Enhancement of the utilization of electric vehicle charging stations in a commercial distribution network

The high dependence of the transport sector on fossil fuels has raised serious concerns worldwide. It accounts for most greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in many countries and is a major driver of climate change and air pollution, both of which affect health and the environment. Reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in this sector is urgently needed, along with measures to increase resilience to climate change. One promising solution is adopting electric vehicles (EVs), which produce no emissions. However, the benefits of EVs depend on installing enough EV charging stations (EVCSs) where people live, work, and play. Charging EVs from the electrical distribution network (DN) adds extra load, so optimal placement of EVCSs is essential to serve the EV population efficiently. Integrating distributed generation (DG) into the DN can help mitigate the negative impact of EVs, but it must be done carefully to avoid exceeding grid capacity. To address these challenges, the hybrid Bacterial Foraging Optimization - Particle Swarm Optimization (BFOA-PSO) technique is proposed for effectively allocating EVCSs alongside photovoltaic (PV) systems within the DN. This approach aims to reduce power loss and the average voltage deviation index while improving voltage profile and stability. The study utilizes the standard IEEE 69-node test distribution network (DN), modeled as a purely commercial network comprising retail shops, marketplaces, and offices. Simulation results show the effectiveness of the BFO-PSO in optimally integrating the EVCSs and the compensating PV systems into the distribution network. For example, without EVCSs and PVs, the network’s power loss was 138.89 kW. This slightly increased to 142.99 kW with EVCSs but decreased significantly to 48.64 kW when PV systems were added. To verify the effectiveness of the hybrid BFO-PSO, results were compared with existing literature, confirming its superiority. The successful integration of EVCSs and PV systems in current distribution networks will depend on coordinated efforts between the transport sector and utility companies.