Feasibility of Direct Current Street Lighting & Integrated Electric Vehicle Charging Points

The application of Low Voltage Direct Current (LVDC) distribution systems have the potential to offer several advantages over the incumbent AC networks. LVDC systems are technically and economically viable in niche applications such as data centres and marine power systems, however they also have the potential to offer improvements in the power transfer capability of existing distribution cable assets, with the added advantage of enhanced controllability and reduced losses [1]. The application of LVDC in this field is still in a nascent stage of development and it is far from a business as usual solution for the Distribution Network Operators (DNOs). There is a lack of experience with installation, the commercial arrangements are not in place, and the standards necessary to configure, operate, and protect such new systems have yet to emerge. Proponents of DC distribution have previously conceptualised the integration of EV charging into future DC street lighting networks [2] and prototype AC charging units that conveniently attach to lighting columns are currently being tested [3],[4]. However, no literature examines the technical implementation of multiple EV charging units onto lighting networks with respect to existing cable specifications, protection and voltage drop standards. This paper demonstrates the viability of such systems and the performance advantages that DC distribution offers compared to AC in this integrated application.