Optimal placement of solar photovoltaic systems and electric vehicle charge stations in distribution power grids, considering the constraints of areas and locations

Abstract

The increasing integration of photovoltaic (PV) generation and electric vehicle charging stations (EVCSs) into distribution power networks can significantly affect power losses and voltage performance, depending on their location and operating conditions. This study investigates the impacts of optimally installed PV units and EVCS location on the performance of a distribution power network. The Equilibrium Optimizer (EO) is employed to determine the optimal locations and rated powers of three PV units in the IEEE 33-node distribution network. The optimal PV units are located at Nodes 16, 25, and 31, resulting in a reduction in total active power loss from 0.211 MW in the base network to 0.090 MW, corresponding to a 57.3% reduction. Subsequently, an EVCS with a rated power of 1.080 MW is installed at three locations in turn: the end node (Node 33), the middle network (Node 6), and near the substation (Node 2). With the generation of PV units, the total active power losses are 0.175, 0.128, and 0.081 MW, respectively. In contrast, in the network without the generation of PV units, the losses increase to 0.425, 0.312, and 0.211 MW, respectively. The results demonstrate that EVCS location has a substantial influence on distribution network losses, with charging stations located farther from the substation producing greater impacts. Moreover, the generation of PV units effectively mitigates the adverse effects of EV charging by supplying power locally and improving voltage performance.