Optimal Operation of a Rooftop Photovoltaic Electric Vehicle Parking Lot

• Main Author: Helena Maria Dias Espassandim
• Publication Date: 2019
• Format: Master thesis
• Language: eng
• Source: Repositórios Científicos de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (RCAAP)
• Download full: https://hdl.handle.net/10216/121242
• topic: Engenharia electrotécnica, electrónica e informática; Electrical engineering, Electronic engineering, Information engineering

Due to the rapidly increasing share of electric vehicles (EVs) worldwide, there will be a need to offer many EV parking lots, to provide for their charging requirements in addition to attempting to fully utilize them for the benefit of future smart grids. However, increasing EVs penetration in such systems has to be planned with extra care, otherwise it might instead be a source of problems to grid reliability. Hence, well-operated EV parking lots can be a good solution to increase system stability. Equipping the parking lots with rooftop photovoltaics (PVs) has been gaining interest as a good approach for their design and operation, being an opportune and reasonably priced solution for EV charging needs. On this basis, when EVs are parked for a considerable period of time during the day, particularly in the mostly located near urban populations hubs, they can be charged directly by the solar generation. Accordingly, the aim of this paper is to provide a feasible solution for optimal operation of a PV-equipped EV parking lot, considering several parameters including weather conditions and EV driver's behaviors. This analysis will result in finding the optimal strategy for the operation of the parking lot from the owner/operator perspective in order to minimize costs and maximize services provided to the grid.