International Journal of Energy Research, Vol.44, No.13, 10471-10494, 2020
Environmental impact assessment of green energy systems for power supply of electric vehicle charging station
The Electric Vehicle (EV) as a clean alternative to Classic Vehicle that use fossil fuels is promoted as an immediate solution to improve the quality parameters of the environment related to the transport sector. The transition to clean electrified mobility must be considered from the sustainability spectrum, and the planning of a strategy related to the implementation of electric vehicles implies, from the beginning, providing clean energy conditions to go toward a green-to-green paradigm. It should be noted that the successful implementation of the "green electro mobility" concept depends heavily on the green energy supply solutions of green electric vehicle, so Electric Vehicle Charging Stations (EV-CS) should be powered by electricity generation systems based on green resources. This research article has as main objective the environmental impact assessment from the perspective of CO(2)emissions embedded in green stand-alone energy systems and the estimation of the environmental benefits of their implementation in the power supply of EV-CS from the perspective of avoided CO(2)emissions compared to the classic electricity supply grid. The results indicate that the green energy systems represent feasible solutions for the independent energy support of electric vehicle charging stations, being able to supply electricity based on on-site available 100% alternative energy sources. Related to 1 kWh of electricity, the CO(2)emissions embedded in these systems represent on average 11.40% of the CO(2)emissions of the electricity supplied through the grid at European level and on average 7.10% of the CO(2)emissions of the electricity supplied through the grid worldwide. Results also show that the average price of 1kWh of electricity generated by the analyzed systems is 4.3 times higher than the average unit price of the European Union grid energy, but this indicator must be correlated with the kgCO(2)/kWh cost savings compared to the electricity production from classic power plants.
Keywords:clean energy;CO(2)emissions embedded in system;eco-responsibility of electric vehicle charging station;environmental impact of electric vehicle;green electro mobility;green energy;green-to-green paradigm