An intelligent solar powered battery buffered EV charging station with solar electricity forecasting and EV charging load projection functions

Abstract

An intelligent energy management approach for a solar powered EV charging station with energy storage has been studied and demonstrated for a level 2 charger at the University of California-Davis West Village. The approach introduces solar PV electrical energy forecasting and EV charging demand projection to optimize the energy management of the charging station. The percentage of cloud cover is extracted from a weather forecast website for estimating the available PV electrical energy. A linear fit of the historical EV charging load from the same day of the week over the previous six weeks is employed for extracting the charging pattern of the workplace EV charging station. Both simulations and actual operation show that intelligent energy management for a charging station with a buffer battery can reduce impacts of the EV charging system on utility grids in terms of peak power demand and energy exchange, reduce grid system losses, and benefit the charging station owner through the Time-of-Use rate plans.