A hybrid combination of EV charging stations with renewable energy sources for powering a residential community. A techno‐economic perspective

Abstract

In this study, the performance of PV/wind/Diesel/battery schemes to satisfy the electrical load requirements of a residential community in five Nigerian cities: Sokoto, Katsina, Dutse, Jos, Gusau, and Zaria, have been techno‐economically evaluated. Two cases were considered: First, the hybrid system is designed to satisfy a residential community's load demand. Second, the system is optimized to satisfy both the requirements of electrical vehicles (EV) and the residential community. All simulations were carried out in MATLAB and validated by HOMER. For better utilization of energy, EV charging was carried out during periods of significant excess energy. The daily travel distance for EVs was set between 25 and 65 km. Sokoto and Gusau have the lowest LCOE (0.312) and NPC ($1.71 M) for a hybrid scheme without an EV battery charging, while Zaria has the highest (0.325 and $1.78 M). On the other hand, Sokoto and Gusau have the lowest LCOE (0.306) and NPC ($1.81 M) for a hybrid scheme with EV battery charging, whereas Zaria has the highest (0.32 and $1.89 M). Furthermore, as the EV travel distance increases, NPC rises, while the LCOE is highly sensitive to seasonal power requirements. The system has successfully utilized excess energy without compromising its financial viability. The novelty of the work presented in this paper is that for the first time a hybrid renewable energy system incorporating EV charging has been designed for various locations in Nigeria, which may aid policymakers in determining suitable locations for these schemes.