Canopying Plug-In Electric Vehicles Parking Lots with Photovoltaic Panels

In order to mitigate the energy security and environmental issues concerned with fossil fuels, renewable energy resources such photovoltaic (PV) panels are suggested to be utilized in the electrical distribution systems. In this study, in order to minimize charging cost of the plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs), conventional grid-supplied PEVs parking lots are proposed to be canopied with PV panels, since parking lots occupy a considerable surface of a city. Also, the solar parking lots can cool down PEVs, charge their batteries, and even deliver excess energy to the grid. In this paper, value of the net benefit due to equipping a solar parking lot with PV panels are investigated over the life time of the PV panels with and without presence an energy storage. Herein, the cost and income terms include investment cost for purchasing the PV panels, investment cost for purchasing a battery, and benefit due to charging the PEVs with free energy generated by the PV panels. Moreover, the problem is simulated from different staring years considering the real prices of the PV panels and battery. In addition, the cost-to-benefit transition year is determined in every simulation.