How Quebec can be a world leader in next generation zero carbon transportation systems

[It is exciting to see Quebec make a significant commitment to spend $2.7 billion on climate change efforts.
Given this is an election year Quebec and given that the province as a host of other problems it is unlikely much of this commitment will be converted into real programs. But regardless of how many funds are committed to climate change Quebec has a unique opportunity to be a world leader in next generation zero carbon transportation systems.

The transportation sector creates nearly half of Quebec’s greenhouse-gas emissions and Quebec plans to spend two-thirds of the promised $2.7 billion on transportation measures. A large part of this money will be earmarked for the usual anodyne solutions such as improving public transit, carpooling, taxi-sharing and active transportation like walking and cycling. But the Quebec government also has an opportunity to make Quebec a world leader in next generation zero carbon (or low carbon) transportation systems much in the same way it has made Quebec a world leader in Green ICT through the $60 million Green ICT program being deployed PROMPT Inc – a industry/academic ICT consortia.

In term of zero or low carbon transportation most of the world is focusing on electric cars and light vehicles. But 25-55% of transportation emissions come from commercial and heavy duty trucks. The wide range of GHG emission estimates from transportation reflect various debates in whether light trucks should be counted as commercial or passenger vehicles. It is also interesting to note that although emissions for passenger vehicles have stabilized or declined, overall emissions from the transportation sector continue to grow.

Finding solutions for commercial and heavy duty trucks is going to be required if we are going to have any meaningful hope of slowing down emissions from the transportation sector. Conventional solutions for eVehicles with large battery banks will be impractical and unaffordable for commercial and heavy duty trucks. But dynamic power and charging of trucks is a possibility. Street cars and trolley buses have used dynamic power with overhead wires for over a century. It is a well proven technology.
Integrating dynamic power with on relatively small on-board battery banks would allow commercial and heavy duty trucks to also be powered electrically. However, rather than having miles of ugly overhead wires and costly electrical infrastructure , “charging umbrellas” could be located at periodic intervals of several hundred meters to several kilometers to recharge the truck’s batteries as they travel along the roadway. Shanghai has had such a system in place for several years for the city’s public transportation system.
The technology for building “charging umbrellas” is well established. What is undeveloped and will require some R&E is the ICT infrastructure to control, manage and bill users of the charging umbrellas. Life was easy when overhead wires were only used to power street cars. But with many vehicles accessing charging umbrellas, smart ICT will be needed for the grid to manage the load and also integrate power from roadside solar panels and windmills. ICT solutions will be required so trucks can negotiate on the fly request for a charge and appropriate billing as they approach a charging umbrella at 100 km/hr.

Quebec is home to one of the world’s largest transportation companies – Bombardier. It would make sense for Quebec to once partner with PROMPT Inc – who has the Green ICT expertise – to build the necessary ICT solutions in partnership with the various transportation companies to make Quebec a world leader and exporter of this technology. Bombardier has already done considerable work for dynamic charging systems for streetcars using inductive techniques. But I suspect charging umbrellas will be more practical for trucks.

Some additional pointers:
• A new look at an old idea: Powering autos and trucks from overhead wires
http://green-broadband.blogspot.com/2011/03/new-look-at-old-idea-powering-autos.html

• Green Investment Opportunity for small business - on the move electric car charging
http://green-broadband.blogspot.com/2010/04/green-investment-opportunity-for-small.html

• How California suburban sprawl could be the answer to global warming
http://green-broadband.blogspot.com/2010/12/how-california-suburban-sprawl-could-be.html

• Packet Based Energy Delivery Systems
http://green-broadband.blogspot.com/2011/09/packet-based-energy-delivery-systems.html

• The "Energy Internet" - how the Internet + renewable energy can transform the economy
http://green-broadband.blogspot.com/2011/10/energy-internet-how-internet-renewable.html#more

• Electric roads and Internet will allow coast to coast driving with no stopping and no emissions
http://green-broadband.blogspot.com/2011/05/electric-roads-and-internet-will-allow.html


Read more: http://www.montrealgazette.com/technology/Quebec+pledges+billion+tackle+climate+change/6723749/story.html#ixzz1xVVEpiZs
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R&E Network and Green Internet Consultant.
email: Bill.St.Arnaud@gmail.com
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blog: http://billstarnaud.blogspot.com/
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