Optimum Design of an Electric Vehicle Charging Station Using a Renewable Power Generation System in South Korea

Abstract

In the context of global warming and fossil fuel depletion, electric vehicles (EVs) have become increasingly popular for reducing both carbon emissions and fossil fuel consumption. However, as the demand for EV charging power rises along with the expansion of EVs, conventional power plants require more fuel, and carbon emissions increase. This suggests that the goal of promoting EV adoption to mitigate climate change and reduce reliance on fossil fuels may face significant challenges. Therefore, there is a need to adopt renewable energy generation for EV charging stations to maximize the effectiveness of EV distribution in an eco-friendly way. This paper aims to propose an optimal renewable energy generation system for an EV charging station, with a specific focus on the use of an actual load profile for the station, the consideration of carbon emissions and economic evaluation, and the study of a specific case location in Korea. As a case study, an EV charging station in Korea was selected, and its renewable energy fractions (REF) of 0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% were considered for comparison of carbon emissions and economic evaluation with the help of HOMER software. In addition, the system with 25% REF was analyzed to find the best operating strategy considering the climate characteristics of the case site. The results show that the system configuration of PV/ESS is the most economical among all the REF cases, including PV, WT, and ESS, due to the meteorological characteristics of the site, and that the system with REF below 25% is the most optimal in economic terms and carbon emissions.