As expected, the bidirectional EV charger market is taking off. The device that can both charge and export an EV battery’s power into a home or onto the grid has been excitedly touted for the last few years without any actual products available on the market. That’s starting to change, as Delta Electronics recently joined Fermata Energy and Siemens (through the Ford Charge Station Pro) as bidirectional chargers achieving UL 9741 certification, the standard that covers bidirectional charging equipment and includes functionality to export power to the grid. And plenty more companies, such as Enphase, SolarEdge, Wallbox and GM Energy, are preparing to finally bring their own utility-approved bidirectional chargers to market this year.
It’s an exciting time for consumers and installers alike — homeowners hesitant to purchase a stationary battery may be more likely to use their EVs like batteries with a bidirectional charger, and an uptick in charger installation means more auxiliary business for solar contractors during another bumpy ride on the solarcoaster. The residential solar market may temporarily be in flux, but EV charger installation and energy storage education could be a fruitful side hustle.
The Dept. of Energy has thrown its support behind vehicle-to-everything (V2X) research. The federal government is gathering national labs, local governments, utilities and private companies to accelerate the adoption of bidirectional charging into energy infrastructure. Companies like GM, Ford, Honda, Sunnova and Wallbox have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to shape the future of transportation and grid reliability.
“Bidirectional EV charging will play an increasingly important role in supporting the electrical grid and improving the country’s energy security and resilience in coming years,” said Rima Oueid, DOE’s V2X MOU lead and commercialization executive at the Office of Technology Transitions. “Our [electrical grid] system will be more dynamic and complex, but it will also be cleaner, more resilient, secure and affordable if we harmonize energy and transport by continuing to be thoughtful in our collaborations and investments.”
A few noteworthy developments in the bidirectional charger and V2X arena are:
Enphase’s bidirectional charger will be available this year. The charger will use Enphase grid-forming IQ8 microinverters and its own energy management technology.
GM Energy, not to be outdone by competitor Ford, unveiled the Ultium Home suite of products, including the PowerShift bidirectional charger and V2H enablement kit, for use with the 2024 Silverado EV.
SolarEdge expects its bidirectional charger to be commercially available in the second half of 2024. This new charger would also enable an EV to be charged directly from a solar PV system without any AC-to-DC power conversions.
Wallbox and partner Bidirectional Energy have received $2.2 million in funding from the California Energy Commission to deploy the Wallbox Quasar 2 bidirectional charger in homes throughout the state.
PG&E established another V2X pilot program with an EV manufacturer, now testing BMWs in the utility region. BMW joins Ford and GM in tests to help the California utility “unleash the full potential of EVs to enhance grid resilience and reliability for customers.”
SDG&E turned to Toyota to explore bidirectional power flow in Southern California. The region is one of the largest Toyota EV ownership areas in the state.
All these developments mean someone must install the chargers. Ford is partnering with Sunrun and GM is working with SunPower as their preferred installers of EV charging accessories, but plenty more of the EV-agnostic chargers will be installed by local contractors.
San Diego-based HES Solar is already experienced in installing traditional EV chargers — CEO Ross Williams said the large majority of HES’s residential solar installs are paired with this technology.
“On the residential side, it’s insanely easy. You just add an outlet. Oftentimes, it’s like a closing tool: We’ll throw in an EV outlet for you,” he said.
If not installing up-front, many of HES’s existing solar customers will call the company back to install a charger once they have an EV. Williams expects that to be the case once more bidirectional chargers enter the market, and HES is looking forward to the opportunity.
“Conceptually, I absolutely love the idea. I cannot wait for it to be a thing, because it’s going to change a lot for my customers,” he said. “We do sell a lot of stationary storage, mostly Powerwalls. But an average EV has the equivalent of about eight Powerwalls. That’s huge. The idea of powering your house with your combination of stationary storage and solar and your car makes a lot of sense.”
This story is part of SPW’s 2024 Trends in Solar. Read all of this year’s trends here.