Flexibility-Enhancing Charging Station to Support the Integration of Electric Vehicles

Abstract

This paper discusses the Inspiria charging station facility in Norway, which enables various charging point operators to offer different charging systems for different purposes and needs. The charging station can be considered a specific case of a shared economy, as users share the same infrastructure and much of the same space. By utilizing new technology and the differences in charging needs in an innovative way, the power requirements for charging can be controlled and the severity of high-load periods can be reduced—both within the charging station’s system and outside it. Using historical traffic data from the Inspiria charging station’s area and Monte Carlo simulations, this study investigated the impact of charging on the grid—both in the current period and in the future. Attention was paid to the impact associated with the usage of superfast chargers. The possibility of containing grid disturbances through utilization of local flexibility was investigated. Finally, we investigated the benefits that the charging station model brings to charging point operators and car owners. The research reported provides support for ambitions for accelerated roll-out and increased density of cost-effective charging points, the wider implication of which concerns the transition to fossil-free transport and the utilization of locally generated, renewable energy.