PV-Based Off Grid Charging Station for Electric Vehicle

Abstract

The text presents the concept of a Smart Electric Pole system designed to improve traditional street lighting by integrating solar energy, IoT, automation, and security features. Increasing urbanization and energy demand have created the need for intelligent infrastructure that reduces power consumption, lowers maintenance costs, and improves public safety. Traditional streetlights operate on fixed schedules and depend on grid electricity, causing energy wastage and limited adaptability. The proposed smart pole overcomes these issues by using solar panels, LDR sensors, motion sensors, IoT controllers, and surveillance cameras. During daylight, the lights remain OFF, while at night they automatically adjust brightness based on environmental conditions and human/vehicle movement. Problem Identification: Existing street lighting systems face several challenges: High energy consumption due to continuous operation. Lack of automatic control based on real-time conditions. No integration of safety features such as cameras and emergency alerts. Manual maintenance and fault detection. Dependence on electrical grids. Absence of IoT-based monitoring and communication. Proposed Smart Pole System: The smart pole combines multiple functions: Solar power system: Reduces dependence on grid electricity and supports renewable energy use. Automatic lighting control: LDR sensors detect daylight conditions and motion sensors control brightness. Smart surveillance: Cameras provide real-time monitoring for security and crime prevention. Emergency alert system: A public emergency button sends alerts to authorities during accidents or critical situations. IoT and cloud connectivity: Enables remote monitoring, data storage, and centralized management. Literature Review Findings: Previous research shows that smart lighting systems can achieve: 40–75% energy savings using solar power, motion detection, and adaptive lighting. 30–60% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions through renewable energy integration. Improved safety through IoT surveillance and edge AI-based monitoring. Reduced maintenance costs using predictive fault detection. However, challenges remain, including: High initial installation cost. Cybersecurity and privacy concerns. Lack of communication standards. Sensor maintenance and false alarms. Difficulty in large-scale deployment. Research Methodology: The system development includes: Designing a smart pole model with solar panels, sensors, IoT modules, and cameras. Hardware implementation using microcontrollers and sensors. Software development for automation and cloud monitoring. Testing lighting response under different conditions. Measuring energy savings compared with traditional systems. Evaluating security and emergency response performance. Working Principle: Solar panels provide power to the system. LDR sensors detect surrounding light intensity. During daylight, lights remain OFF. At night, lights turn ON automatically. Motion sensors increase brightness when humans or vehicles are detected. After inactivity, brightness decreases to save energy. Cameras and IoT systems enable monitoring and emergency communication. Advantages: Energy-efficient operation using solar power. Reduced electricity consumption. Automatic brightness control. Improved public safety through surveillance. Remote monitoring using IoT. Lower maintenance requirements. Environment-friendly and sustainable infrastructure. Applications: Smart city street lighting. Highways and roads. University and campus security. Parking areas. Industrial zones. Emergency response systems. Experimental Results: The prototype was tested using an Arduino-based smart pole system with LDR and PIR sensors. Results showed: Above 700 lux daylight: lights remained OFF, saving maximum energy. Below 200 lux: lights activated at 50% brightness. Motion detection increased brightness to 100% for better visibility. After 30 seconds without movement, brightness reduced again to save power. The system demonstrated efficient automatic lighting control, reduced energy wastage, and improved safety monitoring.

Introduction

The text describes a hybrid renewable energy system combining solar and wind power for electric vehicle (EV) charging applications. Renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, biomass, and water provide clean and sustainable power. Among these, solar and wind energy are widely used because they are environmentally friendly and reduce dependence on limited fossil fuels.

A hybrid solar-wind system improves reliability by using both energy sources together. Solar energy is available during sunny conditions, while wind energy can support power generation during cloudy or low-sunlight periods. The generated energy is stored in batteries and used according to demand. The system also incorporates supercapacitors as advanced energy storage devices because they provide fast charging, high efficiency, and long operational life.

Problem Statement:

Traditional energy sources are becoming limited and expensive, creating the need for sustainable alternatives. The project focuses on developing a renewable energy-based EV charging system by:

• Integrating solar panels and horizontal-axis wind turbines.
• Improving electricity generation reliability.
• Creating a model that demonstrates hybrid power system operation.

Research Background:

Fast EV charging requires high-power conversion systems, which increase the cost of charging infrastructure. External DC fast chargers are preferred because they provide higher charging power through independent AC/DC conversion systems. Research on efficient EV charging stations has guided the design of reliable renewable-powered charging systems.

Hybrid Power System:

The proposed system combines:

• Solar energy: Converts sunlight into electrical energy using photovoltaic panels.
• Wind energy: Provides additional power when solar generation is low.

Advantages of hybrid power:

• Continuous energy availability.
• Low operating cost.
• Reduced pollution.
• Suitable for remote and urban locations.
• Reduced dependence on conventional electricity sources.

System Working:

1. Solar panels capture sunlight and convert it into DC electricity.
2. A solar charge controller regulates charging and protects the battery.
3. Batteries store energy for use during low-generation periods.
4. A DC boost converter increases voltage for fast EV charging.
5. DC power is supplied directly to EV fast charging units.
6. An inverter converts DC power into AC for normal charging loads.
7. Grid power acts as backup when renewable energy is insufficient.
8. The system provides AC and DC charging options for electric vehicles.

Main Components:

• Solar photovoltaic panel
• Wind turbine
• Solar charge controller
• Battery storage system
• DC-DC boost converter
• Inverter
• SMPS unit
• LCD display
• Voltage sensors
• PCB and control circuits
• EV charging socket

Energy Calculation:

The total generated power is calculated from the combined output of solar panels and wind turbines:

Total Power = Wind Power + Solar Power

Solar output depends on:

• Solar radiation intensity.
• Panel area.
• Photovoltaic efficiency.
• Performance ratio.

The overall system cost depends on:

• Number of wind turbines.
• Number of solar panels.
• Battery capacity.

Advantages:

• Provides reliable energy during different weather conditions.
• Solar power supports energy generation during sunny days.
• Wind power compensates during cloudy or rainy periods.
• Low maintenance and operating cost.
• Suitable for remote areas without grid access.
• Reduces carbon emissions significantly.
• Improves renewable energy utilization.

Applications:

• EV charging stations.
• Rural and remote electrification.
• Hospitals and hotels.
• Street lighting.
• Communication towers.
• Distributed power generation systems.

Conclusion

The proposed PV-based off-grid charging station is expected to demonstrate a reliable, sustainable, and cost-effective solution for electric vehicle charging. By integrating solar panels, a charge controller, battery storage, and an inverter system, the model ensures uninterrupted charging even in the absence of grid power. The inclusion of both DC fast charging and AC charging modes enhances flexibility and supports various EV requirements. The system utilizes renewable energy, reducing dependency on conventional electricity and minimizing environmental impact. Real-time monitoring and efficient energy management further improve system performance and battery life. Overall, the project is anticipated to validate the feasibility of solar-powered EV charging and promote cleaner, decentralized charging infrastructure for future mobility.

References

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Copyright

Copyright © 2026 Ms. Ashvini Tagde, Dr. Nilesh Bodhne , Prof. Uttara Dudhpachare. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.