E-Mobility in Positive Energy Districts

Castillo-Calzadilla, Tony; Alonso-Vicario, Ainhoa; Borges, Cruz E.; Martin, Cristina · 2022 · Crossref

DOI: 10.3390/buildings12030264

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Summary

This study addresses the challenge of integrating electric vehicle (EV) mobility into Positive Energy Districts (PEDs), which are urban areas designed to produce more renewable energy than they consume. The rapid adoption of EVs in Europe threatens to strain power grids, yet PEDs offer a framework for managing interconnected buildings, district elements, and smart grids to maintain energy positivity. The authors identify a research gap in simulation-based analyses that evaluate the combined impact of building energy performance and e-mobility demand on district-level energy balances. To fill this gap, the paper presents a comprehensive analysis of how varying building efficiencies and EV fleet sizes affect the annual energy balance and carbon footprint of a PED. The researchers developed a simulation model using MATLAB-Simulink to represent a PED archetype in northern Spain, characterized by an oceanic climate. The model comprises six interconnected buildings (three residential, three public use), a smart grid, electrochemical energy storage systems (ESS), smart lighting, and EV charging infrastructure. Data inputs included solar irradiance profiles from the PVGIS database and electricity consumption patterns from Red Eléctrica Española. The simulation assessed five scenarios varying by building energy rating (from E, the least efficient, to A, the most efficient), lighting type (conventional vs. LED), and the number of EVs. The baseline scenario assumed 405 EVs, based on average household sizes and travel patterns in Spain. The model utilized Kirchhoff’s Law to evaluate energy flows, accounting for photovoltaic generation (3000 m² of monocrystalline panels), geothermal heating, and grid imports. The results demonstrate that the annual energy balance of the PED is strictly conditioned by the energy rating of its buildings. Scenarios with lower-rated buildings (E, D, and C) resulted in negative annual energy balances, ranging from −7652.83 kWh to −4191.88 kWh, even with the integration of renewable energy sources and ESS. Positivity was only achieved in scenarios with high-efficiency buildings (ratings A and B). In the most efficient scenario (A-rated buildings with LED lighting), the PED achieved a positive annual balance of 2670.94 kWh and could support up to 695 EVs, providing nearly 9 million green kilometers. This configuration yielded a total annual emission saving of 22,393 tonnes of CO2 equivalent, with 71% of the savings attributed to e-mobility alone compared to fossil-fuel vehicles. The study concludes that achieving PED status requires high building energy efficiency; renewable generation and storage alone are insufficient to offset the energy demand of inefficient buildings and EV fleets. The findings imply that PEDs can serve not only as self-sufficient units but also as energy providers to the wider city, exporting surplus energy in the form of green mobility. This approach significantly reduces the carbon footprint of urban districts, supporting climate neutrality goals. The research highlights the necessity of holistic district planning that integrates building retrofits with e-mobility infrastructure to maximize environmental and economic benefits.

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• micromobility e scooter