Assessing the Economic and Energy Advantages of Using On-Grid and Off-Grid PV-BESS to Power EV Charging Stations

Electric vehicles as an alternative to reducing emissions have begun to gain interest in Jakarta, but electric charging stations must be optimized. A good design of photovoltaic panels and battery systems (BESS) technology can ensure supply, avoid power outages, and ensure cleanliness and environmental quality in the area. This study analyzed EV stations’ comparative economic and energy feasibility with PV-BESS technology on and off the grid. HOMER software was used to simulate the system combination. The results show that the studied region can generate 1,064,548 kWh/year of energy through PV cells and 289,006 kWh/year of energy consumption with COE and NPC amounting to Rp 1,960.77 and Rp 17,179,120,000.00, respectively, in the off-grid system model. The excess energy of the off-grid case is tremendous, up to 71.6% of the total energy generated. At the same time, the upgrade of the on-grid system model resulted in COE, NPC, and ROI revenues of Rp 149.08, Rp 4,999,932,000, and 3.6%, respectively. The energy that can be sold to the grid is 816,118 kWh, which reduces excess energy to only 6.24%. Finally, the potential payback is in twelve years. The study reports new insights into the potential of solar-powered electric vehicle charging stations in Indonesia.