Impact of Work Schedule Flexibility on EV Hosting Capacity: Insights from Analyzing Field Data

TL;DR

This paper investigates how flexible work schedules and rooftop PV can be coordinated to enhance EV hosting capacity and reduce transformer overloads, using data-driven optimization methods.

Contribution

It introduces novel weekly work schedule-aware optimization models for EV charging coordination to improve transformer capacity management.

Findings

Flexible work schedules combined with PV can significantly increase EV hosting capacity.

Optimized EV charging reduces transformer overload risks.

Work schedule-aware strategies outperform traditional methods.

Abstract

Uncoordinated electric vehicle (EV) charging is altering residential load patterns and pushing distribution transformers to operate beyond their limits. These outcomes can be offset by exploiting the flexibility in work schedules (hybrid, remote vs. in-person) of EV owners, particularly when combined with rooftop photovoltaic (PV) generation. However, this phenomenon has not been explored in-depth yet. This paper addresses this research gap by introducing weekly work schedule-aware robust and chance-constrained optimization formulations for EV charging coordination to determine a transformer's EV hosting capacity. The results obtained using data from a residential feeder in Arizona indicate that an intelligent combination of work schedule flexibility with PV generation can help power utilities effectively manage changing grid demands.