Abstract Summary
The global transport sector relies heavily on fossil fuels that it is the second growing CO2-emitting sector, standing already at 22% to 24% of total GHG emissions [1], [2]. In Europe, this number is at 40% [3]. While the electrification of urban transportation is already a mature and efficient technology [4], the solution is only meaningful if the power comes from sustainable sources. PV systems are an attractive suggestion as they are DC systems like light rail networks, scalable, and easy to install in an urban environment. Indeed, among the Renewable Energy Sources (RES) possibilities for supplying transport grids, PV energy is currently the most promising and most studied source for this type of application [5]–[8]. Unfortunately, PV systems in transport grids do not generally offer independence from the AC grid, as a consequence of the mismatch between the intermittent PV power generation and the bus scheduling (absence of load). This creates the need for large, seasonal storage systems and/or exchange with the AC grid. This presentation looks at the results for a case study of the Arnhem (NL) and Gdynia (PL) trolleybus grids and shows how the path toward the sustainability of urban light rail must pass first through the transformation of these transport grids to multifunctional, active grids with a baseload of smart grid loads such as EV-chargers.
