Impacts of Distribution Grid Congestion Management on Charging Efficiency of Private Electric Vehicles

Abstract:
With the increasing spread of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and heat pumps in the distribution grid, the path towards a climate-neutral energy system is consistently pursued. However, the direct use of renewable energies is placing an increasing burden on the historically evolved electricity grid, which makes congestion management necessary to limit line utilization at times of high energy demand. This paper contributes by examining the negative impacts of the current regulatory congestion management on the charging efficiency of private BEVs and its consequences for the electricity grid. To achieve this, measurements of the charging current of BEVs were used to develop a model that describes their charging behavior under different external conditions and operating points. The results indicate that, on average, BEVs require an additional 3% up to 250 kWh per year more energy due to congestion management, which in all scenarios is significantly more than the reduction of the line losses.