New strategies for the massive introduction of electric vehicles in the operation and planning of smart power systems

Abstract

In the current context, where global warming is growing progressively, it is fundamental to limit fossil fuels consumption. Hence, transportation is one of the sectors in which several changes are occurring considering the sustainability. The Electric Vehicle appears as a new solution for this gradual change; it does not pollute locally and its energy's balance is very efficient. So, different programs have been proposed for the growth of electric vehicles in the automotive market. Nevertheless, the change from internal combustion vehicles to electric vehicles generates challenges in several aspects, such as the impact in the electric grid of a massive introduction of electric vehicles: voltage drops, power losses, quality of electricity issues, important investments, among others. Several solutions in operation have been formulated, but most of them do not consider the flexibility of users, which is a significant criterion for the electric vehicle acquisition. Moreover, in several works of the literature, many variables are assumed (stateof- charge, routes, type of battery, etc), which can vary significantly depending on the user, so also the results. Finally, few works have studied the impact of electric vehicles in very complex power systems, as the ones that are isolated from a macrogrid and because of significant penetration of renewable energy sources, such as microgrids. In this context, this thesis proposes a novel approach to the participation of the electric vehicle users in operation and planning of different electric power systems. This thesis is intended to cover various topics: charging costs decrease, regulation services participation, use of an excess of renewable energy, and the power generation planning of a microgrid considering the introduction of electric vehicles. In a first part, an analysis of the electric vehicle and its interaction with power systems is presented. Additionally, the principal works on the topic are summarized. Based on the analysis of these works, this thesis proposes a new methodology for optimizing the charge of electric vehicles. The participation of a new agent of the electricity market, the electric vehicle aggregator, is proposed. It has the ability to manage the charge of the electric vehicles in a zone with significant size, to coordinate with the grid operator in order to avoid troubles and to minimize charging costs. Furthermore, the different flexibility of electric vehicle users is considered because they will choose an EV customer choice product (CCP) that is adapted to their waiting needs and to the cost they can pay. The methodology has been applied to a case study in the grid of Quito, Ecuador. The participation in regulation services has been also considered to discuss this participation in Ancillary services. The CCPs from the part before are considered for performing such study but assuming more involvement from the electric vehicle users. The case study of Quito, Ecuador, was also studied. With the growth of renewable energies, such as solar and wind, the electricity management becomes more complicated. In order to use the excess of renewable energy, an EV charging mechanism for the aggregator is proposed, based on low prices when the renewable energy is in excess. Finally, a power generation planning for a microgrid is proposed, considering the massive introduction of electric vehicles. The case of the Santa Cruz and Baltra islands, Galapagos, Ecuador are studied to determine its costs and environmental impacts, based on diesel costs sensitivity studies to account for its uncertainty.