Exploring Electric Vehicles Energy Flexibility in Buildings

The large-scale integration of electric vehicles presents a challenge for the management of electrical distribution grids. These vehicles differ from conventional ones mainly in the need for charging. Due to user behavior, most vehicles charge simultaneously, leading to possible negative impacts on the electrical distribution grid. The digitalization of grid management can support solutions designed to mitigate those impacts through smart charging strategies. Even considering user comfort, charging of electric vehicles can be controlled thus providing energy flexibility to the building. This energy flexibility can be exploited to achieve different objectives, such as reducing end-user electricity costs while minimizing charging peak load. This paper addresses the impacts of large-scale integration of electric vehicles on a building’s electricity consumption and the development of a charging management strategy to mitigate possible negative impacts. The study considers a building and a car park located in NOVA School of Science and Technology, Portugal. Multiple combinations of possible charging power values, electric vehicle penetration ratios and parking times are considered.