Joaquim Delgado

Integration of renewable energy generation with EV charging strategies to optimize grid load balancing

In this paper we will discuss three different Electric Vehicle Charging Strategies known as Dumb Charge, Smart Charge and Vehicle To Grid (V2G); as well as their impacts on the Portuguese Electric Transmission Grid for a 100% Electric Vehicle Fleet scenario. The future interaction between V2G and the large-scale penetration Renewable Resources will also be analyzed.

Managing the Charging of Electrical Vehicles: Impacts on the Electrical Grid and on the Environment

Electric vehicles are seen as an option to reduce greenhouse emissions, directly related with the electricity generation mix and with the time of charging due to the variations of the generation sources during the day. At the same time, with their widespread adoption the increase in the demand for electricity to charge these vehicles could pose significant challenges to the electrical grid in terms of additional load due to unmanaged charge strategies. In order to mitigate these problems, the charging of the electrical vehicles must be managed. This paper presents the development of a system architecture to dynamically control the charging of electric vehicles to maintain the proper operation of the local distribution grid and minimize the environmental impact. The hardware consists of two modules, a meter and controllable plugs both with communication capabilities, while the software consists in a forecast and scheduler module. The forecast module calculates the load based on the power consumption behavior and uses the renewable generation forecast to assign the best time slot to charge the vehicle. The system aims to minimize the load peaks and flatten the load profile, while minimizing the environmental impacts. Based on the user preferences, system characteristics, consumption and renewable generation forecast, the system will assign the most suitable time slot to charge the electric vehicle. For the case of multiple electric vehicles, the system will schedule their charge based on a calculated priority level, in order to maintain a reliable operation of the local electrical grid.

Integration of PEV in Portuguese distribution grid: Analysis of harmonic current emissions in charging points

Regarding expected contribution of Plug-in Electric Vehicles (PEV) to improve the energy efficiency, to reduce CO2 emissions and to support the integration of renewable energy sources, this paper presents the legal framework for development of electric mobility in Portugal. Followed by a brief description of methods and modes of PEV charging and by an introduction to the harmonic theory, measurement results are presented for Normal Power and High Power DC charging methods. The results include the characterization of voltage and current harmonic distortion during charging operations of the ISRs Nissan Leaf, by a normal socket outlet in office-building, and the EDPs Mitsubishi i-MiEV, by a High Power DC charging point in a Galps gas station.

Electrical power delivery improvement in Portugal through quality function deployment

Quality Function Deployment was applied to the electrical power delivery sector in Portugal. This led to identifying critical dimensions which customers would like/want to see improved in the electrical product and service. In order to achieve these improvements a set of solutions was found and provided to the Portuguese utility Company. In this paper we describe all of the steps of the work done and present the customer Satisfaction Index scores measured before the study w as conducted in 2001 and at the end of 2006.

Solutions to mitigate power quality disturbances resulting from integrating intermittent renewable energy in the grid of Porto Santo

Due to the electricity increase consumption in recent decades, the rising price of fossil energy and uncertainty associated with its supply, there has been a growing concern for energy efficiency and the exploration of endogenous renewable energy sources. These changes are intended to promote greater security in supply, to reduce energy bills as well as greenhouse gas emissions. If this effort make sense anywhere, it is even more significant in islands where conventional primary energy is considerably more expensive. Given the intermittence of renewable sources such as solar and wind, it becomes essential to search for effective solutions to integrate them into the grid. This work describes the methodology for choosing an effective solution for the integration of intermittent generation in the island of Porto Santo.