me, “Keep Our Air Clean” signifies an appreciation for life and the well-being of our future generations. It encompasses the notion that clean air is essential not only for our planet’s health but also for our communities thriving. By spreading the message to keep our air clean, we are actively taking responsibility for preserving our limited yet essential resources and acknowledging the action we need to take.
Are you doing things in your own life– like riding your bike, carpooling, walking, etc.?
Absolutely! One of my favorite activities is walking, especially hiking. Recently, I went on a week-long hiking/camping trip in Linville Gorge with my classmates through the Wilderness Club at my school, Cary Academy, to appreciate the areas of nature where our air is clean. These experiences serve as a constant reminder of the importance of our environment and motivate me to make sustainable choices such as walking, using public transportation, and generally adopting energy-efficient practices.
What was your reaction when you found out you won the contest?
When I received the news of winning the contest, I was just overwhelmed with excitement. It was an incredible honor, and I still find it hard to believe that my artwork was selected as the winning piece for the High School age group. Sharing my voice and contributing to the NC Clean Energy Technology Center’s mission is truly a humbling and gratifying experience.
What do you hope will come out of your artwork being up on a billboard for people to see?
I hope to raise awareness and foster a sense of environmental consciousness among the public through my art. When people see my artwork, I aim to capture their attention through visual appeal and inspire them to take action and positively impact their lives by using less fossil fuel-powered transportation. By provoking conversations and spreading awareness, I aspire to instigate a ripple effect of change that motivates individuals to prioritize and actively work toward keeping our air clean.
Anything else you’d like to share?
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the NC Clean Energy Center and everyone involved in making this contest possible. This opportunity is not only incredible for me but for many other aspiring artists as well. I am also immensely thankful for the Wilderness Club offered at my school, which has provided me with fantastic experiences and inspired me to be more environmentally conscious. Participating in the NC Clean Energy Technology Center’s Art Contest and having my artwork recognized has been a true honor.
Vote for your favorite art in each age category (kindergarten through high school). Artwork should focus on actions that people can take to reduce air pollution from vehicles and help keep our air clean. Examples: walking, biking, using public transportation, carpooling, using electric vehicles or biofuels, and more.
Winners in each category will be featured on billboards across the state!
The contest poll closes at 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, May 17.
Winners will be announced in June. Stay tuned on nccleantech.ncsu.edu and FuelWhatMatters.org. For more information or any questions, email Amira Ferjani at aferjan@ncsu.edu.
As electric vehicles (EVs) build market share across the United States, it will be increasingly important to balance the rising demand for charging services at times when the grid has excess capacity, reducing the total costs for grid services instead of increasing them. Bidirectional charging through vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology has the capability to deploy demand-response actions to ease concerns, however, and add resilience benefits while decarbonizing emergency generation.
Findings from a two-year demonstration of a V2G technology in North Carolina show the positive economic potential for using bidirectional charging technologies to feed energy stored in electric vehicle batteries back to charging sites, especially when the grid is experiencing high demand. The NC Clean Energy Technology Center (NCCETC) along with Advanced Energy, Enpira, Clean Energy Works, and the Environmental Defense Fund observed this powerful demonstration of a bidirectional charger and software platform from Fermata Energy.
Roanoke Electric Cooperative’s (REC) headquarters in the rural town of Ahoskie, North Carolina, served as the test site for Fermata Energy’s FE-15 bidirectional charger along with the cooperative’s two Nissan LEAF Plus cars. The Nissan LEAF has led the way in the fully electric passenger vehicle market that is capable of vehicle-to-grid technologies in the United States. The market has since grown with the vehicle-to-building capable F-150 Lightning, the Hyundai IONIQ, and the Kia EV6 expanding the development of V2X technologies.
NCCETC Clean Transportation Specialist, John Bonitz said, “We’re honored to be involved in pilot programs like this demonstration at Roanoke Electric Cooperative that can help make fleet electrification more economically viable by proving the value of integrating V2B and V2G technology to shave peaks, improve grid optimization and increase resilience — all while helping the cooperative and its members save money.”
Quantifying the potential value streams from bidirectional charging allows utilities to begin considering incentive payments and other EV program options for customers and members. By demonstrating significant positive value, this study encourages utilities in similar market conditions to help customers overcome the financial barriers to purchasing an EV, particularly in low- and moderate-income areas where these costs may restrict EV adoption. Roanoke is also considering a demand response program to incentivize EV growth and use the storage capacity to reduce peak demand and other charges while at the same time helping to make the transition to EVs more affordable for customers.
