Technical, Financial, and Environmental Feasibility Analysis of Photovoltaic EV Charging Stations with Energy Storage in China and the United States

This study assesses the feasibility of photovoltaic (PV) charging stations with local battery storage for electric vehicles (EVs) located in the United States and China using a simulation model that estimates the system's energy balance, yearly energy costs, and cumulative CO2 emissions in different scenarios based on the system's PV energy share, assuming silicon PV modules, and 5 kWh of storage capacity. Results show that systems located in commercial or office parking lots and used for charging EVs during working hours can be a feasible solution in all locations from a technical, financial, and environmental perspective in comparison with not only gasoline-fueled vehicles but also with grid-only charging. PV shares of 50% and 75% are achievable in all locations with PV array sizes in the order of 1-1.5 kWp, whereas a 100% PV share is possible but might result in high system costs. Scenarios with PV charging and local storage show emissions reductions of 60%-93% in the USA and 28%-93% in China compared with a gasoline-fueled vehicle.