The rapid transition toward electric vehicles (EVs) in Saudi Arabia requires reliable and sustainable charging infrastructure capable of supporting long-distance highway transportation. However, the deployment of emergency charging systems is challenged by sparse charging infrastructure, stochastic emergency charging demand, battery degradation under harsh climatic conditions, and the need for cost-effective integration of renewable energy resources. This study presents a three-stage unified techno-economic planning framework for renewable-assisted emergency EV charging networks that integrates strategically located charging hubs with a coordinated fleet of solar-assisted Mobile Emergency Charging Vehicles (MECVs). The proposed framework jointly optimizes charging hub locations, photovoltaic (PV) generation capacity, battery energy storage system (BESS) sizing, and MECV allocation while explicitly accounting for stochastic emergency charging demand, renewable-energy utilization, and temperature-dependent battery degradation. Emergency charging demand is modeled using Monte Carlo simulation based on EV penetration scenarios, and battery aging is incorporated into the optimization through a temperature-dependent degradation model. The planning problem is formulated as a Mixed Integer Nonlinear Programming (MINLP) model and comparatively solved using three independent metaheuristic algorithms, namely the Musical Chairs Algorithm (MCA), Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), and Grey Wolf Optimization (GWO). The proposed framework is evaluated using two representative highway corridors in Saudi Arabia. The results indicate that renewable-assisted charging can reduce annual grid-related CO2 emissions by approximately 25,360 and 57,641 t CO2/year for the Riyadh–Dammam and Riyadh–Makkah corridors, respectively. Battery degradation contributes approximately 12.7–14.2% of the total annualized system cost, highlighting the importance of incorporating lifecycle degradation into infrastructure planning. Temperature sensitivity analysis further indicates the significant influence of harsh climatic conditions on battery lifetime, renewable-energy utilization, and overall system economics. The proposed framework provides a practical planning methodology for developing reliable, sustainable, and economically viable emergency EV charging infrastructure in regions with similar geographical and climatic characteristics.
A. Eltamaly, Majed A. Alotaibi· Sustainability· 0 citations
The increasing penetration of distributed energy resources and diverse load characteristics in interconnected multi-microgrid systems creates significant challenges for coordinated energy management and optimal resource planning. This study proposes a multi-objective optimization framework for the simultaneous sizing of photovoltaic (PV) systems and battery energy storage systems (BESSs), combined with coordinated energy management and bidirectional power exchange among residential, commercial, and industrial microgrids connected to the IEEE 33-bus distribution network. The framework incorporates 24 h load profiles, photovoltaic generation, time-of-use electricity pricing, and distribution network operational constraints. A Multi-Objective Particle Swarm Optimization (MOPSO) algorithm is employed to simultaneously minimize the total daily cost, network power losses, and grid dependency while satisfying the voltage, feeder loading, and battery state-of-charge constraints. The economic objective combines the equivalent daily investment costs of PV and BESSs with daily operating costs using a capital recovery factor (CRF)-based formulation to ensure dimensional consistency. The best compromise solution is selected using the minimum normalized Euclidean distance to the ideal Pareto solution. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed framework achieves a total daily cost of $13,412.52/day, total network power losses of 4179.1 kW, and grid dependency of 3262.28 kWh while maintaining all operational constraints within acceptable limits. Furthermore, coordinated PV–BESS operation improves voltage regulation, reduces feeder loading and network power losses, enhances renewable energy utilization, and decreases the reliance on the utility grid. The results demonstrate that the proposed framework provides an effective techno-economic approach for the coordinated planning and operation of interconnected multi-microgrid systems with high renewable energy penetration.
Majed A. Alotaibi· Energies· 0 citations
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