Real-Time Smart Charging of Electric Vehicles for Demand Charge Reduction at Non-Residential Sites

Smart electric vehicle (EV) charging deals with increasing demand charges caused by EV load on EV supply equipment (EVSE) hosts. This paper proposes a real-time smart charging algorithm that can be integrated with commercial & industrial EVSE hosts through building energy management system or with utility back office through the advanced metering infrastructure. The proposed charging scheme implements a real-time water-filling algorithm able to reduce the peak demand and to prioritize EV charging based on the data of plugged-in EVs. The algorithm also accommodates utility and local demand response and load control signals for extensive peak shaving. Real-world EV charging data from different types of venues are used to develop and evaluate the smart charging scheme for demand charge reduction at medium & large general service locations. The results show that even at constrained venues such as large retails, monthly demand charges caused by EVs can be reduced by 20%–35% for 30% EV penetration level without depreciating EVs’ charging demand.