Systems and methods for integration of electric vehicle charging stations with photovoltaic, wind, hydro, thermal and other alternative energy generation equipment

A computer-implemented method for charging an electric or hybrid-electric vehicle, the method comprising:

• receiving, by a control server comprising at least one processing unit and a memory and communicatively coupled to at least one vehicle charging station and at least one source of alternative electrical energy via a data network, a reading from the at least one source of alternative electrical energy via the data network, wherein the at least one vehicle charging station is electrically connectable to at least one vehicle and operable to charge the at least one vehicle using an electrical power, wherein the at least one source of alternative electrical energy provides an alternative electrical power, the at least one source of alternative electrical energy being distinct from and an alternative source to a utility power grid, which is to provide the electrical power as a grid electrical power;
• and
• controlling, by the control server, the at least one vehicle charging station by issuing a charge control command via the data network to charge the at least one vehicle such as to achieve balancing of the electrical power drawn by the at least one vehicle charging station against the alternative electrical power generated by the at least one source of alternative electrical energy, wherein the balancing is achieved by comparing one or more characteristics of the electrical power drawn by the at least one vehicle charging station to the alternative electrical power generated by the at least one source of alternative electrical energy.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium embodying a set of instructions, which, when executed by a control server, cause the control server to:

• receive a reading from at least one source of alternative electrical energy via a data network, wherein the control server is communicatively coupled to at least one vehicle charging station, and the at least one vehicle charging station is electrically connectable to at least one vehicle and operable to charge the at least one vehicle using an electrical power, wherein the at least one source of alternative electrical energy provides an alternative electrical power, the at least one source of alternative electrical energy being distinct from and an alternative source to a utility power grid, which is to provide the electrical power as a grid electrical power;
• and
• control the at least one vehicle charging station by issuing a charge control command via the data network to charge the at least one vehicle such as to achieve balancing of the electrical power drawn by the at least one vehicle charging station against the alternative electrical power generated by the at least one source of alternative electrical energy, wherein the balancing is achieved by comparing one or more characteristics of the electrical power drawn by the at least one vehicle charging station to the alternative electrical power generated by the at least one source of alternative electrical energy.