Economic and environmental analysis of coupled PV-energy storage-charging station considering location and scale

The coupled photovoltaic-energy storage-charging station (PV-ES-CS) is an important approach of promoting the transition from fossil energy consumption to low-carbon energy use. However, the integrated charging station underdeveloped. One of the key reasons for this is that there lacks the evaluation of its economic and envi-ronmental benefits. Based on the electricity load of different types of buildings and the data of electric vehicle charging stations in Beijing, this paper analyzes the economic and environmental benefits of integrated charging station developed over different scales by the capacity optimization model. Said benefits are shown to differ considerably with different locations (building types): the construction of the integrated charging station in places where the electricity load is high at night, and where the curve of daytime electricity consumption consistent with the PV generation curve (e.g., hospitals), shows maximal economic benefits and carbon dioxide emissions reduction. In other (e.g., residential) areas, where power consumption is lower across both day and nighttime hours, the economic benefits and carbon dioxide emissions reduction are lowest. The economic and environmental benefits of the integrated charging station also markedly differ on different scales: with scale expansion, the rate of return on investment and the carbon dioxide emissions reduction first increase and then decrease. A decline in energy storage costs increases the economic benefits of all integrated charging station scales, an increase in EVs increases the economic benefits of small-scale investments, and expansion of the peak to-valley price difference increases the economic benefits of large-scale investments.

Automated summary

The coupled photovoltaic-energy storage-charging station (PV-ES-CS) is an important approach for promoting low-carbon energy use, but the integrated charging stations are underdeveloped due to the lack of evaluation on their economic and environmental benefits. This study analyzes the economic and environmental benefits of integrated charging stations developed at different scales, based on electricity load and data from electric vehicle charging stations in Beijing. The results show that the benefits vary significantly depending on the location (building type) and scale of the charging stations.