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

1. A system for charging an electric or hybrid-electric vehicle, the system comprising:

at least one vehicle charging station electrically connectable to the vehicle and operable to charge the vehicle using an electrical power;

at least one source of alternative electrical energy to provide the electrical power as 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

a control server, comprising at least one processing unit and a memory, and communicatively coupled to the at least one vehicle charging station and the at least one source of alternative electrical energy via a data network, the control server receiving a reading from the at least one source of alternative electrical energy via the data network, wherein the control server controls the at least one vehicle charging station by issuing a charge control command via the data network to charge the 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.

2. The system for charging an electric or hybrid-electric vehicle of claim 1 , wherein a source of alternative electrical energy of the at least one source of alternative electrical energy comprises a photovoltaic panel electrically connected to a photovoltaic inverter and wherein the control server is communicatively coupled to the photovoltaic inverter.

3. The system for charging an electric or hybrid-electric vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the reading comprises an amount of sunlight received by the photovoltaic panel.

4. The system for charging an electric or hybrid-electric vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the reading comprises an amount of electrical current generated by the photovoltaic panel.

5. The system for charging an electric or hybrid-electric vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the reading comprises an amount of electrical power generated by the photovoltaic panel.

6. The system for charging an electric or hybrid-electric vehicle of claim 1 , wherein a source of the alternative electrical energy of the at least one source of alternative electrical energy comprises a wind turbine.

7. The system for charging an electric or hybrid-electric vehicle of claim 1 , wherein a source of the alternative electrical energy of the at least one source of alternative electrical energy comprises a geothermal installation.

8. The system for charging an electric or hybrid-electric vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the one or more characteristics of the electrical power drawn by the at least one vehicle charging station includes an amount of the electrical power drawn by the at least one vehicle charging station, and the one or more characteristics of the alternative electrical power generated by the at least one source of alternative electrical energy includes an amount of the alternative electrical power generated by the at least one source of alternative electrical energy, and wherein the balancing is achieved when the amount of electrical power drawn by the at least one vehicle charging station is substantially equal to the amount of alternative electrical power generated by the at least one source of alternative electrical energy.

9. The system for charging an electric or hybrid-electric vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the one or more characteristics of the electrical power drawn by the at least one vehicle charging station includes an amount of the electrical power drawn by the at least one vehicle charging station, and the one or more characteristics of the alternative electrical power generated by the at least one source of alternative electrical energy includes an amount of the alternative electrical power generated by the at least one source of alternative electrical energy, and wherein the balancing is achieved when an excess of the amount of electrical power drawn by the at least one vehicle charging station over the amount of alternative electrical power generated by the at least one source of alternative electrical energy is less than a predetermined threshold.

10. The system for charging an electric or hybrid-electric vehicle of claim 9 , wherein the predetermined threshold is set via a user interface.

11. The system for charging an electric or hybrid-electric vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the one or more characteristics of the electrical power drawn by the at least one vehicle charging station includes an amount of the electrical power drawn by the at least one vehicle charging station, and the one or more characteristics of the alternative electrical power generated by the at least one source of alternative electrical energy includes an amount of the alternative electrical power generated by the at least one source of alternative electrical energy, and wherein the balancing is achieved when a cost of an excess of the amount of electrical power drawn by the at least one vehicle charging station over the amount of alternative electrical power generated by the at least one source of alternative electrical energy is less than a predetermined threshold.

12. The system for charging an electric or hybrid-electric vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the one or more characteristics of the electrical power drawn by the at least one vehicle charging station includes an amount of the electrical power drawn by the at least one vehicle charging station, and the one or more characteristics of the alternative electrical power generated by the at least one source of alternative electrical energy includes an amount of the alternative electrical power generated by the at least one source of alternative electrical energy, and wherein the balancing is achieved when a carbon footprint of an excess of the amount of electrical power drawn by the at least one vehicle charging station over the amount of alternative electrical power generated by the at least one source of alternative electrical energy is less than a predetermined threshold.

13. The system for charging an electric or hybrid-electric vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the at least one source of alternative electrical energy includes a plurality of sources of alternative electrical energy in a neighborhood, and wherein the control server further receives a plurality of readings from the plurality of sources of alternative electrical energy in the neighborhood via the data network, wherein the control server controls a plurality of vehicle charging stations of the at least one vehicle charging stations by issuing a plurality of charge control commands via the data network to charge a plurality of vehicles including the vehicle and one or more other vehicles such as to achieve the balancing of the electrical power drawn by the plurality of vehicle charging stations against the alternative electrical power generated by the plurality of sources of alternative electrical energy in the neighborhood.

14. The system for charging an electric or hybrid-electric vehicle of claim 13 , wherein one or more owners of the plurality of sources of alternative electrical energy in the neighborhood that are associated with an excess energy production are compensated using a cryptocurrency.

15. 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.

16. The computer-implemented method for charging an electric or hybrid-electric vehicle of claim 15 , wherein a source of the at least one source of alternative electrical energy comprises a photovoltaic panel electrically connected to a photovoltaic inverter and wherein the control server is communicatively coupled to the photovoltaic inverter.

17. The computer-implemented method for charging an electric or hybrid-electric vehicle of claim 16 , wherein the reading comprises an amount of sunlight received by the photovoltaic panel.

18. The computer-implemented method for charging an electric or hybrid-electric vehicle of claim 16 , wherein the reading comprises an amount of electrical current generated by the photovoltaic panel.

19. The computer-implemented method for charging an electric or hybrid-electric vehicle of claim 16 , wherein the reading comprises an amount of an electrical power generated by the photovoltaic panel.

20. 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.