Ohio University and DriveOhio – Rural EV Charging Feasibility
The Need
DriveOhio, a division of the Ohio Department of Transportation tasked with advancing smart mobility, is overseeing the implementation of Ohio’s National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program. Confronted with a lack of charging locations in rural Ohio and spotty access to three-phase power, DriveOhio sought to understand charging viability for EVs with off-grid alternative energy microgrids in rural Ohio. In 2024, Go joined a team led by Ohio University to help DriveOhio understand rural EV charging with microgrids.
Our Approach
Go assessed the technical feasibility of many alternative energy technologies to power off-grid microgrids to charge electric vehicles in rural Ohio. This included analyzing vehicle charging patterns and generator production patterns. Go then analyzed the most technically feasible technologies’ economic viability by comparing their costs to the cost of long-distance utility interconnection. We combined these results to summarize feasibility relative to cost, land use, and emissions.
The Results
Natural gas generators, solar plus battery, wind plus battery, and fuel cells plus battery are the most technically feasible technologies. These technologies, however, are not economically viable compared to extending three-phase power, having significantly higher ten-year lifetime costs. A comparison of the technologies shows:
Solar plus battery and wind plus battery microgrids require large amounts of land, require high capital expenditures, but have no operating emissions or fuel costs.
Fuel cell plus battery microgrids require less land, have low operating emissions, but require higher capital expenditures.
Natural gas generators, unlike all the others, could be an economically viable solution in rare cases as they require the lowest capital expenditure among the alternative energy systems but have the highest operating emissions and fuel costs.
These findings will help DriveOhio understand the trade-offs between off-grid microgrids and traditional three-phase grid power as they develop their rural Ohio EV charging plan, as well as help them more easily communicate these trade-offs with stakeholders.
Our Role
Microgrid Development & Design Consultant
The Client
Ohio University
Duration
2024 - 2025
Team
Charles Schreier, PE
Emily Jones
Marah Halper
Peter Worley