Demand Side Management Strategies for Electric Vehicles Charging/Discharging and to Support the Intermittent and Variable Nature of RES

The rapid electrification of the transport sector, driven by the global push for sustainability, presents both opportunities and challenges. While Electric Vehicles (EVs) offer a promising solution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, their large-scale adoption places unprecedented demands on power grids, potentially exacerbating energy sustainability concerns. This thesis investigates the dual impact of EVs on the environment and power systems while exploring innovative solutions to mitigate the associated challenges.This thesis presents a comprehensive investigation into the integration of EVs and Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEVs) within evolving power systems, emphasizing the importance of Demand Side Management (DSM), digital technologies, and Renewable Energy Sources (RES) in achieving decarbonization targets. It is structured around six interrelated studies, each contributing to a unified methodology that addresses environmental impact, grid stress, and energy optimization.The first study quantifies the environmental benefits of EVs under varying carbon emission coefficient factors in four European countries and highlights the importance of clean electricity for achieving meaningful reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. The second study focuses on Italy and shows how regional differences in energy mix affect EV-driven decarbonization. The third study examines urban and insular power networks in Palermo and Favignana, respectively, revealing significant challenges such as load peaking, line congestion, and voltage instability under rising EV penetration.To mitigate these grid-level impacts, the fourth study explores DSM strategies using Time-of-Use (TOU) pricing and residential battery storage, showing a 67 % reduction in EV charging cost and a two-year payback period. The fifth study introduces digital twins for real-time EV load management in microgrids with high-RES penetration, demonstrating enhanced load shifting, peak clipping, and valley filling. Finally, the sixth study evaluates the techno-economic feasibility of onsite hydrogen production from RES to support FCEV-based public transport on Favignana Island. The proposed hybrid microgrid system achieved a 90 % reduction in GHG emissions and a 31 % cost saving compared to diesel systems.Collectively, the findings illustrate that integrating smart DSM strategies, digital twins, and RES can transform EVs and FCEVs from grid stressors into active energy assets. This thesis provides a scalable framework for policy makers, utility operators, and researchers seeking to align transport electrification with energy sustainability and grid resilience goals.