Invited Speaker

Dr. Stefano Rinaldi

Dr. Stefano Rinaldi

University of Brescia, Italy
Speech Title: Analysis of Communication Requirements for Demand-Side Management of Electric Vehicles in Smart Grid Scenario

Abstract: The rising concerns about global warming and environmental pollution are increasingly pushing towards the replacement of road vehicles powered by Internal Combustion Engines (ICEs). Electric Vehicles (EVs) are generally considered the best candidates for this transition. Nevertheless, the existing power grids and EV management systems are not yet ready for a large penetration of EVs. The so-called Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) concept has a relevant role in this scenario, by providing the communication capabilities required by advanced control and Demand-Side Management (DSM) strategies. Moreover, V2G technologies are fundamental when the energy produced and stored by Distributed Energy Resources (DERs), in particular from Renewables sources, should be preferred to charge EVs. The communication requirements for the DSM of EVs in urban environments will be discussed in the presentation, by focusing on the mobile communication among EVs and smart grids. A specific system architecture for the DSM of EVs moving inside urban areas is proposed and discussed in terms of the required data throughput and communication latency. In addition, the use of a Low-Power Wide-Area Network (LPWAN) solution—the LoRaWAN technology—is proposed as a possible alternative to cellular-like solutions, by testing an experimental communication infrastructure in a real environment. The results show that the similar LPWAN technologies are capable to handle an adequate amount of information for the considered application.