Using locally generated renewable energy to charge depot based electric freight fleets

Waste collection and transportation is an essential public service which is sometimes perceived very negatively by the general population in residential and urban areas. The noise and emissions released from the tailpipe of conventional refuse collection vehicles (RCVs) are major concerns for local authorities in the United Kingdom (UK). Moreover, RCVs are one of the targets under Clean Air Zones (CAZ) policies that are encouraging waste management companies to start planning and implementing trials on electric RCVs. This study assesses the impact that different charging patterns have on energy management and consequently on grid dependency, total cost, and GHG emissions. Three charging patterns are analysed, viz., charging the fleet at 16:00h; at 21:00h; and finally splitting the fleet and charging over two different time slots: 11:00h and 23:00h. The results are assessed considering the installation of localised PV solar energy and battery storage. The results conclude that the most economical configuration corresponds to the scenario where the depot has PV solar panels installed, with a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) and an eRCV fleet which is charged in two different time slots. For this configuration, the total cost can be reduced by up to £1m over the system lifetime.