A bidirectional EV can receive energy (charge) from electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) such as the FE-15 and provide energy to an external load (discharge) when it is paired with a similarly capable EVSE. “Bidirectional chargers, simply put, can unlock new value streams by enabling energy to go into the car’s batteries or, when needed, can discharge energy back into the grid, a building, a house, or any electrical load,” explained John Bonitz. EV owners can use bidirectional charging to save money with their local electric utility, thus reducing the total cost of ownership of the vehicle.
With only vehicle-to-building use cases, REC demonstrated monthly gross savings that exceed the monthly lease cost for its EVs. Use of the bidirectional EVs as mobile battery storage reduced behind-the-meter electricity costs through three use cases: peak load reduction and load following, backup generator support while the building was islanded from the grid, and coincident peak demand reduction.
Peak load reduction shrinks the cooperative’s building’s monthly demand from the electrical grid, which can generally decrease the facility’s electric bill; load following adjusts the power output from an EV’s batteries as the building’s load increases and decreases; and coincident peak demand is when the cooperative’s peak coincides with the overall grid-system’s peak, thus helping both the electric cooperative, the local region and its customers by minimizing pollution generating sources while reducing electric service costs for all member-owners.
Smart charging and discharging solutions with V2X can be programmed to meet the fleet operator’s needs. V2G systems can schedule responses to system-wide peak demand events in advance, so a fleet manager can choose to reserve the vehicle for the grid (or building) at that time while leaving the vehicle plugged in. After the bidirectional event, the V2G system allows scheduled recharging to be programmed to meet fleet needs while providing transparency on the monetary value the vehicle can provide at different times for grid operations. Alternatively, the fleet manager or vehicle operator can choose a program to prioritize the readiness of the vehicle for transportation first, and grid-support services second.
Fermata Energy’s FE-15 can provide 15 kilowatts (kW) of power to the car and back to the site served by the grid. REC schedules dispatch of the onboard battery in response to predicted peaks, which usually last two to three hours. Using only one of REC’s Nissan LEAFs, the bidirectional charging system has been able to reduce the cooperative’s load and lower system-wide peak demand charges in 11 out of 22 months – every time the peak window was successfully predicted and communicated by the energy suppliers.
In addition to system-wide peak demand response, bidirectional charging can be used for demand charge management for building peak load reduction and load following. Despite having relatively modest demand charges of $9.50/kW, Fermata Energy’s software and charger strategically dispatched the Nissan LEAF battery to reduce REC’s headquarters’ building demand charges, resulting in savings in 16 out of 24 months.
“The combined value streams produced gross savings for REC of more than $3,200 per year, per charger – that’s greater than the lease cost of the EV,” Bonitz said. “The value of this single unit hints at the broader potential for much greater savings when multiplied by many units, serving multiple EVs or even integrated across an entire fleet of EVs.” He further clarified these savings would be in addition to the lower operating costs and fuel savings that have long been demonstrated by electric fleet vehicles.
Both public and private fleets in the United States are looking into viable strategies to transition away from internal-combustion engine vehicles and replace them with EVs. V2G technology can ensure that EVs are charged and ready for driving, secure on-time departure, and reduce total costs of ownership by generating additional revenue for owners.
Vehicle-to-building (V2B) technology could also keep the power on for critical services, such as hospitals and shelters, during extreme weather conditions and other emergency outages, reducing or even eliminating the cumulative number of hours these essential systems have to use backup diesel generators.
The Electrification Coalition’s new guide, “V2X Implementation Guide and Mutual Aid Agreement Template for Using Vehicle-to-Everything-EnabledElectric School Buses as Mobile Power Units to Enhance Resilience During Emergencies” describes the potential to use V2X-enabled electric school buses (ESBs) as alternative emergency backup power sources during outages. The adoption of ESBs is rising as school districts and fleet operators become aware of the significant benefits: clear air for student passengers, savings on bus fuel and maintenance costs, and reduced carbon emissions. ESBs are also gaining attention for their potential to enhance critical electric infrastructure resilience and reliability. Click here to learn more about this resource and how utilizing ESBs to power critical facilities in emergencies can enhance infrastructure resilience, save lives, and strengthen our energy and national security.
On a residential scale, EV owners could use vehicle-to-home (V2H) technology to power their homes during lengthy blackouts. With a bidirectional charging system, homeowners could pull power from their vehicle’s batteries to keep fridges, lights, and heating and cooling systems on in their homes.
Bonitz said, “We’re honored to be involved in pilot programs like this demonstration at Roanoke Electric Cooperative that can help make fleet electrification more economically viable by proving the value of integrating V2G technology to shave peaks, improve grid optimization and increase resilience – all while helping the cooperative and its members save money.”
Quantifying the potential value streams from bidirectional charging allows utilities to begin considering incentive payments and other EV program options for customers and members. By demonstrating significant positive value, this study encourages utilities in similar market conditions to help customers overcome the financial barriers to purchasing an EV, particularly in low- and moderate-income areas where higher EV costs slow their adoption. As the pilot program continues at Roanoke Electric, management is considering a demand response program to expand numbers of EVs by using these bidirectional value streams to help make the transition to EVs more affordable for their member-owners.
