On the Sustainable Charging of Electric Vehicles in the Presence of Distributed Photovoltaic Generation

Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) are called to play a relevant role in the decarbonization of the urban mobility. However, the actual sustainability of BEVs remains doubtful, particularly if the energy stored in the batteries is produced from fossil fuels rather from renewable sources. In this scenario, the presence of renewable energy resources, such as Photovoltaic (PV) systems, could help to increase the rate of renewable energy used to recharge the BEVs. But how much is the actual potential of distributed PV systems to reduce the indirect environmental impact of BEVs? How can we foster the sustainable charging of BEVs? This study tries to answer these questions by estimating the indirect GHG emissions and charging costs of BEVs in a prosumer’s network equipped with a PV system, depending on the time the BEV is connected to the charging outlet. The results show that, for the considered use case, potential savings of 84.5% of BEV GHG emissions could be obtained. In addition, the study highlights how the use of smart charging functions, combined with price-based or incentive-based demand response programs, will be crucial to foster the sustainable use of BEVs.