Using locally produced photovoltaic energy to charge electric vehicles

Abstract

Mobility in Switzerland currently consumes about 35% of the total energy demand. While internal combustion engines still generate most of it, the increasing number of electric vehicles changes the landscape by decoupling energy production from consumption. This allows using more sustainable energy sources, such as photovoltaics (PV), hydroelectric power plants or wind turbines. In the past years, the number of PV installations has grown rapidly in Switzerland. It is expected that PV has the highest growth potential of all renewable energy sources. Solar panels are especially interesting, as they can be installed on most buildings, which distributes the electricity production. However, due to frequent fluctuations in production, PV poses a challenge for the existing power grid. It is unclear to what extent PV production can be increased without the need for extensions of the power grid, such as additional transmission lines or storage capabilities. Electric vehicles could be used to consume fluctuating electricity production. In this paper, we study the effects of using locally produced photovoltaic power to recharge electric vehicles of commuters in individual Swiss municipalities. Such an analysis not only gives us indications of the potentials and limits of using photovoltaics to satisfy mobility energy demands, but can also be used to better direct subsidies and plan the electrical grid.