Distributed Hierarchical Control with Cost Optimization and Priority-Based Dispatch for Workplace EV Charging: A Field Study

Electric vehicle (EV) charging presents both a challenge and an opportunity for modern power systems, particularly in workplace environments with grid constraints and dynamic energy pricing. This study presents a real-life implementation and experimental validation of a hierarchical distributed control system for smart EV charging. The proposed architecture combines upper-level receding horizon optimization with lower-level priority-based dispatch, enabling cost-efficient energy allocation and fair distribution among EVs. The system was deployed at the Risø campus of the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) and tested over two days under realistic operational conditions, including heterogeneous EV behavior and limited grid capacity. The control system demonstrated autonomous operation, responsiveness to price signals, and effective coordination between control layers. High energy delivery rates were achieved, nearly 100% on the first test day and close to 90% on the second, despite operating under a constrained energy budget. The study also documents practical challenges encountered during deployment, such as charger communication faults and EV-side issues, and proposes adaptation strategies. These results confirm the feasibility of distributed smart charging in real-world conditions and provide actionable insights for future implementations.