Electric vehicles in the Nordic countries: Control strategies for coordinated grid services

Nowadays, both Norway and Denmark face challenges in supporting a stable and economic future power system based on renewable energy production and an increasing flexible demand based on electric vehicles (EV). Specifically, the main challenge is to address the adverse effects that the EVs may have on local distribution lines (distribution system operator (DSO) perspective) and enhance their usage to optimize utilization of national renewables, here under the high wind power penetration (transmission system operator (TSO) perspective).
The research emphasis is on power and energy services that EVs can provide both locally and system-wide. Three main topics will be strongly faced:
1. Identification of the technical benefits that ancillary service provision from EVs may provide. EVs may be considered as active grid components and not just mere large loads that cause technical issues on the grid. Under the above mentioned circumstances, also the barriers to EVs grid support services (imposed for instance by national/European grid codes or by the necessity of economic advantages to the EV owner for grid support – also just for the availability) will be identified and classified.
2. Balance of prioritization regarding services between DSO and TSO. This problem comes from the TSOs’ need of grid stability services from small dispatched units, due to displacement of big power plants which traditionally assure reliable grid services. At the same time, it is in the interest of the DSO not to have power provision from distributed energy sources violating the local grid constraints.
3. Common solutions for EV integration across the Nordic countries. Considering the existence of two distinct Danish synchronous regions (DK1 and DK2) managed by the same national TSO and considering that DK2 and Norway, although belonging to the same synchronous region, are managed by two independent TSOs, the investigation will face EVs’ grid support services replicability in different contexts (different constrains). Studies will also consider guidelines and trends at European level (ENTSOE).
Through the usage of dedicated simulation platforms, such as Matlab SimPowerSystems and DIgSILENT PowerFactory, static study scenarios - unbalanced and balanced load flows - as well as optimal power flows and transient analysis will be conducted primarily in order to analyze network components’ overloading and voltage violations. Furthermore, micro-grid analysis with different generation sets and EV management will be tested at the DTU facilities including both the Electric Lab of Lyngby Campus and SYSLAB in Risø Campus as well as EVLab that spans both the campuses. The PhD student will be kept in the loop of current and relevant EV projects both at DTU (EnergyLab Nordhavn and Parker) and NTNU (The Smartgrids centre, Smartgrids lab, OADE and ChargeFlex project).