Smart Charging and Parking of Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles in Microgrids Considering Renewable Energy Sources

With the current trend of transforming a centralized power system into a decentralized one for efficiency, reliability, and environment reasons, the concept of microgrid that integrates a variety of distributed energy resources (DERs) on the distribution network is gaining popularity. In this paper, we investigate the smart charging and parking of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) in microgrids with renewable energy sources (RES), such as solar panels, in grid-connected mode. To address the uncertainties associated with RES power output and PHEVs charging condition in the microgrid, we propose a two-stage scenario-based stochastic optimization approach with the objective of providing a proper scheduling for parking and charging of PHEVs that minimizes the average total operating cost while maintaining the reliability of the microgrid. A case study is conducted to show the effectiveness of the proposed approach. Extensive simulation results show that the microgrid can minimize the operating cost and ensure its reliability.