Opportunities for electric vehicle fast charging networks in Northern regions using smart charging

Abstract

The article examines the possibilities of charging electric vehicles from renewable resources in Latvia. Electric vehicles (EV) have been recognized as a way to decrease CO2 emissions in the transportation sector. Still, the real benefit of EV's depends on the source of the energy. Solar energy has been established to become a viable source for environmentally friendly energy as the costs of solar panels have been decreasing. However, in northern areas the amount of solar energy is limited during wintertime, which complicates using solar energy as the only energy source. This article models two possible operational scenarios for energy consumption for EV charging, based on empirical data from charging station use in Latvia-one prioritizing energy security, the other-use of locally produced solar energy. The article then evaluates how both scenarios perform, by looking at the capacity for energy production from photovoltaics obtained from solar radiation data in Latvia and combining with an option of energy storage in batteries. It then assesses the costs for solar energy comparing with the energy price in the grid, to estimate the economic benefits of using solar energy for EV charging. The results of the research show that for northern regions like Latvia solar energy can be effectively used to bring down the energy costs by 31 % compared with the standard scenario, with the algorithm preferring local energy being more cost-efficient at the same grid connection level, but the security prioritizing algorithm performing better altogether, by allowing larger grid connection power level decrease.