Optimal Coordination of Plug-in Electric Vehicles in Power Grids With Cost-Benefit Analysis—Part II: A Case Study in China

Abstract

Continuing with a set of enabling techniques for the optimal coordination of plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) in Part I, we present a case study in this paper using techniques based on the data collected in the Beijing–Tianjin–Tangshan Region (BTTR) China to discover optimal PEV coordination strategies and assess the attractiveness of these strategies. In Part II, we first present the charging characteristics for different categories of PEVs in BTTR and predict the optimal seasonal daily loads with PEVs under different PEV penetration levels using a two-stage optimization model in both 2020 and 2030. The simulation results indicate that optimal PEV coordination effectively reduces the peak load and smooths the load curve. Finally, we present a cost-benefit analysis of optimal coordination strategies by taking a social welfare approach. The analysis shows that the optimal coordination strategies are beneficial in terms of the reduction in capital investment in power grid expansion and that the attractiveness of a coordination strategy is related to the coordination level. The results also show that the fully coordinated charging and vehicle to grid are not the most attractive strategies. This case study is useful for better understanding the costs and benefits of PEV coordination strategies and for supporting PEV-related decision and policy making from a power system planning perspective.