The Role of Electric Vehicles in Smart Grids

The management of electric vehicles as distributed resources fits well in the paradigm of smart grids, where an advanced use of communication technologies and metering infrastructure, increased controllability and load flexibility, and a larger share of fluctuating and distributed resources are foreseen. This chapter introduces the reader to main concepts, such as direct and indirect control of plug‐in electric vehicles (PEVs) and the concept of PEV aggregators, which could manage the charge of large fleets of PEVs. After an introduction into general power system planning and operation concepts, it describes the integration of the aggregator within this framework. It is based on available literature and some new approaches. Afterward, common operation modes of PEVs in power systems are recapitulated. Advantages and disadvantages are pointed out for each of the approaches and simulation results of each PEV operation mode provide valuable details and insights on the set of challenges faced.