Integration of Plug-in Electric Vehicles and distributed energy resources on power distribution systems

Abstract

The utility industry is expecting a proliferation of Plug-in Electric Vehicles (PEV). This has prompted increasing interest in evaluating the potential impacts of PEVs on power distribution system planning and operations, as well as in proposing mitigation approaches that allow their seamless integration. In addition, there is a noticeable growth in the number of solar photovoltaic distributed generation (PV-DG) being interconnected to distribution feeders in North America and other regions. The rising penetration of PV-DG may also lead to important impacts on power distribution systems, particularly due to the intermittent nature of its output caused by cloud cover. As an emerging technology, Distributed Energy Storage (DES) aims to improve the reliability, efficiency, and controllability of the power distribution system and to facilitate the integration of distributed generations. This paper discusses the integration of all these technologies from a technical perspective and investigates how DES may be used as a means for mitigating the impacts of PEV charging and PV-DG interconnection. Results of simulations conducted on an actual distribution feeder are presented and discussed.