An Approach to Mitigate Electric Vehicle Penetration Challenges through Demand Response, Solar Photovoltaics and Energy Storage Applications in Commercial Buildings

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dc.contributor.authorSehar, Fakehaen
dc.contributor.committeechairRahman, Saifuren
dc.contributor.committeememberSilva, Luiz A.en
dc.contributor.committeememberGhandforoush, Parvizen
dc.contributor.committeememberPipattanasomporn, Manisaen
dc.contributor.committeememberBroadwater, Robert P.en
dc.contributor.departmentElectrical and Computer Engineeringen
dc.date.accessioned2019-01-10T07:00:35Zen
dc.date.available2019-01-10T07:00:35Zen
dc.date.issued2017-07-18en
dc.description.abstractElectric Vehicles (EVs) are active loads as they increase the demand for electricity and introduce several challenges to electrical distribution feeders during charging. Demand Response (DR) or performing load control in commercial buildings along with the deployment of solar photovoltaic (PV) and ice storage systems at the building level can improve the efficiency of electricity grids and mitigate expensive peak demand/energy charges for buildings. This research aims to provide such a solution to make EV penetration transparent to the grid. Firstly, this research contributes to the development of an integrated control of major loads, i.e., Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC), lighting and plug loads while maintaining occupant environmental preferences in small- and medium-sized commercial buildings which are an untapped DR resource. Secondly, this research contributes to improvement in functionalities of EnergyPlus by incorporating a 1-minute resolution data set at the individual plug load level. The research evaluates total building power consumption performance taking into account interactions among lighting, plug load, HVAC and control systems in a realistic manner. Third, this research presents a model to study integrated control of PV and ice storage on improving building operation in demand responsive buildings. The research presents the impact of deploying various combinations of PV and ice storage to generate additional benefits, including clean energy generation from PV and valley filling from ice storage, in commercial buildings. Fourth, this research presents a coordinated load control strategy, among participating commercial buildings in a distribution feeder to optimally control buildings' major loads without sacrificing occupant comfort and ice storage discharge, along with strategically deployed PV to absorb EV penetration. Demand responsive commercial building load profiles and field recorded EV charging profiles have been added to a real world distribution circuit to analyze the effects of EV penetration, together with real-world PV output profiles. Instead of focusing on individual building's economic benefits, the developed approach considers both technical and economic benefits of the whole distribution feeder, including maintaining distribution-level load factor within acceptable ranges and reducing feeder losses.en
dc.description.abstractgeneralUtilities generally meet peak demand through expensive peaking units which are operated only for short periods of time. At the same time the growing demand for Electric Vehicles (EVs) in the U.S. impacts the already burdened distribution feeder during peak hours. EVs are active loads as they increase the distribution feeder’s demand when charging. EV charging may bring about several challenges to the distribution feeder, including reduced load factors, potential transformer overloads, feeder congestion and violation of statutory voltage limits. On the other hand, building owners want to make buildings demand responsive so that they can participate in a demand response program offered by a regional electric grid operator to earn additional revenues. Allowing buildings to be demand-responsive by controlling buildings’ major loads, including HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning), lighting and plug loads based on demand reduction signals from the grid has proven to provide tremendous savings. Additionally, optimized peak demand reductions at the building level by means of coordinated control of building loads, solar photovoltaic (PV) and ice storage systems can play a major role in flattening the building load shape, thereby decreasing its peak electricity consumption and at the same time mitigating grid stress conditions when needed. This study discusses the impacts of EV charging on a distribution feeder serving demand responsive commercial customers and develops a mitigation strategy to make EV penetration transparent to the grid. The mitigation strategy relies on coordinated control of major loads in demand responsive commercial buildings, ice storage discharge, along with strategically deployed PV. The analysis presented in this study shows that the developed approach can help mitigate EV penetration challenges by reducing the peak distribution system load, reducing feeder losses and improving distribution system load factor.en
dc.description.degreePh. D.en
dc.format.mediumETDen
dc.identifier.othervt_gsexam:12167en
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10919/86654en
dc.publisherVirginia Techen
dc.rightsIn Copyrighten
dc.rights.urihttp://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/en
dc.subjectSmart Griden
dc.subjectDemand Responseen
dc.subjectCommercial Buildingsen
dc.subjectElectric Vehiclesen
dc.subjectPhotovoltaicsen
dc.subjectDistribution Networken
dc.subjectIce storageen
dc.titleAn Approach to Mitigate Electric Vehicle Penetration Challenges through Demand Response, Solar Photovoltaics and Energy Storage Applications in Commercial Buildingsen
dc.typeDissertationen
thesis.degree.disciplineElectrical Engineeringen
thesis.degree.grantorVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State Universityen
thesis.degree.leveldoctoralen
thesis.degree.namePh. D.en

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