Optimal Sizing and Operation of Solar PV powered EV Battery Swapping Station for Indian Petroleum Retail Outlet

Abstract

India has enormous potential for implementing solar PV and Electric vehicles (EVs); however, the stochastic nature of PV and EV complicates their integration into the distribution system. Moreover, EVs presently have significant drawbacks, such as long charging time and a limited range. This paper presents a case study on developing a cost-effective model for implementing EV charger-installed PV-powered Petroleum Retail Outlets (PRO) in India. The case study considers the design and operational aspects of five evolutionary stages of PV-based Battery Swapping Station (BSS) deployment in PRO. The optimal charging methodology for the PV-based BSS under Real-time pricing (RTP) for demand and ToD based Feed-in Tariff (ToD-FIT) for solar feed-in is obtained using a COIN-OR-based Linear Programming algorithm. The optimized solar PV capacity payback period and LCOE are computed for different cases. The study result shows that the proposed model benefits all stakeholders from a capital expenditure and operational expenditure perspective. It is replicable across India as it gives stakeholders an optimal techno-economic model to implement PV-based BSS at PROs.