Chargers

Bidirectional Chargers

Maximise your power independence with the latest electric vehicle (EV) charging technology and invest in a bidirectional charger for your vehicle and home.

Electric vehicles (EVs) are being adopted by more people who strive to say goodbye to their reliance on carbon-emitting fossil fuels and the power grid and make more eco-conscious choices for how they live and travel.

EV batteries are powerful and large – EVs can be considered as large batteries on wheels – and they can be exploited for power storage using a bidirectional charger.

What is a Bidirectional Charger?

Standard EV (electric vehicle) chargers use AC power to charge the vehicle.

A bidirectional charger is a sophisticated, advanced type of EV charger which is capable of both charging and discharging energy from an EV (electric vehicle) battery. This is achieved via a complex process of converting power using a DC-to-AC inverter.

How Does it Work?

V2G or vehicle-to-grid applications export a portion of the energy from the EV to support the electricity grid when electricity demand is high. Incentives are offered to participate in such an exchange, and not all EVs are currently compatible with this new technology.

V2H or vehicle-to-home applications enable the EV to function as a home battery storage system, storing excess solar energy as a residential power source. It works similarly to V2G, but the power is fed into the home instead of the grid.

Additional equipment is required for a bidirectional charger to power a home, enabling load management and isolation from the grid during outages. The system requires a compatible bidirectional charger and a CT (energy) meter installed at the grid mains connection point.

When energy is drawn from the grid for home use, the CT meter detects this and signals to the bidirectional charger to offset this by discharging power from the EV at an equivalent rate. Conversely, when the system detects power being exported from the rooftop solar panels, this power is diverted to charge the EV.

Currently, only a few EVs feature V2H technology.

V2L or Vehicle to Load technology is simpler than V2L or V2H, and vehicles with this technology have built-in standard AC plug-in power outlets and a DC-to-AC inverter. Regular household AC appliances can be powered by the car’s battery. These vehicles may be incorporated into off-grid solar systems (which usually include a bidirectional inverter-charger) but require professional, specialist installation and configuration. Solar and Batteries Direct delivers this expertise and service.

Bidirectional Charging Uses

Consider that the typical Tesla Powerwall home battery storage system has a capacity of 13.5kWh. The average EV, on the other hand, has a capacity of more than five times this, at 65kWh. Fully charged, your EV could potentially power your home for several days, and longer if combined with rooftop solar panels.

When an EV has bidirectional (i.e. two-way) charging capabilities, it can be used to:

Provide power to a home
Provide backup power in an emergency or blackout
Reduce load on the grid during peak times
Feed power back into the grid (this is often incentivised)
Store rooftop solar power or cheap off-peak grid power in theEV
Power your EV for driving via your rooftop solar array

Bidirectional Charger Technology is the way of the future

Bidirectional Charger Technology is the way of the future, especially as more of us convert to EVs. Maximise your energy independence – let Solar and Batteries Direct Gold Coast solar installers help you exploit the benefits of your rooftop solar system and Electric Vehicle to truly reduce your reliance on the commercial power grid and fossil fuels. Contact us now to discover more.