Techno-Economic Analysis of Electric Vehicles Charging Hubs in a Renewable Energy Community

This study conducts a technical and economic assessment of a renewable energy community (REC) including multiple electric vehicle charging hubs powered by photovoltaic canopies. The analysis covers the criteria for the sizing of the photovoltaic systems, the evaluation of the energy production profiles, and the estimation of the aggregated consumption profile of the vehicle charging hubs. It provides a discussion of the technical feasibility of the proposed solution and a preliminary economic analysis, considering net present value and investment payback periods. Additionally, on the basis of a recent and comprehensive database of electric vehicles in the Italian fleet, energy flows are accurately determined considering each vehicle characteristics, and their arrival and departure patterns. As a case study, the performance of a renewable energy community comprising eleven parking lots in the city of Milan, Italy, is analysed. The presented results offer an overview of the value of RECs based on charging hubs and highlight potential challenges in their technical and economic management.