ACN-Sim: An Open-Source Simulator for Data-Driven Electric Vehicle Charging Research

Abstract

Electric vehicles have recently garnered significant attention in the research community due to their potential has a large, highly controllable load which can be used in demand response, load shaping, and renewable energy integration. However, research into practical charging algorithms has been hampered by the lack of a widely available, realistic simulation environment. To meet this need in the community, we are releasing ACN-Sim, a data-driven, open-source simulator based on our experience building and operating real-world charging systems. This simulator provides researchers who may lack access to real EV charging systems with a realistic environment to evaluate their algorithms and test their assumptions. It also provides a common platform on which algorithms can be evaluated head-to-head, allowing researchers to better understand and articulate how their work fits into the existing literature.