NCCETC and Advanced Energy are now sharing these lessons learned with interested parties across NC and beyond. Other cooperative utilities are intrigued to learn of ways that these EV charging infrastructure investments can help pay for themselves while reducing overall costs for their member-owners.
North Carolina students from kindergarten through high school can submit their artwork for a chance to be featured on billboards across the state
Show how you can help keep the air clean for Earth Day this year! Submissions will now be accepted through Monday, May 8 at 11:59pm.
The North Carolina Clean Energy Technology Center (NCCETC) has officially launched the 6th Annual “Keep Our Air Clean” Student Art Contest, where students in North Carolina from kindergarten through high school can submit their artwork for a chance to be featured on billboards across the state!
Students’ artwork should focus on actions that people can take to reduce air pollution from vehicles and help keep our air clean. Examples include walking, biking, using public transportation, carpooling, using electric vehicles or biofuels, and more. Please make artwork family-friendly, non-partisan and non-copyrighted. You can learn about the alternatives at cleantransportation.org or fuelwhatmatters.org or see examples from past winners and best practices for art submissions here.
Students now have until Monday, May 8 at 11:59 to submit their artwork. Please read the rules below to find out how to submit your artwork. Public voting will begin on Wednesday, May 10 and last through Wednesday, May 17 – stay tuned for a link to vote once submissions have closed!
For more information or questions please email Amira Ferjani at aferjan@ncsu.edu.
North Carolina students from kindergarten through high school can submit their artwork for a chance to be featured on billboards across the state.
Show how you can help keep the air clean for Earth Day this year!
The North Carolina Clean Energy Technology Center (NCCETC) has officially launched the 6th Annual “Keep Our Air Clean” Student Art Contest, where students in North Carolina from kindergarten through high school can submit their artwork for a chance to be featured on billboards across the state!
Students’ artwork should focus on actions that people can take to reduce air pollution from vehicles and help keep our air clean. Examples include walking, biking, using public transportation, carpooling, using electric vehicles or biofuels, and more. Please make artwork family-friendly, non-partisan and non-copyrighted. You can learn about the alternatives at cleantransportation.org or fuelwhatmatters.org or see examples from past winners and best practices for art submissions here.
Students now have until Monday, May 8 at 11:59 to submit their artwork. Please read the rules below to find out how to submit your artwork. Public voting will begin on Wednesday, May 10 and last through Wednesday, May 17 – stay tuned for a link to vote once submissions have closed!
For more information or questions please email Heather Brutz at hmbrutz@ncsu.edu.
Artwork in a more horizontal rectangular shape (about the shape of a billboard) is recommended.
The student may choose the medium for their artwork but a 2-D work is best for billboard display. Digitally made art is accepted in addition to hand-drawn or painted work.
Recommended dimensions:
400h x 840w pixels at 72 ppi
400h x 1400w pixels at 72 ppi
Save as JPG, PNG or BMP at maximum quality in RGB mode
Note: Make sure to leave space in the submission to include the “Keep Our Air Clean” tagline on the final billboards if it is not incorporated into your artwork.
RULES
Students must reside in North Carolina and be enrolled in homeschool, elementary, middle or high school within state lines.
Artwork should focus on actions that people can take to reduce air pollution from vehicles.
Please make artwork family-friendly, non-partisan and non-copyrighted.
Only one entry per student is allowed and all submissions must be made via the submission form or by emailing Amira Ferjani at aferjan@ncsu.edu.
Teachers may submit artwork on behalf of their students through email or the submission form; all artwork submitted must return a signed permission form with each submission.
Artists who are over 18 or parents/legal guardians submitting on behalf of their children can submit artwork in one of two ways:
You may submit artwork via the Facebook submission poll. By submitting this work, you will be agreeing to the legal terms listed below.
Legal Terms
By submitting this photograph, image, graphic, or video (collectively the “work”) you hereby agree to the following:
You certify and warrant that you are the legal guardian of the minor who is submitting the artwork or are the artist and are legally an adult.
You certify and warrant that the work is your work or your child’s own original creative work and does not violate or infringe the copyright or other proprietary or intellectual property rights of others.
You retain all copyright and equivalent rights but grant permission for NC State to use, reproduce, distribute, and/or release the work to the public in any manner and in any medium without payment of any fee, and in perpetuity.
North Carolina State University reserves the right to use contestants’ names and works for educational publicity and/or promotional purposes, including website or exhibition of winning entries. You understand that the works will be shared with reporters covering these awards and for promotion of the competition itself. You hereby give North Carolina State University nonexclusive rights to use yours or your child’s name, likenesses, quotes and submissions for educational publicity and/or promotional purposes. This includes but is not limited to website display, print materials and exhibits.
