The EV4EU Portuguese Demonstrator gave another significant step towards its implementation. After nearly a year of intensive work and a technical meeting in June in Lisbon to test the demo control architecture, the project has moved from the Lab to Eletricidade dos Açores (EDA) facilities on the Island of São Miguel, Azores.
At EDA’s demonstration site, the project will now test EV Fleet Management for SMEs focusing on light passenger transport. With six charging points, the site will support a fleet of at least 32 electric vehicles and test Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) smart control strategies tailored to the needs of companies managing their fleets.
The Smart Energy Lab, INESC-ID, EDP NEW, EDA and DRE teams have developed a control architecture specifically developed for companies. This architecture has demonstrated excellent performance in managing an EV charging platform at the laboratory level, focusing on improving energy efficiency, leveraging renewable sources, and reducing energy bills. It proficiently handles the complexity of numerous data sources and near-real-time operations, incorporating forecasts for the following day. The main innovation of the system is the ability to create a positive differentiation between the users considering the needs of the companies, participate in grid services such as reducing wind curtailment and improving voltage profiles in low voltage grids. Afterwards a cost effective V2G solution will be tested in this pilot.
Currently, this control architecture is undergoing validation in a laboratory setting that simulates a real-world company environment. This setup includes various types of EV users, such as the company’s fleet, employees, and visitors. The environment also features multiple charging points, where the control architecture must ensure efficient energy delivery to users. Additionally, it incorporates V2V (vehicle-to-vehicle) technology, enabling potential energy transfer between vehicles when necessary.
To this Demo, Smart Energy Lab has contributed with the development of EDGE – Electrical switchboard for smart charging of Electric Vehicles, that allows to implement the algorithms developed by INESC ID since works as HUB and controller. These centered strategies for the mass adoption of EVs are briefly explained in this short video.
The EDA Demo is one of three pilot sites for the Portuguese Demonstrator. Besides V2X management for companies, the project is also designed to test V2X management in house settings and buildings, including the Regional Civil Engineering Laboratory, as detailed below:
- Households – _1 single charging point EV Charging Station (CS) is to be placed at each of 7 households in São Miguel Island, 4 of which are equipped with solar PV and battery energy storage system (BESS), including 1 with bidirectional charging capabilities. In this regard, the Vehicle-to-Home (V2H) control algorithms developed within [4] will be tested in a real-life environment.
- Office building – _1 dual charging point electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) is to be placed at the office building of LREC in São Miguel Island. In this regard, the Vehicle-to-Building (V2B) within [5] will be tested in a real-life environment.
Over the past two years, the project has made significant progress, developing smart charging algorithms that incorporate V2X features. These algorithms offer grid services like reducing congestion and minimizing wind curtailment, while coordinating with renewable energy sources.
The next phase of the Portuguese Demonstrator involves installing the control architecture to monitor the functionality of the V2H management system in individual homes. This pilot will run in September 2024 and will be conducted in seven houses in São Miguel. Additionally, the Vehicle-to-Building (V2B) management system will be monitored through installations and commissioning at the EDA and LREC facilities.
The next months will be critical for the development of the demonstrators. Pilots in Denmark and Portugal are already working but several innovative business models and services should be tested.
The demonstrators in Slovenia and Greece will also soon be ready.
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