Active Charge Management of Electric Vehicles to Minimize Strain on Electricity Systems
Project overview
This research focuses on addressing an important issue in charging electric vehicles, which is the high power needed for Electric Vehicle (EV) chargers. Unlike regular home appliances using one to three kilowatts, most EV owners use "Level 2" chargers drawing seven to 12 kW. This demand stresses local power systems, unable to handle multiple 12 kW draws from homes sharing a single transformer.
This pressure can lead to reliability problems and increased infrastructure costs, impacting all electricity users, not just EV owners. It also raises fairness concerns and opposition to the shift towards electric transportation. To tackle this problem, the research explores how EV owners can adjust their charging times, reducing the burden on the electricity system.
Key project details
| Principal investigator | Blake Shaffer, associate professor, Economics, University of Calgary |
Co-principal investigators |
Megan Bailey, assistant professor, Finance, University of Calgary; Erica Myers, associate professor, Economics, University of Calgary |
Research collaborators |
David Brown, Canada Research Chair in Energy Economics & Policy, University of Alberta; Frank Wolak, research associate, Stanford University |
| Non-academic partners | |
| Research Keywords | electric vehicles, demand response, flexibility, electrification, managed charging, field experiment |
| Budget | Cash: $425,000 In-Kind: $300,000 |
Research focus
Off-peak charging
The research explores initiatives to promote off-peak charging times, especially overnight. It also investigates dynamic strategies that align with times when plenty of renewable energy is available. This approach helps lower overall system costs and eliminates the need for additional peak power generation.
Coordination among vehicles
This study also examines the impact of charging time on local distribution systems. Simply shifting charging to off-peak hours may not be sufficient; therefore, coordination among vehicles is essential to prevent overloading when many high-powered chargers operate simultaneously. Modern EVs equipped with software and telemetry technology can effectively facilitate this coordination.
Non-academic partners
Thank you to our non-academic partners for your support and trust.
