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Abstract

Decarbonizing the transportation sector translates into an increased adoption of electric vehicles (EVS). The increased penetration of electric vehicles (EVs) requires charging infrastructure, which places a burden on the aging power grid. EV charging, specifically DC fast charging and ultra-fast charging, enables the user experience to be on par with that of its Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) counterparts by minimizing the charging time required to refuel the vehicles. However, as EV penetration increases, the simultaneous charging of EVs based on DC fast charging and ultra-fast charging can potentially overload the distribution infrastructure. This increased energy demand necessitates rapid capacity upgrades. Integrating local Distributed Energy Resources (DERs), including energy storage systems (ESSs), with a coordinated energy management system (EMS) to meet the load locally while deferring the required capacity upgrades. The thesis examines the possibility of a centralized EMS for charging station operation in a low-voltage distribution grid (a) without any back-up of renewable energy resources or ESS (b) with DERs with the ability to control and limit the power demand of the DC fast charging station and ultra-fast charging station, leveraging on-site DERs. The thesis provides a detailed overview of the challenges posed by EV charging infrastructure on the power system, a summary of the existing state-of-the-art EMS solutions, as well as challenges of including DERs such as solar Photovoltaic (PV) generation and ESS to meet the demand due to EV fast charging stations mentioned earlier. Various EMS approaches have been investigated, including rule-based EMS that integrate the DERs. Several EMS strategies have been proposed to achieve multiple objectives, including minimizing the energy and power imported from the grid and associated costs. A modeling framework for integrating key components, such as electric vehicles (EVs), multiple fast charging units, and distributed energy resources (DERs), is also proposed. Case studies and scenario analyses were performed to compare the proposed EMS with the rule-based EMS benchmark, demonstrating the improved performance of the charging station in terms of limiting energy consumption during network congestion while delivering cost savings to the charging station operator.