Impact of plug-in hybrid electric vehicle charging/discharging management on a microgrid

Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) may replace conventional vehicles in most urban areas and populated cities due to their lower levels of air pollution compared to internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. PHEVs can increase the ability of residential complexes to participate in demand-side management, as well. This paper explores the potential of PHEVs as a flexible load in order to satisfy 2 main issues: increasing the penetration rate of renewable energy in a microgrid and increasing the load factor. In this study, 3 scenarios for managing PHEV charging and discharging are considered. The first scenario connects PHEVs to the grid as plug-and-forget demand. In the second and third scenarios, PHEVs are connected vehicle to grid (V2G). This means that both charging and discharging are possible in an interface. For each scenario an algorithm is defined to manage the charge and discharge of vehicles. Load factor, rate of renewable energy penetration, and total costs are 3 factors we tried to improve in these algorithms. This study was performed for the Ekbatan residential complex in Tehran, Iran. There are many regions around the world with similar situations where this work could be expanded.