Consulting on charging infrastructure for the municipal fleet and on synergies with the photovoltaic system

Protoscar (now Swisscharge) supported the city of Locarno in developing a concept for charging infrastructure and analyzed the potential and synergies with the photovoltaic system. The possible use of bidirectional charging technology was also examined.

Project facts

Client

City of Locarno

Contract Duration

2022

The Project in Brief

The city of Locarno plans to electrify its fleet by 2026. Considering the approach developed for this purpose, Protoscar developed a concept for the installation of the charging infrastructure and the management of the electric fleet. This included defining requirements regarding the charging stations to create a tender. An analysis of the potential and synergies with the photovoltaic system was also part of the mandate.

Analysis of V2X Potential

The aim of this analysis was to determine which bidirectional applications (V2X) could bring benefits through the vehicle fleet. The analysis of the usage type showed that V2G was best suited, and among its many configurations, the participation of vehicles in the primary regulation of the grid and the energy market (arbitrage) was the most sensible alternative. For each option, the maximum power and energy that could be provided were evaluated. A restriction was that the batteries should not be discharged below a certain maximum value. Another condition was that the batteries had to be fully charged before use. From this consideration, the possible revenues and recommendations for the timing of each implementation were derived.

Project Results

Calculation of energy and power for charging the fleet and checking compatibility with other building loads and grid connections
Assessment of how much photovoltaic energy can be self-consumed by the vehicles with both the existing system and potential expansions
Definition of the type and characteristics of the charging stations and their management system (Smart Charging) with the necessary details to prepare a tender
Development of recommendations for the installation of the stations
Analysis of the V2X potential of the fleet

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« The concept and recommendations from Protoscar provide us with a solid foundation to prepare the charging infrastructure for our fleet for the coming years.

Luigi Conforto

Department of Urban Planning and Infrastructure, Energy Office of the City of Locarno

Approach and Methodology:

Develop charging recommendations based on fleet usage profiles
Examine the use case of bidirectionality in relation to the concept
Define the characteristics of charging stations
Analyze the potential and synergies with the photovoltaic system

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