Planning and Operation of Smart EV Parking Lots

Abstract

Aiming to reduce Green House Gas (GHG) emissions and to increase resources security, renewable resources and electric vehicles (EVs) are gaining a lot of global interest. Promoting the use of EVs for consumers requires proper charging infrastructure adding a considerable amount of load on the grid. Aiming to accommodate this extra load economically, proper planning and operation studies have to be implemented avoiding grid overloading severe consequences. The smart coordination of EV charging via the demand side management and local generation from Photovoltaic panels can efficiently reshape the EV charging load to ensure seamless integration with the grid. Therefore, this research focuses on the development of new methodologies to facilitate accommodating high penetration of EVs. The research work will be achieved through two main stages, namely the planning stage and the operation stage. One of the main pillars of smart grids is the implementation of twoway communication with customers. Therefore, in both research stages, it is assumed that smart signals can be exchanged between the EV and the dispatch center. Planning stage starts with the development of new models to describe the effects of EVs charging as an electric load. The output of the proposed planning scheme will include several implementation decisions such as configuration of the charging stations, types, and number of EV chargers, the local generation by phtovoltic units and the expected profit, among other information. The operation stage proposes an innovative approach for day ahead load scheduling for smart charging/discharging management for EV charging stations. The main target of this approach is to maximize both customer satisfaction and stakeholder's profit