High penetration of electric vehicles in an isolated grid: A study in Guadeloupe

High penetration of electric vehicles in an uncontrolled manner could have disruptive effects on an electric grid, particularly a finite grid. This study is based on the island of Guadeloupe, where the electricity has a high carbon footprint and there are legal limits on the proportion of variable energy resources for stability reasons. Considering this context, the aim of this paper is to show that a high penetration of electric vehicles would help the integration of more renewable energy resources and provide ancillary services to the grid, using a fleet-operator-based charging strategy. A model has been developed to simulate the integration of electric vehicles in Guadeloupe, based on the aspects of electricity generation, demand, and driving behaviors of its consumers. Different scenarios have been investigated to highlight possible optimization strategies. The base scenario shows that an introduction of 20,000 electric vehicles could potentially support a 69% increase in variable energy resources and potentially reduce greenhouse gases emissions by 25%.