Examining the potential for residential solar charging to meet electric vehicles’ needs

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

Maximising the environmental benefits of electric vehicles (EVs) depends on charging them with renewable energy sources like solar power. This study explores the feasibility of two solar charging strategies: direct solar charging for those living in detached/semi-detached dwellings and grid-based solar charging with customised charging windows for all dwelling types. We develop a framework to investigate the impact of factors such as, vehicle travel patterns, charger level, seasonal variations in sunlight, and the size and penetration of residential photovoltaics (PVs). Analysing Victoria, Australia, we identify the benefits of midday tariff discounts to those living in apartments, as these households are likely to have vehicles parked at home during the day and are unlikely to have access to PVs for direct charging. Subsidies for Level 2 chargers bring little advantage to those engaging in direct solar charging. Such incentives should also target apartment residents to increase their benefit from midday discounts.