Photovoltaic-Storage-Charging Integration Is Gaining Momentum: What Are the Key Strategies for Cross-Industry Integration?

I.Basic Concepts and Background of Photovoltaic-Storage-Charging Integration

Photovoltaic-storage-charging integration, as the name suggests, is an energy system that organically integrates photovoltaic power generation, energy storage systems, and charging infrastructure. Its core operation mechanism is as follows: The photovoltaic system converts solar energy into electricity, part of which directly charges electric vehicles to meet immediate power demand. When photovoltaic power generation exceeds charging demand, excess electricity is stored in energy storage devices for future use. During periods of insufficient photovoltaic power or high electricity demand, the energy storage system releases stored electricity to power charging facilities, ensuring continuous and stable charging for electric vehicles. 

Metaphorically, the photovoltaic-storage-charging integration system is like an intelligent energy management system, flexibly allocating energy based on supply-demand dynamics at different times to achieve efficient energy utilization and optimal configuration. This model of multi-energy complementarity and two-way energy interaction not only provides green and reliable energy for electric vehicles but also effectively alleviates the contradiction between new energy consumption and grid carrying capacity, injecting new vitality into the construction of a new power system. 

II.Diverse Application Scenarios with Multi-Faceted Achievements

(1) Urban Charging Stations: Alleviating Urban Power Pressure and Enhancing Charging Experience 

Cities are one of the main scenarios for new energy vehicle use, and the construction of urban charging stations is crucial to meeting the charging needs of new energy vehicles. However, urban areas face tight land resources and high grid load pressure. Traditional charging facilities often struggle to meet the demand for simultaneous charging of a large number of electric vehicles during peak hours, and may even impact the grid. The emergence of photovoltaic-storage-charging integrated charging stations has effectively solved these problems. 

Take the Sanhuilu Charging Station in Xuhui District, Shanghai, as an example. Constructed by the Shanghai Nannan Power Supply Company, this “photovoltaic-storage-charging-discharging” integrated project has established an efficient energy utilization model of “self-generated self-use, surplus power fed into the grid,” making it the first new energy vehicle charging station in Shanghai that can store excess photovoltaic power and input it into the grid. A large number of photovoltaic panels are installed on the top and surrounding areas of the charging station, making full use of urban building roofs and other spaces for photovoltaic power generation. During the day, the electricity generated by the photovoltaic power generation system prioritizes meeting the charging needs of electric vehicles in the station. When the photovoltaic power generation exceeds the charging load, the excess electricity is stored in the energy storage system. At night or during peak electricity consumption periods, the energy storage system releases electricity to charge electric vehicles, while also feeding excess electricity back to the grid to alleviate urban power pressure. This model not only improves energy utilization efficiency and reduces charging costs but also provides strong support for the stable operation of the urban power grid, greatly enhancing the charging experience of electric vehicle users. 

 (2) Highway Service Areas: Ensuring Long-Distance Travel and Promoting the Popularization of New Energy Vehicles 

Highway service areas are important refueling points for long-distance electric vehicle travel. In the past, traditional highway service area charging facilities often faced insufficient power supply during peak electricity consumption periods. Moreover, due to their distance from urban power grids, high transmission costs, and unstable voltage, they brought many inconveniences to long-distance electric vehicle travel. The application of photovoltaic-storage-charging integration in highway service areas has effectively solved these problems. 

The “photovoltaic-storage-charging” integrated low-carbon demonstration project in the Yuanshan Service Area of Huidong-Dahu High-speed is a successful case. Located on both the east and west sides of the Yuanshan Service Area of Huidong-Dahu High-speed, the project is the first “photovoltaic-storage-charging” integrated project completed in a highway service area in Huizhou and one of the five new energy storage pilot projects in Huizhou. The project integrates multiple technologies such as photovoltaic power generation, energy storage batteries, and intelligent charging piles. The photovoltaic system, as the power generation end, lays a large number of photovoltaic panels on the roofs and parking lots of the service area, making full use of the open space of the highway service area for photovoltaic power generation. The intelligent charging system, as the power consumption end, provides fast and convenient charging services for passing electric vehicles. The energy storage system acts like an “electricity reservoir,” storing electricity when photovoltaic power generation is sufficient and releasing electricity to ensure the stable operation of charging facilities during peak electricity consumption or insufficient photovoltaic power generation. After the project was put into operation, it not only alleviated the power supply pressure of the power grid system but also achieved the utilization of clean energy as the built photovoltaic power station has no environmental and noise pollution during power generation. This has greatly improved the reliability of power supply, effectively solved the problem of charging and energy replenishment for citizens driving new energy vehicles on long-distance trips, and strongly promoted the popularization of new energy vehicles in the field of long-distance transportation. 

