Tennessee utility adopts cutting-edge ev fleet charging solution

| Sep 19 2023 at 11:10 AM

Rhythmos’ rapid deployment with Knoxville Utilities Board is sponsored by the Tennessee Valley Authority and the Electric Power Research Institute via the Incubatenergy® Labs program.
Rhythmos will tap into data from 250,000 Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) meters to provide KUB with energy network management to optimize EV charging capabilities.
Rhythmos is one of just 16 companies selected to participate in this year’s Incubatenergy® Labs program, in which leading utilities engage with select early-stage clean energy companies to demonstrate cutting-edge solutions that advance decarbonization, electrification, grid modernization, and resilience.

Without innovative electric vehicle (EV) charging solutions, the average utility will need to invest thousands of dollars in grid upgrades per EV. To support utilities and consumers with increased EV charging capabilities, Rhythmos has announced the commercial deployment of its mobility and utility network management platform in East Tennessee, which is sponsored by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). Knoxville Utilities Board (KUB) will be the first utility system to implement Rhythmos’ innovative predictive analytics software solution to provide vital data such as EV detection, charging characterization, day-ahead forecasting, and transformer loading. Rhythmos’ data offers unprecedented visibility into the electric grid and will allow KUB to identify, quantify, forecast, and control EV charging needs to minimize grid impact. This data also informs operational planning, procurement and rate design. This project, made possible by EPRI’s Incubatenergy® Labs (IEL) program, marks a significant step towards enhancing EV infrastructure in the state.

"Today’s utilities are doing everything they can to support electric mobility and to meet charging demand in time to scale up in tune with the EV industry,” said James Linder, program manager of innovation scouting for TVA. “TVA’s commitment to working with local power companies to keep service steady and reliable means investing in technologies that support our customers’ evolving needs. We look forward to doing that in our hometown by sponsoring this smart charging deployment between KUB and Rhythmos."

A key feature of the Rhythmos solution is its ability to provide comprehensive loading analysis on each distribution service transformer in KUB’s distribution system. This includes a meticulous assessment of the impact of EV loading on service transformers. By ingesting data from KUB's 250,000 Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) meters and Geographic Information System (GIS) data, Rhythmos will analyze meter intervals to precisely detect EV charging points within the distribution system. Rhythmos will also characterize EV charging behavior – such as frequency and time of day – based on historical meter data, which will provide KUB with unparalleled insight into EV charging load projections for the next day.

"KUB empowers electric vehicle adoption throughout our service territory by improving infrastructure, reducing demand charges for separately metered EV stations, providing residential customers with EV charging incentives, and supporting commercial fleet electrification,” said Mathew Stinnett, manager of electric engineering at KUB. “By deploying Rhythmos’ software, we gain powerful insight into our customers’ needs so that we are better prepared to manage EV charging loads. This deployment signifies a step towards a more intelligent and responsive energy grid."

To earn this rapid deployment demonstration with KUB, Rhythmos was one of only 16 companies to earn a place in EPRI’s 2023 IEL Cohort. EPRI provides rigorous technical validation of Rhythmos' energy management analytics and algorithm performance based on EPRI’s evaluation of the effectiveness of Rhythmos' EV detection and day-ahead forecasting functionalities. The assessment of this demonstration will extend to exploring the potential impact on utility rates, resulting in a comprehensive report outlining the rate implications of the solutions presented. The results of this partnership will be presented on November 1st at EPRI’s Incubatenergy Demo Day.

“Our solution was designed by utility experts and with utilities in mind, recognizing the need to improve charging capacity within today’s existing infrastructure,” said Ken Munson, chief executive officer of Rhythmos. “We become the connective tissue addressing the complexities of the distribution network while enabling EVs and fleets to operate unconstrained. This deployment with KUB is a transformative step toward electric mobility, and we are thankful to TVA and EPRI for putting their faith in Rhythmos.”

Rhythmos brings an entirely modular and scalable solution to the utilities and EV charging management market, which allows the software to integrate with existing systems seamlessly. Rhythmos and Driivz recently announced a joint effort to accelerate fleet electrification by optimizing charging schedules via the Driivz platform, which already manages tens of thousands of existing charging points globally. To learn more about how Rhythmos supports utilities and fleets to enable electric mobility, visit rhythmos.io.