Charging private electric vehicles solely by photovoltaics: A battery-free direct-current microgrid with distributed charging strategy

Xiaochen Liu, Zhi Fu, Siyuan Qiu, Tao Zhang, Shaojie Li, Zhi Yang, Xiaohua Liu and Yi Jiang

Applied Energy, 2023, vol. 341, issue C, No S0306261923004221

Abstract: Charging electric vehicles (EV) by photovoltaics (PV) contributes to achieving carbon neutrality, but puts pressure on urban renewal, e.g., large investments in distribution grid upgrade and energy storage (ES). To solve this problem, we proposed a charging system aiming at providing intermittent but free solar charging service for private EV drivers to cover their daily intra-urban transportation demand. It is a battery-free direct-current (DC) microgrid with a distributed charging strategy, taking variable DC bus voltage as a control signal. The system was optimized and tested by simulation on an office building with 80 private EVs. We performed a system performance comparison, when achieving the same guarantee level of EV use with the parking shed fully cover by PV. A 10-kW charger (DC Level 1) with the strategy can take the role of a 3.5-kW charger (AC Level 2) with ES (26.0 kWh/parking space) to coordinate PV generation and charging load. Furthermore, connecting the system with the adjacent building can increase the annual solar self-consumption rate from 33.3% to 67.9%, and avoid the distribution grid upgrade (average 5.6 kVA/charger). The discounted payback time of this building-connected system decreases from 9.4 to 4.5 years, compared with a conventional solar charging station.

Keywords: Electric vehicle (EV); Photovoltaics (PV); Direct-current (DC) microgrid; Charging strategy; Decarbonization; Urban renewal (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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DOI: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2023.121058

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