The transition to the electrification of construction vehicles represents a pivotal shift toward increased sustainability in industrial practices. However, it introduces significant challenges to the electrical power grid and local distribution networks (LDNs), as electrifying these vehicles induces high charging demand. This study assesses the impact of grid integration of electric construction vehicles in the presence of renewable energy sources (RES), such as solar photovoltaics and wind power. A comparison is made between opportunistic charging and smart charging strategies with optimized energy utilization as the objective.

The case studies are based on data collected from a city in central Sweden. Multiple seasonal operational scenarios are analyzed across varying levels of renewable energy system (RES) generation capacity.

The study evaluates key parameters for grid performance, including peak load variations and renewable load matching, quantified by self-consumption and self-sufficiency ratios.

Results show that smart charging strategies can significantly reduce peak load. In the winter week case study, the net peak load is reduced from 1 MW under opportunistic charging to 300 kW with smart charging. Load matching performance improves from 60% with opportunistic charging to 95% with smart charging.

Furthermore, appropriate RES sizing and storage integration enhance the resilience of the energy system and increase renewable energy utilization at higher penetration levels, reducing reliance on the main power grid. The findings offer practical insights for construction site operators, distribution system operators (DSOs), and transmission system operators (TSOs), aiming to support electrification efforts while improving grid stability and sustainability.