Data Driven Cost Analyses of Residential Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure

For a convenient electric vehicle charging, residential chargers will become essential in the near future. The power fluctuations, ranging from zero to peak levels, in the power consumption of these chargers are closely tied to the operation patterns based on users’ daily routines. Concerning the balance of electricity production and consumption, these types of installations pose particular challenges for the grid. Using renewable sources (e.g., photovoltaic power plants) in conjunction with energy storage (e.g., battery storage), known as energy shifting, represent a possible solution for grid stabilization. Moreover, grid authorities tend to motivate prosumers with financial rewards for contributions to the system balance. However, to fully harness the energy shifting capabilities of a battery storage system, it is beneficial to understand how the power flows of the installation are distributed throughout the day. By using real data from a residential charging station as a basis for the load profile, along with simulated photovoltaic power plant production and a battery storage system, the hourly distribution of power flow for individual installation components is presented. Additionally, the hourly distribution of the overall operational costs of the simulated installation is assessed. This approach can help to inform investors about the expected returns and guide the decisions about charging infrastructure deployment.