Performance evaluation of a 20-kW solar-powered EV charging station in Bangladesh: a post commissioning review

• Techno-economic evaluation of a 20-kW rural solar charging station in Bangladesh. • Performances comparison between pre- and post-commissioning phase results. • Key assessment indicators are LCOE, payback period, and energy management. • Net metering system minimizes excess generation and LCOE. • Sensitivity analysis for getting optimized payback period. This study develops and evaluates the solar-powered electric rickshaw charging station based on experimental data and provides a detailed performance comparison of pre- and post-commissioning phase. The key areas of analysis of this study are: levelized cost of energy, payback period, and energy management. By analyzing the gaps of existing design and pre-commissioning study, this study proposes two alternative systems such as increased battery system and net metering featured system. The results indicate that the existing system achieves an LCOE of $0.2052/kWh, while generating 51.2 % excess electricity, thereby revealing significant potential for optimization. To mitigate this inefficiency, two alternative system configurations were assessed: a standalone system with expanded battery capacity (LCOE: $0.2881/kWh) and a grid-integrated net metering system (LCOE: $0.07677/kWh). As part of feasibility studies, the payback period of the base system cannot be calculated due to negative annual cash flow. Also, the alternative systems 1 and 2 offer an infeasible payback period of 53 years and 45 years respectively. Furthermore, the sensitivity analysis demonstrates that supporting ten electric rickshaws at a competitive fare could yield an annual net profit of $4,090 with a payback period of 5.5 years and the current system could generate an annual profit of $4,370, with a payback period of 6 years with higher dependency on battery storage. A comparative assessment with pre-commissioning simulation results highlights notable discrepancies between projected and actual outcomes, emphasizing the critical role of post-commissioning evaluations in accurately determining the technical and economic viability of solar-powered charging infrastructure in Bangladesh.