Red Clay Consulting Helps Make Electric Vehicle (EV) Ownership More Attractive for Thousands of California Residents
Atlanta, Georgia (PRWEB) August 01, 2017 -- A large West Coast utility recently invested in one of the largest utility program initiatives in the history of U.S. transportation electrification. This clean transportation initiative will install thousands of electric vehicle charging stations in apartment and condo complexes, malls, and office buildings across the utility’s service area. Red Clay Consulting was instrumental to the success of this project, which created an end-to-end pricing and billing solution that includes monthly billing calculations based on dynamic hourly prices. Now, electric vehicle owners served by the utility can conveniently charge their cars and have this cost bundled into their monthly electric bill.
Red Clay was spearheading unrelated IT projects for the utility when the clean transportation initiative was introduced. For the project to work, the client needed to include dynamic hourly pricing and billing. Red Clay used their expertise to propose a pilot solution. Red Clay’s experienced consultants customized an existing software product to solve the complex billing challenge and to offer the utility a complete end-to-end solution. The electric vehicle charging station pilot program was a success and became a full-scale implementation.
The big win for consumers is the convenience of more electric vehicle charging locations. For Red Clay, the benefit is more far reaching. Red Clay can apply the core components of the dynamic pricing and billing solution they created to a wide range of projects. Red Clay knows first-hand the challenges of a project of this scope and can use this project experience to guide any utility – whether they have started a similar project or are just considering it.
Electric vehicles continue to grow in popularity, and this innovative project simplifies the way electric vehicles are fueled. Now, charging an electric vehicle (EV) becomes easier and more convenient than pumping gas. Instead of using a credit card at a gas station, the participating customer goes to a charging station, uses a fob for identification, charges their vehicle, and the electricity cost is automatically included on their monthly electric bill. It’s that simple. Consumption data, hourly pricing, and calculations for the monthly billing are handled by this dynamic billing solution.
The project works through three integral components. First, a third-party vendor provides the charging stations and fobs. Second, charging station information is sent to the dynamic billing solution, which calculates the electric vehicle bill determinants associated with the customer. Finally, the data is sent to the utility’s customer information system (CIS) for further processing and inclusion on the customer’s electric bill.
Another innovative feature of this solution is that customers can see forecasted hourly electricity prices at the charging station or online. Customers can even use the utility’s website to view a map of nearby charging stations and each station’s corresponding forecasted prices. With this information, electric vehicle owners can make well-informed decisions about when and where to recharge.
Many utilities are eager to offer programs that further incorporate clean transportation into the grid. Red Clay has over fifteen years of experience and is well positioned to help with end-to-end functional and technical solutions for both clean transportation projects and projects that require dynamic pricing and billing. Contact us today at 678.445.3770 or info(at)redclay.com to start the conversation about your next project.
About Red Clay Consulting
Red Clay, a leading consultancy for utilities, delivers seamless integrations of leading software systems. Industry experience, technical expertise, and an unyielding commitment to client success combine to deliver turnkey solutions that maximize value. As a Gold Level member of the Oracle Partner Network (OPN), Red Clay Consulting is the preferred choice among utilities for software integration and managed services. Red Clay’s unparalleled experience, expertise, and execution fuel project success. To learn more about Red Clay, visit: http://www.redclay.com.
Susanne Wagner, Red Clay Consulting, http://www.redclay.com, +1 404-314-6317, [email protected]
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