A quadratic programming based optimisation to manage electric bus fleet charging

The use of electric buses (EBs) is expected to increase significantly in the coming years. Uncontrolled charging of EBs can affect not only the power grid (grid instability, harmonic pollution) but also the operating cost. This paper introduces an optimal charging strategy based on charging schedule planning and modulation of charging power for a fleet of electrical-powered buses. The optimal charging strategy allows minimising the charging cost as well as the load power variations using quadratic programming. The proposed quadratic programming can significantly reduce the computation time and simultaneously handle a large bus fleet. First results indicate a significant reduction in customer energy bills while avoiding potential penalties due to peak loads.