Value of plug-in vehicle grid support operation

Plug-in electric hybrids will soon be introduced by several auto manufacturers. While the initial volume of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles will only constitute a very small fraction of total automobiles sold, “clustered” purchasing patterns for these vehicles may result in large localized loads on the power distribution network. Additionally, high-penetration deployment of variable generation sources will decrease flexibility in the power system. Previous research has indicated that plug-ins may be used as grid resources with no significant impact on fuel consumption. Deterministic 1- and 2-way communication architectures were modeled to show how real-time vehicle-grid interactions might occur. This analysis uses GPS travel survey data, grid-wide load data, and distribution-system load data to determine the effective power and energy storage capacity of a charging plug-in fleet, given actual driver behavior. The power utility controls vehicle charging rates based on the area control error and distribution transformer overheating. The cost of regulation and distribution transformer wear was calculated to determine the value potential of different data communication methods controlling a fleet of plug-in hybrids.