PowerWeb Lecture: “Grid impact of EV charging… and how different ways of smart charging can realize a smooth integration of EVs into the distribution grids”

Abstract

The electricity grid in the Netherlands is robust and highly reliable. Nevertheless, the capacity of the electricity grid is under pressure. In certain parts of the Netherlands, the fast-growing demand for transport capacity is resulting in a queue of (new) users, who cannot all get an expansion or new connection at the same time. In this context new national and European legislation leads to a rapid transition to electric driving for passenger cars. To be able to charge the future population of electric vehicles, more charging points are needed than can be realized within the grid capacity (according to the current calculation rules). By applying smart charging the impact of each charging point on the load on the electricity grid changes and more charging points can be connected. The smart charging mechanism needs and can be adjusted in due time. DSO propositions are in preparation for this.

New national and European legislation will also lead to further and faster electrification of the logistics sector. 30 to 40 Dutch municipalities are accelerating this by introducing ZE zones for diesels. From 2025, the TCO of electric vehicles in the city and beyond will gradually become more and more interesting. This growth must also be facilitated in the form of charging infrastructure and sufficient network capacity. Increasing congestion on the electricity grid, however, creates potential bottlenecks in the roll-out of this charging infrastructure, as a result of which transport companies may not be able to obtain the (additional) capacity that is necessary for charging the vehicles. This then also calls for smart charging incorporated in alternative, flexible contract forms to be able to facilitate charging needs from the logistics sector in a timely manner. The different developments and smart charging solutions will be explained in this lecture.