Impact of EV interfacing on peak-shelving and frequency regulation in a microgrid

Sci Rep. 2024 Dec 28;14(1):31514. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-83309-3.

Abstract

A vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology enables bidirectional power exchange between electric vehicles (EVs) and the power grid, presenting enhanced grid stability and load management opportunities. This study investigates a comprehensive microgrid system integrating EVs with solar (8 MW), wind (4.5 MW), and diesel generation sources, focusing on peak load reduction and frequency regulation capabilities. Through MATLAB/Simulink simulations using a Phasor model, we analyze five distinct scenarios with varying EV fleet sizes (20-100 vehicles, 40 kW each). Results demonstrate that V2G integration effectively maintains grid frequency within 59.5-60.5 Hz across all test cases, achieving optimal performance using 100 EVs. Through strategic EV discharge scheduling, the system successfully reduces evening peak loads from 3000 to 2200 kW. Economic analysis reveals decreasing payback periods from 5.2 to 2.8 years as fleet size increases, with ROI improving from 12.5 to 23.1%. These findings establish quantitative benchmarks for V2G implementation in microgrids and demonstrate its viability for grid stability enhancement and load management applications.

Keywords: Electric vehicle; Frequency regulation; Microgrid; PEV; PV; Peak shelving; Smart Grid; V2G; Wind energy.