DALLAS -- 7-Eleven Inc. is implementing fast-charging services for drivers of electric vehicles (EVs) in the New York City area by deploying Green Charge Networks (GCN) energy storage solutions.
7-Eleven and GCN worked with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and several large utility companies to leverage local solar generation and energy storage, which enables the use of high-powered electric equipment, including EV fast chargers. This system avoids extreme consumption peaks that lead to expensive electricity demand charges for commercial rate payers.
GCN's energy storage system, GreenStation, manages the power consumption at a 7-Eleven location in Flushing, N.Y. It monitors the store's load on a second-by-second basis and counteracts peaks and valleys by discharging and charging from an internal ion battery bank.
"Even when the New York City electric grid experienced an all-time peak on July 19 during the recent heat wave, the GreenStation allowed for EV fast charging while reducing peak demand by 56%," said Vic Shao, GCN's CEO.
"Convenience retailing in today's world increasingly requires the use of high-powered electrical devices, including foodservice equipment and EV fast chargers," said Tom Brennan, 7-Eleven's vice president of infrastructure services. "Meeting our customers changing needs while keeping demand charges and thus our electricity costs in check is a very attractive value proposition for us."
The GreenStation empowers industrial and commercial ratepayers to manage power consumption and rising demand charges. The energy-storage product is easy to install, maintenance free and economical. The root technology is a stochastic controller with software that flattens the power load curve during peak consumption periods, with positive financial implications for the customer and electricity utility.
Santa Clara, Calif.-based GCN, a leader in power efficiency, specializes in energy storage solutions that enable the usage of high-powered electrical equipment without causing extreme consumption peaks. This minimizes expensive demand charges for ratepayers and may provide them more attractive tariff rates when paired with solar generation. It developed the products in partnership with leading utilities around the country, the DOE and Fortune 500 customers.
7-Eleven, based in Dallas, operates, franchises or licenses more than 10,100 convenience stores in North America. Globally, 7-Eleven has approximately 50,700 stores in 16 countries. During 2012, 7-Eleven stores generated total worldwide sales close to $84.8 billion.
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