FURI | Fall 2024

Using Load Management to Charge Electric Vehicles with Solar Power

Electric Vehicles (EVs) and renewable energy are some of the fastest-growing industries as individuals and companies look to live more sustainably, but these innovations are largely disconnected. This project aims to bridge this gap by integrating solar energy directly into the supply of electric vehicle charging with a load management (LM) algorithm. Typical power conversion systems lose power and efficiency with each step; however, the LM skips these steps to tie solar panels directly to vehicle batteries and monitor charging based on the sunlight available. The researcher’s work involves improving the LM system using logical components to optimize power output.