Increasing photovoltaic and electric vehicle utilization in the built environment: from challenges to opportunities

Deployment of photovoltaics (PV) and electric vehicles (EVs) are both increasing in the built environment.

To avoid (i) the large-scale upgrading of the existing grid system and (ii) high electricity costs caused by unregulated loads, a resource-efficient and cost-effective way is coupling PV power sharing and smart EV charging.

This can enhance the local electrical balance in building communities (i.e., a group of neighboring buildings connected in a microgrid) and distribution grid.

This project proposes a Community-to-Vehicle-to-Community (C2V2C) model, which facilitates the optimal coupling of the PV power sharing and smart EV charging, considering the spatio-temporal power regulating needs and complex energy systems.

The EVs will be charged smartly using the surplus PV power from one PV-power-sharing community and deliver an optimized amount of power to another in a distance during different parking periods. This project will first study the typical EV parking patterns in different types of buildings in Sweden.

Then, coordinated controls and novel business models, which optimally couple the PV power sharing and smart EV charging, will be developed.

Next, the robustness of the C2V2C model will be studied by analyzing the impacts of various factors on its techno-economic performances.

This work will construct a data repository and form new knowledge to promote the sustainable and resilient development of building communities in future cities.