Analysis of charging capacity for electric vehicles in soviet-era apartment districts from the perspective of substation power availability
Estonian University of Life Sciences, Institute on Forestry and Engineering,
Chair of Energy Application Engineering, F.R. Kreutzwaldi 1, EE51006 Tartu, Estonia
*Correspondence: janek.lumi@emu.ee
Abstract:
This article analyses the potential for electric vehicle (EV) home charging in a Soviet-era apartment district powered by the Lammi substation in Tartu, Estonia. Using one year of hourly electricity consumption data from 360 apartments, the study evaluates three load management scenarios to determine how many EVs can be supported without overloading the existing transformer infrastructure. The analysis is based on a worst-case winter week, reflecting realistic household consumption patterns and typical EV charging behaviour, which does not require daily charging. Three load control strategies are compared: (1) dynamic load management limited by weekly peak load; (2) fixed nighttime charging within a capped substation load; and (3) full dynamic charging for all apartments. The results show that up to 96, 218, and 360 EVs could be supported under these respective scenarios. The findings highlight how the choice of charging strategy significantly affects infrastructure demands and demonstrate that coordinated load management can enable broader EV integration without immediate large-scale investment. The study contributes practical insight for energy planners and housing associations seeking to align smart charging systems with the technical limits of existing substations.
Key words:
charging, electric vehicles, load management, residential charging, substation capacity