On the Way to Viability: Residential Bidirectional Charging
Bidirectional charging, also called Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X), allows the two-way flow of energy to charge an electric vehicle’s battery and to discharge energy to an external load, including individual appliances (Vehicle-to-Load, or V2L), entire homes (Vehicle-to-Home, or V2H), or the grid (Vehicle-to-Grid, or V2G). This whitepaper explores the viability and economics of residential V2X applications, focusing on the emerging areas of V2H and V2G technologies and introducing potential resilience benefits along with economic ones. The research found that costs remain a significant barrier to many V2X applications (both in acquiring a commercially available system and other potential site-specific costs like electric service and electrical panel upgrades). The early stage of current market offerings (which often lack interoperability between different equipment makers and vehicle models) further compounds the cost challenges of V2X. However, this whitepaper finds that, for households with compatible EVs prioritizing the elimination of fossil fuel use and a need for home power backup systems, V2X technology can be financially viable. When paired with appropriate utility compensation and advancements in technology, V2X applications have the potential to become economical alternatives to generators for home backup power. The whitepaper encourages further exploration of V2X systems, especially the exploration and quantification of grid benefits of residential V2G systems. The whitepaper concludes that monitoring technological advancements, costs, installation experiences, and continued progress and cost reductions will all be crucial for the long-term viability and adoption of V2X systems in Vermont's residential market.