 (3) Industrial Parks: Optimizing Energy Structure and Supporting Green Development 

Industrial parks usually have large electricity demand, and industrial production has high requirements for power stability. At the same time, with the enhancement of environmental awareness and the promotion of energy conservation and emission reduction policies, industrial parks have an increasing demand for optimizing energy structures and reducing carbon emissions. The application of photovoltaic-storage-charging integration systems in industrial parks just meets these needs, providing strong support for the green development of industrial parks. 

The photovoltaic-storage-charging-discharging integrated charging station at the Aviation New City Sports Center in Wanzhi District, Wuhu, is adjacent to the industrial park, providing convenient charging services for enterprises and employees in the park. The charging station not only has charging functions but also integrates photovoltaic power generation and energy storage systems. The electricity generated by photovoltaic panels installed on the roofs of buildings such as factories and warehouses in the park is partly used to meet the production electricity needs of enterprises in the park, partly used to charge electric vehicles, and the excess electricity is stored in the energy storage system. During peak electricity consumption periods, the energy storage system releases electricity to ensure the normal operation of enterprise production and electric vehicle charging, avoiding production interruptions caused by insufficient or unstable power grid supply. In addition, through the optimized management and allocation of energy, the project has also realized auxiliary service functions such as power peak shaving and valley filling, reducing the electricity cost of the park and improving energy utilization efficiency, setting a model for creating a green and low-carbon industrial park. 

III. Conclusion 

The development prospect of photovoltaic-storage-charging integration is broad, but in the actual promotion process, it also faces some challenges. First, the construction of such projects requires a large amount of capital investment, including costs for photovoltaic equipment, energy storage systems, charging infrastructure, and intelligent control systems. The high initial investment has deterred many enterprises, limiting the large-scale promotion of projects. Take a medium-sized photovoltaic-storage-charging integrated charging station as an example, its construction cost may be as high as tens of millions of yuan, which is undoubtedly a huge burden for some small and medium-sized enterprises. At the same time, the market for the joint development of photovoltaic-storage-charging integration and new energy vehicles is still in its infancy, lacking perfect market trading rules and incentive mechanisms. The enthusiasm of new energy vehicle owners to participate in vehicle-to-grid (V2G) services is not high, and the interest distribution relationship between power grid enterprises and new energy vehicle users has not been clarified, which has affected the commercial promotion of related technologies to a certain extent. In addition, due to the immature profit model of photovoltaic-storage-charging integration projects, the investment return rate of some projects is low, which has also affected the investment enthusiasm of enterprises. 

The challenges faced by photovoltaic-storage-charging integration require the joint efforts of all parties to solve. Looking to the future, driven by policy support, technological progress, and market demand, photovoltaic-storage-charging integration will be widely applied in more fields. Not only will scenarios such as urban charging stations, highway service areas, and industrial parks continue to improve and expand, but it will also extend to rural areas, commercial complexes, residential communities, and other fields, providing clean, convenient, and efficient energy services for more users. At the same time, with continuous technological innovation and breakthroughs, the performance of photovoltaic-storage-charging integration systems will continue to improve, costs will be further reduced, and market competitiveness will continue to enhance,it is expected to achieve large-scale commercial applications. 

In addition, photovoltaic-storage-charging integration will be deeply integrated with smart grids, energy internet, etc., becoming an important part of building a new power system and playing an important role in achieving efficient energy configuration and utilization and improving the stability and reliability of the power grid. Under the guidance of the “dual-carbon” goals, photovoltaic-storage-charging integration will surely play a greater role in promoting the green and low-carbon transformation of energy and promoting the sustainable development of the economy and society, creating a better green future for mankind.