Episode 67: Vehicle-to-Grid & home storage devices

Our podcast guest today is Dr. Andreas Piepenbrink, head of the German home storage manufacturer E3/DC. The former automotive manager begins by explaining the ever-increasing demand for stationary battery storage for the home. This demand, in addition to the second photovoltaic boom, is of course also due to the Ukraine war and the accompanying high and volatile electricity prices.

Many home storage owners are asking, "Can I already charge my home storage intelligently and link it to dynamic electricity rates?" (YouTube comment). This depends on the battery manufacturer and especially on the software that controls the home storage, Piepenbrink said. He already gives his E3DC customers hope that these logics will be accessible to them very soon.

One positive market signal is the removal of V2H restrictions, which have now made the vehicle-to-home concept a reality: For a few months now, e-car owners in Germany have been able to supply their own homes with electricity from the drive battery of their e-car. Although registrations are still required in many places, all obstacles seem to have been removed.

According to Piepenbrink, however, bidirectional charging of e-cars still has its limits: "Especially the vehicle-to-grid capability of e-cars - contrary to other voices here in the podcast - still seems a long way off. Almost all current wallboxes and e-cars, he says, are not technically suitable for being used to support the grid at some point. "It's a bitter pill," Piepenbrink says.