Computing optimal solar penetration in the presence of plug-in electric vehicles

We have developed a model to identify optimal sizes of aggregate solar PV capacity in a region that maximizes the effective load carrying capacity (ELCC) of the grid in the presence of increasing number of plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) participating in vehicle-to-grid operations. The model has been implemented using a simulation-based framework performing the following key steps: Compute optimal installed solar capacity without the presence of any PEVs; Compute optimal number of PEVs without the presence of any solar generation; Identify optimal installed solar capacity in the presence of PEVs We ran the model simulation using actual load and solar radiation data from New York City region over 4 years and observed that up to 1,130 MW of ELCC can be contributed by an optimal combination of solar generators and PEVs representing an economic benefit of $113 million per year. Corresponding CO₂ emission reductions are above 2,700 kiloton per year.