Minimizing the Energy Storage Size in a Full Solar EV Charging Station by Optimising the Size and Orientation of PV Panel Group Sets

Abstract

This paper explores ways to minimize the size of the energy storage system needed to accommodate the power difference in availability of supply and demand in a full solar charging and parking station for Electric Vehicles (EV) by best fitting the size and orientation of a set of Photovoltaic (PV) panel groups to match the charging power consumption profile of parked EVs. By grouping the PV panels into multiple (2+) strings and orienting each string accordingly, the adjusted multi orientation PV panel system could produce a better matched overall power profile that may significantly reduce the supply/charging power mismatch therefore requiring less energy to be stored in the power buffer compared to the conventional PV oriented system where all panels are orientated in a single direction that maximizes PV energy capturing. Results of a relevant case study show that the proposed method successfully increases direct power supply from PV to EV whilst minimizing the storage size needed for power buffering the supply/demand mismatch. This design method could be useful when sizing the PV installation for a solar charging station at a large car park where there is a very limited power available from the grid and most demand occurs during daytime, as is the case of a regional airport of train station used extensively by daily commuters.