Optimal Location of Fast Electric Vehicle Charging Stations on the Transportation and Active Distribution Network

The integration of renewable energy sources in the electrical grid brings along several benefits but also creates many challenges. One of the important assets in smart grids is the presence of flexible loads such as electric vehicle (EV) loads which enables better grid operation and control. EV loads can help mitigate the intermittent nature of renewable energies if they are adopted in adequate amount, but their volume to date is not sufficient. To promote wide EV adoption much faster, a strong EV charging infrastructure is needed. However, the locations of charging stations on the distribution and the transportation networks affect networks performances. Thus, it is crucial to plan the location according to both networks rather than considering one and ignoring the other. In this paper, Sioux Falls transportation network and IEEE 33-bus system are used to locate the stations optimally by using Differential Evolution (DE) optimization algorithm. It is found that the optimal co-planning can maintain the enhance the operation of the distribution network.