Efficient Plug-in Electric Vehicles Charging Scheduling to Increase Parking Lot Utilization

Abstract

The charging of Plug-in Electric Vehicles (PEVs) that is not properly coordinated leads to a significant decrease in voltage levels across the power grid, which affects the overall system performance, resulting in higher operational costs for both the grid and PEV users. An optimal charging schedule of PEVs is designed to maximize utilization in a car park. A fuzzy inference system is implemented to model the energy requirements of the PEVs. Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) is then utilized to devise the optimal charging schedule for the PEVs within the car park. The charging and discharging schedule are based on maximizing PEV penetration, utilizing a combination of fuzzy logic and PSO algorithms, in the different laterals of a 33-bus distribution system. The devised strategy offers several advantages, including minimizing the total daily cost for the parking operator, reducing the network's peak load, maintaining voltage stability, and accurately calculating associated costs.