PhD Defence: Linda Punt

Abstract

The energy system is changing quickly. Renewable electricity is expanding, more everyday services are becoming electric, and technologies like rooftop solar panels, home batteries, and electric vehicles (EVs)  are connecting to the grid in large numbers. These developments are essential for reducing emissions, but make the balancing of supply and demand increasingly challenging, which is necessary to keep the lights on. As fluctuations grow, traditional solutions such as building more grid infrastructure can no longer keep up on their own. This has shifted attention toward demand-side flexibility, which focuses on adjusting electricity consumption rather than only expanding supply or reinforcing the grid.

EVs are one of the most promising sources of this flexibility. Because cars are usually parked far longer than they need to charge, their charging can be shifted to different times of day through smart charging. This makes EVs a powerful tool for supporting the grid. Yet despite widespread recognition of their potential, relatively little is known about when and under what circumstances this flexibility can actually be delivered in practice, especially in an uncertain environment. This matters because system operators and aggregators must decide how and when to deploy flexible resources to maintain stability and manage risks.

This dissertation investigates how demand-side flexibility can be understood and represented by studying smart charging, accounting for uncertainty in electric vehicle charging behaviour. This helps to clarify how flexibility behaves and how it can be used more effectively in future energy systems.