Integrated Energy Management for Electric Vehicle Fleets with Detailed Evaluation of Solar Charging Station

This study presents an assessment of an electric vehicle (EV) charging station to achieve effective integration of renewable energy, energy management, and optimization of charging schedules. The main objective of the study is optimal energy allocation among a photovoltaic (PV), battery energy storage system (BESS), and grid to fulfill the energy requirements of EVs while minimizing the cost of energy (COE). The study considers a grid-connected PV based charging station (PVBCS), where EVs are charged using solar energy during daylight hours and surplus energy is stored in the BESS or sold back to the grid. During the nighttime, both the grid and BESS contribute to charging the EVs. Moreover, the study investigates the optimal allocation of power among all available sources throughout the day and also considers seasonal variability of PV output. Environmental benefits and 10,780 annualized charging sessions are also achieved in the study. The proposed study achieves optimized energy utilization of 64.1% from renewable energy resources (RERs), resulting in reduced COE to $0.086/kWh, addressing environmental concerns and optimizing EVs load.