Technical and economic analysis of meeting the energy needs of electric vehicle charging station: Batman University West Raman Campus example

The use of fossil fuel resources causes great damage to our world and atmosphere. Harmful greenhouse gases spread into the atmosphere not only perforate the atmospheric layer but also trigger global warming. Automobiles play a major role in the spread of these harmful gases. It is seen that internal combustion engine vehicles have been used more from past to present. Governments' zero emission projects lead them to reduce the production of these vehicles. In recent years, the development of electric vehicles, increasing battery power, and traveling long distances have increased the interest in electric vehicles. Since electric vehicles (EV) are environmentally and nature-friendly, renewable energy sources can also be used for charging. Electric vehicle charging systems that work with renewable resources aim to increase energy sustainability by bringing these two important structures together. The use of renewable energy plays an effective role in combating climate change by reducing the consumption of fossil fuels and emissions. In this study, technical and economic analysis of a hybrid system consisting of grid-connected renewable energy sources (solar and wind energy) was carried out by using HOMER Pro and RETScreen Expert programs to meet the energy needs of the electric vehicle charging station at Batman University West Raman Campus. In the study, the solar and wind energy potentials of our University campus were examined, the load profile for electric vehicles was determined, and the optimum sizing of the photovoltaic (PV) and wind turbine (RT) system was made. 200 kW size PV system, RT system and hybrid (PV+RT) system were designed separately and economic and technical calculations were made. As a result of the analysis, PV system: payback period 7.73 years, levelized energy cost -$0.038/kWh, net present cost -$7,052,315, RT system: payback period (no value), levelized energy cost -$0.0226/kWh, net present cost is -$3,344,467 and hybrid system: payback period is 10.12 years, levelized energy cost is -$0.0393/kWh and net present cost is calculated as -$6,848,665. It has been evaluated that the most economical system is the PV system and that it provides profits over the years. The lowest emission values were achieved in the hybrid system.