- Practical tips for living sustainably
- Saving energy in the home
- Average electricity consumption in Switzerland
- Disposing of electric bulbs correctly
- Energy-saving heating
- Sustainable construction: the key to a greener future
- What is a Minergie apartment?
- E-car charging stations for rental properties
- Sustainable living – the easy way
- Solar collectors
- Energy saving living made easy
- Heat pumps: energy from the deep
- Charge your car using your own solar power
- Electric vehicles as power storage units
Electric vehicles can double as power storage units at home
Bidirectional charging could revolutionise the way we use energy in Swiss households.
In cooperation with the Federal Office of Energy
Did you know that vehicles sit unused for over 90% of their life? During these periods, we can use our electric vehicles as a mobile power storage unit. In other words, the electricity from the EV is fed back into the home (V2H) or even the power grid (V2G).
Electricity flows from the home to the vehicle and back again if necessary
Your EV as a mobile storage unit for solar power from your roof
The new technology is ideal for homeowners with solar panels. Excess solar power is stored in the EV during the day and used for heating or hot water in the evening.
Find out how bidirectional charging works at home in everyday life in this video.
The benefits of bidirectional charging at home
- Optimised use of electricity from your solar panels.
- Independence from the power grid.
- Larger storage capacity than conventional home storage.
What you need for bidirectional charging
A special bidirectional charging station and a compatible electric vehicle. Models such as the VW ID.3, Nissan Leaf, Renault R5 E-Tech and the Volvo EX90, to name just four, already support this technology.
Good to know: Bidirectional charging does not damage the vehicle’s battery thanks to an intelligent charging management system which ensures that the battery remains optimally charged at all times.