Operative Analysis of Controlled Charging Management for Electric Vehicles: Centralized and Decentralized Coordination

Electric vehicle (EV) charging management can be implemented through centralized or decentralized strategies. Strategic coordination between these approaches enhances system efficiency and balances energy loads, thereby supporting the widespread adoption of EVs and fostering a sustainable, emissions-free society. In this study, distribution network operators (DNOs), acting as centralized charging managers, are responsible for mitigating the lack of coordination among electric vehicle aggregators (EVAs), which represent decentralized managers. The primary objective of the centralized management in this research is to constrain each decentralized optimization model, characterized using Monte Carlo simulations. Three EV adoption scenarios--comprising 2,000, 2,500, and 3,750 vehicles--are evaluated by comparing decentralized charging management with an unregulated charging baseline in the IEEE 14-bus power system. Improvements are required only in the highest adoption scenario, where the proposed centralized coordination model is applied. The study models energy trading constraints for each EVA, assigning one aggregator per load-bearing bus in the system. Transmission-level results are analyzed and then synthesized for application in the IEEE 13-bus distribution power system. Findings demonstrate that coordinated centralized and decentralized charging management significantly improves operational conditions in both transmission and distribution networks without necessitating changes to travel behavior.