Valuing EV Managed Charging for Bulk Power Systems

Luke Lavin, Elaine Hale, Arthur Yip, Brady Cowiestoll, Jiazi Zhang, Paige Jadun, Matteo Muratori

Research output: NRELPresentation

Abstract

When and where electric vehicle (EV) charging occurs has significant implications for power systems supporting widespread EV adoption, especially with high shares of wind and solar generation. This study extends previous works by leveraging detailed simulation models for EV adoption, EV use, EV charging, and bulk power system operations, and by linking them with methods for describing charging flexibility at both the individual vehicle and aggregate levels. This technical potential study focuses on how the value of EV managed charging (EVMC) changes depending on charging flexibility type (within-charging session or within-week scheduling), dispatch mechanism (direct load control or one of several price-based mechanisms), and managed charging participation rate. We show that naively aggregating EV charging flexibility from individual vehicles into megawatt-scale resources grossly overestimates the flexibility of the fleet, because such aggregate models can unrealistically pair, e.g., one already-fully-charged vehicle's ability to increase load with another already-charging vehicle's ability to accept more charge, effectively requesting a charging rate that is infeasible for the latter vehicle. We find per-vehicle bulk system value is highest at low participation rates for all dispatch mechanisms. Factoring in production cost savings, avoided firm capacity savings, and combustion-related power sector emissions savings, we estimate the value of EVMC at low participation rates (5%) to be $33/vehicle-year to $69/vehicle-yr for within-session charging flexibility and $40/vehicle-yr to $120/vehicle-yr for within-week charging flexibility in an envisioned 2038 New England power system and monetary value reported in 2016 U.S. dollars. At 100% participation, per-vehicle value declines to $25/vehicle-yr to $31/vehicle-yr for within-session charging flexibility and to $29/vehicle-yr to $36/vehicle-yr for within-week charging flexibility; however, 100% participation yields the highest total system savings.
Original languageAmerican English
Number of pages25
StatePublished - 2023

Publication series

NamePresented at Energy Systems Integration Group (ESIG) 2023 Spring Technical Workshop, 27-30 March 2023, Tucson, Arizona

NREL Publication Number

  • NREL/PR-6A40-85618

Keywords

  • aggregation
  • demand flexibility
  • electric vehicle managed charging
  • electric vehicles
  • production cost modeling
  • renewable energy
  • TEMPO
  • virtual power plants

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