A Modeling Study Demonstrates the Benefits of Smart Charging in California.
Berkeley, California, United States
Green Charging of Electric Vehicles Under a Net-Zero Emissions Policy Transition in California
Summary Information
Electric vehicles are expected to make up an increasing percentage of vehicle fleets around the world in coming years. However, large numbers of electric vehicles may strain electrical grids and increase demand for fossil fuel electricity generation if charging is not carefully managed.
One way to reduce the electricity demand from electric vehicles is through the use of smart charging. Smart charging is a form of flexible charging in which networked charging stations optimize energy usage by monitoring and restricting charging based on demand and the condition of the power grid.
Overall, the team found that:
Smart charging can reduce CO2 emissions from power generation and reduce infrastructure costs. Specifically:
- The use of smart charging can reduce cumulative emissions from EVs by over 31 percent compared to conventional electric vehicle charging.
- Smart charging can reduce the cost of transitioning to 100 percent renewables by over 30 billion dollars over a 25 year period. Because smart charging is flexible, charging of electric vehicle can be aligned to maximum renewable output (e.g. the sunniest times of day) which can reduce the need to build additional power generation capabilities.
