Control of battery electric vehicle charging for commercial time of day demand rate payers

The impact of battery electric vehicle (BEVs) charging on a commercial time of day rate customer is examined. Using the Nissan Leaf and the Chevrolet Volt, a case study of the University of Louisville is used to illustrate the economic and peak demand impacts of uncontrolled BEV charging. A BEV charge control algorithm based on 15-minute-ahead peak kVA forecasting is presented, along with three forecast methods. The algorithms are validated via simulation with the MATLAB software package. Results show uncontrolled charging can cause an increase in the monthly electric bill of up to 22% due to demand charges alone, even at low BEV penetration rates of 10%.