Key UC Contact
What We Did
Orion, owner of central Canterbury’s electricity distribution network, approached the EPECentre to assess their networks capability to host different levels of EV uptake and thus the associated charging.
Modelling is being undertaken in two stages. The first completed stage, a deterministic study, provided baseline network’s EV charging capability, identifying areas of the network most prone to congestion as more customers invest in EVs.
The second stage of modelling focuses on marginal areas of the network. The applied stochastic modelling approach will assess different EV scenarios including EV battery capacities, charger ratings, EV use and charging behaviour. Historical smart meter data will determine the network loading excluding the EV. The advantage of this approach is that it provides a rich set of results that can be analysed statistically as it exposes a landscape of possible future outcomes.
Who Was Involved
The scenario and the inputs have been co-designed in conjunction with the Orion’s Engineering team, in particular their Network Planning Engineer Yuyin Keuh, the EPECentre team and Associate Professor Alan Wood. Furthermore, EPECentre has consulted with EDBs around New Zealand to verify the design of its “base” methodology and is now offering specialised studies:
Why It Matters
Swapping out fossil fuel based internal combustion engines for low carbon electric transport is becoming a popular choice for New Zealanders as a means to reduce carbon emissions. However, the EV chargers can introduce a significant and new domestic load. Electricity Distribution Businesses (EDBs) need to assess their network capacity to support these additional loads with minimum or no upgrade.
An additional complexity is introduced by the current regulations that do not require homeowners to register EV chargers. EDBs may be unaware of potential overloading issues.
Learn More
- Services offered: www.canterbury.ac.nz/epecentre/research-and-innovation/tools--services/ev-hosting-capability-studies
- Publications in this space: www.canterbury.ac.nz/media/documents/epecentre/UC-EPEC-21-C-SJM-01-Orion_EV_Hosting_Capacity_EEA_Paper_2021-112-179-McNab-Sharee.pdf
- www.canterbury.ac.nz/epecentre/research-and-innovation/publications/green-grid/impact-of-pv-and-ev
- www.canterbury.ac.nz/epecentre/events/seminars/2019/seminar-sharee-mcnab
