Impact on the Distribution Grid Due to the Introduction of Electric Vehicles on Fernando de Noronha Island (Brazil)

HIGHLIGHTS

• Evaluation of the impacts of electric vehicles penetration on distribution grids.

• Power flow simulations on GridLab-D software considering the distribution grid with electric vehicles charging stations and a carport.

• Analysis of the real distribution grid of Fernando de Noronha Island.

Abstract

Increasing global temperatures over the past years have become a worry. To mitigate this, countries have set out to decrease their greenhouse gas emissions soon. A major contributor to these emissions has been the transport sector. Electric mobility has appeared as an opportunity to decarbonize this sector. With this in mind, Fernando de Noronha Island, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, has determined to ban all fossil fuel vehicles by 2030. Understanding the impact electric vehicles can have on the island's distribution grid is fundamental to achieving this goal. To determine these impacts, electrical vehicle chargers were added to the model of the island's power system in GridLad-D. Apart from these chargers, the impact of adding an extra carport charger fitted with solar panels was also determined. In total, six different charging scenarios were simulated, with each varying the period in which vehicle charging was allowed to take place. The impacts were determined for the day, afternoon, and night charging, with and without the presence of a carport. The parameters measured include system power demand, voltage, and total losses. From the results, it was possible to determine the charging strategy that causes the least and most impact on the system’s distribution grid.

Keywords:
Electric Vehicles; Distribution Grids; GRIDLAB-D; Carport; Charging Strategies