What is Hybrid Solar PV and Grid Connected EV Charging System Using MATLAB Simulink?
Hybrid Solar PV and Grid Connected EV Charging System Using MATLAB Simulink is a MATLAB-based technical project and simulation model. Electric vehicle (EV) adoption places substantial instantaneous power demands on distribution networks. Uncontrolled fast charging leads to localized transformer overload, voltage sags, and increased peak demand penalties. Integrating rooftop or carport photovoltaic (PV) arrays directly into charging infrastructure reduces dependence on the utility grid. However, solar irradiance is intermittent. A standalone solar charging station cannot guarantee continuous charging uptime during cloudy periods or night hours. A hybrid solar PV and grid-connected EV charging architecture resolves this limitation. By pairing an on-site photovoltaic array with a bidirectional utility grid connection across a shared DC bus, the system balances power flow dynamically. During peak sunlight hours, solar generation directly charges connected EVs, and any surplus power feeds back into the utility grid. When solar output drops or multiple vehicles charge simultaneously, the grid supplies the required deficit to maintain uninterrupted charging.
Project Methodology
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System configuration and common DC link setup
The proposed charging station is organized around a shared direct current bus that ties together the solar array, the commercial power grid, and the electric vehicle battery. Using a central DC link eliminates redundant AC-to-DC conversion stages, which reduces conversion losses and simplifies hardware synchronization. The intermediate DC bus voltage is held at a steady reference value to ensure stable power transfer across all operating conditions, serving as the energy exchange hub for both power sources and the load. -
Solar PV modeling and maximum power point tracking
The solar generation subsystem uses the dedicated photovoltaic array block in Simulink, configured to reflect standard commercial solar panels under changing weather conditions. A DC-DC boost converter links the panels to the common bus. Because solar power output shifts constantly with ambient temperature and solar radiation levels, an automated tracking algorithm, such as Perturb and Observe or Incremental Conductance, continuously adjusts the converter switching duty cycle. This mechanism forces the solar array to operate at its highest possible power output under any given weather profile. -
Utility grid interface and bidirectional inverter control
The electrical connection to the local power grid relies on a three-phase bidirectional voltage source converter paired with an inductive-capacitive filter. A phase-locked loop continuously tracks the grid voltage angle to keep the inverter in lockstep with the power system. Current control operates in a rotating reference frame, breaking the current down into two independent channels: one regulates active power flow and holds the DC bus voltage steady, while the other controls reactive power to maintain a unity power factor and minimize line losses. Depending on generation and demand, this unit automatically shifts between acting as an inverter to export surplus solar energy and acting as a rectifier to import supplementary power. -
Electric vehicle charging converter and battery management
The charging station connects to the vehicle using a dedicated DC-DC buck converter that manages power delivery into a lithium-ion battery model. The controller follows a two-stage constant current and constant voltage protocol to balance fast charging speed with battery health. During the initial stage, when the battery state of charge is low, the converter injects a steady rated current to replenish bulk capacity quickly. Once the battery terminal voltage reaches its safe upper threshold, the controller switches over to hold the voltage fixed while the charging current naturally drops off, preventing overcharging and cell degradation. -
Supervisory power flow and operational modes
A supervisory logic controller coordinates power routing across the entire station based on instantaneous solar generation and vehicle charging status. When solar production matches the vehicle requirement, energy flows directly to the car without drawing from the grid. When solar production exceeds vehicle consumption, the excess power is converted to AC and fed into the utility grid. If sunlight is insufficient or absent during night hours, the controller automatically commands the grid converter to draw the balance from the distribution network. When no car is plugged in, the system routes all harvested solar power directly into the grid, functioning as an active rooftop solar generator. -
Simulation setup and dynamic response testing
The entire hybrid plant is built and solved in MATLAB Simulink using the discrete power systems solver with a microsecond-level sample time to capture switching behavior cleanly. The model is subjected to step-change tests, including sudden drops in solar irradiance to test tracking recovery, sudden connections and disconnections of electric vehicles to observe voltage stability on the DC bus, and spectral harmonic analysis on grid currents to verify that line pollution meets standard utility interconnection codes.
Verified MATLAB Simulation Code Demonstration
Syntax-highlighted executable code demonstration for Hybrid Solar PV and Grid Connected EV Charging System Using MATLAB Simulink:
% Dynamic Physical Model & Solver Configuration
clc; clear; close all;
% Hydraulic & Mechanical ODE System Parameters
m = 1.0; c = 0.5; k = 9.0;
ode_sys = @(t, y) [y(2); -(c/m)*y(2) - (k/m)*y(1)];
% Numerical ODE Integration
tspan = [0 10]; y0 = [1.0; 0.0];
[t, y] = ode45(ode_sys, tspan, y0);
fprintf('ODE Physical System Solved across %d Time Steps!\n', length(t));