Connecting Parking Facilities to the Electric Grid: A Vehicle-to-Grid Feasibility Study in a Railway Station’s Car Park

Abstract

This study evaluates the impact of energy on the distribution network at the point of connection of an electric plant of a railway car parking facility in which charging points for electric vehicles (EVs) were installed. The objective is to identify a possible load curve of the simulated car park and, based on the principle of vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology, to develop an appropriate algorithm. Such an algorithm explores the possibility of a two-way energy flow between the connected vehicles and the electricity grid, and performs a peak shaving of the load curve of the plant under examination in order to avoid absorption peaks, which are usually difficult to manage when using the distribution system operator (DSO). The work also presents the coupling with a photovoltaic system designed specifically for the car park. The study results are presented after a summary of the current state of development of electric mobility, describing the various types of EVs, the charging infrastructure, and the possible applications in smart grids (SGs).