Optimal installation and operation planning of parking spaces for solar-powered electric vehicles using hemispherical images

Abstract

This study aimed to select the optimal installation of parking spaces for solar-powered electric vehicles using hemispherical images and to suggest operation plans. Hemispherical images were captured in parking spaces to generate shading matrices. The parking space suitability index was introduced to quantify the ratio of direct and diffuse solar insolation that is diminished by shadows during the operational hours of the parking space designated exclusively for solar-powered electric vehicles. Spatially adjacent parking spaces were grouped using a genetic algorithm to assign multiple solar-powered electric vehicles-only parking spaces. Finally, the optimal installation sites with the highest parking space suitability index were selected as the parking space dedicated to solar-powered electric vehicles. This approach was applied to 69 parking spaces in an off-street parking lot at Pukyong National University. The calculated parking space suitability index of parking spaces for four seasons showed that the shading effects were the same in the summer season (spring and summer), and in the morning and afternoon of the winter season (autumn and winter). It was more appropriate to park in different spaces during the summer, winter morning, and winter afternoon because of the shading effect.