You hereby agree to indemnify NC State, its trustees, officers, agents, and employees, from any and all claims, demands, and liabilities (including attorneys’ fees) incurred as a result of a final judgment or settlement or any claim or legal proceeding arising out of or resulting from a breach or claimed breach of the foregoing representations and warranties.
North Carolina students from kindergarten through high school are invited to submit their artwork for a chance to be featured on billboards across the state!
This Earth Day, you can show how you help keep the air clean!
The North Carolina Clean Energy Technology Center (NCCETC) is excited to announce the 6th Annual “Keep Our Air Clean” Student Art Contest this March, where students residing in North Carolina from kindergarten through high school can submit their artwork focused on the theme of actions that individual families can take to reduce the amount of air pollution from vehicles.
Winners will have their artwork featured on billboards across the state to help spread the word about ways that we all can help keep the air clean!
Artwork should focus on actions that people can take to reduce air pollution from vehicles. Examples include walking, biking, using public transportation, carpooling, using biofuels, electric vehicles, and more. You can learn about the alternatives at cleantransportation.org or fuelwhatmatters.org. Please make artwork family-friendly, non-partisan and non-copyrighted.
Artwork in a more horizontal rectangular shape (about the shape of a billboard) is recommended.
Recommended dimensions:
● 400h x 840w pixels at 72 ppi
● 400h x 1400w pixels at 72 ppi
● Save as JPG, PNG or BMP at maximum quality in RGB mode
Note: Text may be added on final billboards with the “Keep Our Air Clean” tagline.
The winner will be chosen based on:
• Relevance and appropriateness of the message, judged by NCCETC and our panel of judges
• Visual design, judged by NCCETC and our panel of judges
• Public votes on our Facebook account
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Heather Brutz at hmbrutz@ncsu.edu.
The week of January 30-February 2, 2023 the N.C. Department of Transportation (NCDOT) will be holding a series of roundtables to provide regional forums for capturing valuable feedback on different stakeholder considerations and interests to inform the deployment of North Carolina’s National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure, or NEVI, Program.
WHAT IS NEVI?
Originally established by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the NEVI program provides nearly $5 billion from July 2022-June 2027 to help states create a network of 500,000 electric vehicle charging stations along designated alternative fuel corridors. North Carolina expects to receive up to $109 million to build out electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure along its approved corridors.
The Federal Highway Administration’s Alternative Fuel Corridors program recognizes highway segments that have infrastructure (or plans for infrastructure) that support alternative fuel options, including electricity, compressed natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas and hydrogen. See the accompanying map for North Carolina’s current alternative fuel corridors.
In September of 2022, the Federal Highway Administration approved North Carolina’s NEVI Program plan, along with those from all other states and territories. Now that the plans are approved, states are moving forward with implementation as described in the “NEVI NEVI Land” blog on DSIREinsight.
WHAT IS NORTH CAROLINA’S PLAN?
The NCDOT developed the statewide Electric Vehicle (EV) Infrastructure Deployment Plan using guidance provided by the NEVI program, and will support the development of the state’s public electric vehicle charging network. In short, NC’s NEVI plan is in two phases, the first being completion of the priority corridors having DCFast chargers every 50 miles, the second phase being an intentional effort to include local communities to plan where their DCFast chargers should be located.
Now, NCDOT is taking industry stakeholder input to assist in the development of the NEVI program. Feedback from the roundtables held during NCDOT’s Electric Vehicle Infrastructure North Carolina Tour will be used to develop a request for information (RFI) to be released in February and will ultimately help inform the creation of a future request for proposal (RFP) from the NCDOT that will be used to implement the program.
Each roundtable is about 90 minutes long and will host utilities, electric vehicle equipment suppliers, site hosts and more. Registration is required for these roundtables and representatives can register online.
The public is invited to attend open house sessions following the roundtables. Registration is not required for the open house sessions.
Previously, on January 11th, the NCDOT held an information webinar session about the state’s NEVI Program deployment plan. A video recording of the session is now available for viewing.
Findings from a two-year demonstration of a V2G technology in North Carolina show the positive economic potential for using bidirectional charging technologies to feed energy stored in electric vehicle batteries back to charging sites, especially when the grid is experiencing high demand. The 
e’s two Nissan LEAF Plus cars. The Nissan LEAF has led the way in the fully electric passenger vehicle market that is capable of vehicle-to-grid technologies in the United States. The market has since grown with the vehicle-to-building capable F-150 Lightning, the Hyundai IONIQ, and the Kia EV6 expanding the development of V2X technologies.
