Strategic participation of electric vehicles in vehicle-to-grid within a microgrid system: A decentralized optimization approach

In the context of developing modern smart energy systems, integrating Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) technology within microgrids offers valuable prospects for advancing energy efficiency and sustainability. In this perspective, motivation for the present work mainly stems from the rising need for intelligent and innovative grid management strategies that are capable of balancing energy demand and supply, sustaining economic viability, securing system stability as well as accommodating the growing penetration of Electric Vehicles (EVs). However, strategically managing the dynamic interaction between EVs participating in V2G operations and the microgrid can become complex due to various shifting factors. These include different charging/discharging preferences, EVs flexibility constraints as well as stochastic V2G variables. Thereby, a robust and comprehensive framework is needed to optimize EV-microgrid interactions. In response to this challenge, this study investigates a non-cooperative game approach for decentralized optimization of V2G operations within a microgrid environment. A case study with 5 EVs then with a fleet of 100 EVs is developed and analyzed to showcase the suggested approach. Numerical results show that with 5 EVs, the contribution to the microgrid's daily energy demand is about 5.5%, which increases to 35.37% with 100 EVs. These results highlight the effectiveness of the proposed framework and provide valuable insights for enhancing microgrid sustainability and smart grid management.