EVs for frequency regulation: cost benefit analysis in a smart grid environment

Abstract

Vehicle‐to‐grid systems facilitate efficient and reliable integration of electric vehicle (EV) into the smart grid. This integration helps provide various services such as peak load levelling, frequency regulation (FR) and other ancillary services that provide notable benefits to utilities. In addition to the benefits to the utilities, EV owners may also benefit from providing these ancillary services to the grid. In this study, a comprehensive assessment of the economic benefits of using EVs to support FR service to the power grid is developed. The limitations for providing such services to the grid are evaluated. The number of the charge and discharge cycles of the EV battery is estimated based on a realistic semi‐logarithmic model. Finally, the estimates are used to calculate the battery degradation cost for providing FR and estimate the safe amount of power that EVs can supply with adequate consideration for daily driving requirements.