Methodology to Analyze the Economic Effects of Electric Cars as Energy Storages

The nature of transport and energy use is radically changing along with the upward trend of electric vehicles. The rapid technological development of electrical vehicles opens new opportunities from the electricity distribution point of view. Efficiency can be improved by implementing energy storages to the grid and cutting the load peaks by feeding power on peak hours from the energy storages to the grid. Electric vehicles with vehicle-to-grid (V2G) properties provide an opportunity to meet this challenge. In this paper, the challenge is approached from the economic perspective of an electricity distribution company. The key target of the paper is to determine whether there is economic potential for energy storages in networks in general. To this end, a generic model is introduced to analyze the feasibility of electric vehicles as energy storages in distribution networks. The methodological framework presented in the paper provides an opportunity for distribution system planners to estimate the preliminary feasibility of energy storages. The focus is on the discharging (vehicle to grid) perspective. The paper answers, for instance, the question of how to define the feasible level of energy storages (batteries) in the distribution system. In the paper, for background information, an extensive literature review is provided on electric vehicles.