Techno-commercial Analysis of a Solar Powered Electric Vehicle Charging Station for Chennai, India

Abstract

Solar energy is consistently proving to be a practical solution for our climate woes and increasing energy demands. There is a rising trend in the number of EVs (electric vehicles) in India. Hence, solar PV (photovoltaics) can be a utilized to charge EVs and reduce their well-to-wheel emissions. This paper aims to compare the operational performance of a solar-powered EV charging station with 5 different array capacities that are8, 10, 12.5, 15 and 20 kWp (kilo-watt-power) for Chennai in India. The design and simulations have been executed using PVsyst 7.0. The various results presented include- annual aggregate and seasonal trend of the number of EVs that can be charged, investment cost per km (kilometer) of EV usage and, decrease in CO2 (carbon dioxide) emissions annually. An optimization has also been carried out, to identify the optimal array capacity based on the minimal investment cost per kilometer. The results indicate that the 15 kWp solar array capacity is the optimal choice with minimal trade-off balance between unused energy, excess energy and the investment cost per kilometer. The results of this study are a useful indicator for the EV industry and for designing sustainable charging solutions at a decentralized level.