Electric Vehicle Charging Station Based on Photovoltaic Energy with or without the Support of a Fuel Cell-Electrolyzer Unit

The transport sector generates more than 35% of total CO2 emissions. Electric vehicles are the future of transportation systems, and the demand for electric vehicles has grown considerably in the last few years due to government support. Companies worldwide are investing heavily in electric car charging stations based on renewable energy. This research study presents a complete design (including an appropriate energy management strategy) for a photovoltaic energy-based electric vehicle charging station (EVCS) with or without the support of a fuel cell and electrolyzer system. The parameters considered for designing the necessary capacity of the battery pack to support the required load are relative to the location-specific solar radiation (using RETScreen (R) Clean Energy Management Software, Version 9.0, Government of Canada, Toronto, Canada), the efficiency of the solar panel, the used strategy, etc. The battery capacity in the EVCS design based on a power-following strategy is about 20 times smaller than that resulting in the reference design. Additionally, the cost for an EVCS design based on a power-following strategy is almost half that resulting in the reference design. An analysis of the power-following strategy was carried out according to three EVCS operating scenarios.

Automated summary

The transport sector is responsible for over 35% of CO2 emissions. Electric vehicles (EVs) have gained significant demand in recent years due to government support, leading companies to heavily invest in renewable energy-based EV charging stations. This study presents a comprehensive design for a photovoltaic energy-based EV charging station, considering factors such as solar radiation, panel efficiency, and energy management strategy. The design based on a power-following strategy significantly reduces battery capacity and cost compared to reference design. Three operating scenarios were analyzed for the power-following strategy.