Understanding bidirectional electric vehicle (EV) Charging
Bidirectional charging simply means that energy can flow both to and from your electric vehicle (EV) battery. This exciting technology opens up a range of possibilities including:
- To help balance energy production and consumption.
- Using it to power a home or business at times of peak energy demand, and thereby avoiding peak electricity pricing.
- Using the battery to power a home or business during a power outage.
The usage can be broadly categorised as:
Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G)
Allows your EV to send power back to the electricity grid, helping to balance energy supply and demand.
Vehicle-to-Home (V2H)
Enables your EV to power your home or business, potentially reducing energy costs and providing backup during outages.
Vehicle-to-Load (V2L)
A feature in some EVs that lets you use the car's battery to directly power external appliances via onboard outlets.
For more information on V2G and V2H technology in Australia, refer to the National Roadmap for Bidirectional EV Charging from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA).
What is possible for V2G today
An energy system that is V2G capable will require a charger with a bidirectional inverter that complies with relevant Australian standards, a compatible EV and connection to the grid which adheres to the requirements of the network provider.
SA Power Networks was the first electricity distributor in Australia to allow network connection of V2G EV chargers outside of trial conditions. There is no need to be on a trial or ascertain exemptions if the connection meets all the requirements as outlined below.
What is needed to install a bidirectional inverter on SA Power Networks' network
Picture: Ingredients for a V2G setup.
CEC Listing
The Clean Energy Council maintains a list of inverters which have shown evidence that they meet the required standards for grid connection in Australia.
All distribution networks in Australia rely on this list to support compliance and network safety. Any grid-connected inverter installed in Australia should be on this list.
To allow targeted trials of this technology, SA Power Networks may consider site-specific conditional approvals for the installation of V2G chargers who are actively pursuing CEC listing.
If you would like consideration of a V2G installation for devices not yet listed by the CEC please contact our Industry Enquiries team via email at customerservice@sapowernetworks.com.au.
OTR Listing
The South Australian Government’s Office of the Technical Regulator (OTR) is proactively addressing the growing demand for energy from EVs by mandating requirements for residential EV chargers. Since July 1, 2024, all EV chargers in South Australian homes must be capable of demand response, meaning they can adjust charging rates up or down in response to third-party signals.
Recent updates to the standards clarify that Vehicle to Grid (V2G) chargers only need to meet demand response requirements if installed on or after 1 July 2026. From this date, compliance standards will include OCPP 2.1 and the upcoming AS 5438, which ensure chargers can integrate effectively with energy management systems and participate in optional or mandatory demand response programs.
Currently, any private AC EV charger must be on the OTR list before installation. From 1 July 2026, this requirement will also apply to:
- DC EV Chargers
- V2G-capable chargers (including V2H and V2L)
Note: Chargers that are publicly available are exempt from this requirement.
These guidelines aim to empower consumers to optimise energy use, save with off-peak rates, and better utilise renewable energy like solar and batteries. For more information about OTR listing, the updated guidelines, and to access a recording of their industry webinar, visit the Department of Energy and Mining website.
SA Power Networks Embedded Generation Compliance
All V2G chargers installed on the network in South Australia should follow SA Power Networks Embedded Generation installation requirements. This includes completing a pre-installation application for the device via our portal. Refer to this user guide for how to create a V2G application.
In the absence of specific requirements for bidirectional EVs, bidirectional EV chargers, including inverters capable of V2G, are currently treated by SA Power Networks as battery energy storage systems (BESS).
For sites with no more than 30kVA of generation:
When installing a V2G charger at a site with no more than 30kVA of installed inverter capacity, compliance with our Small Embedded Generation (SEG) Technical Requirements (TS129) is required.
The flow chart below serves as a guide to determine requirements and allowances of a single-phase V2G set-up at a single-phase property to comply with TS129. It outlines the key installation criteria and provides alternative options for properties that do not meet the specified requirements, namely:
The total allowed installed capacity of BESS per phase is 10kVA for SEG sites. V2G inverters are considered a BESS, and so total combined installed capacity of any V2G and BESS inverters must not exceed 10kVA on a single phase.
Flowchart: Single-Phase V2G equipment installation requirements for single-phase SEG sites.
Notes:
- Refer to TS129 Section 4.1.6 for details on inverter capacity and export limits.
- If installing a V2G inverter will result in the combined system inverter capacity of the BESS and V2G exceeding 10kVA, you may still install the V2G inverter, provided it is generation-limited to comply with the allowable limits (10kVA).
- If the existing battery inverter capacity is 10kVA or greater, completing a Medium Embedded Generation application is an alternative option to increase the maximum allowable system inverter capacity for a single-phase supply.
- For single phase properties, an existing solar system will not impact the allowable inverter capacity limits of the V2G inverter.
- If the V2G system is part of a hybrid/DC-coupled system, consider the AC generation capacity (kVA) of the inverter.
- For multi-phase properties, requirements such as phase balancing must be considered. Further guidance will be provided in the future to address these complexities. In the meantime, please refer to TS129 for more detailed information, or contact customerservice@sapowernetworks.com.au.
For sites with more than 30kVA of installed generation
Please complete a Medium Embedded Generation or Large Embedded Generation application.
Site dynamic and Flexible Exports compliance
The South Australian Government’s Office of the Technical Regulator requires grid-connected exporting inverters to be capable of remote communications via the Distributed Energy Resources guidelines.
As per this guideline, from 1 July 2023, each new installation of inverter connected generators must include the capability to monitor and manage all electricity generating plant on site to keep within a sitewide export limit and have that export limit updated remotely (typically by the relevant Distribution Network Service Provider (DNSP)). CSIP-AUS (Formally SA HB:218) is the communications protocol used by DNSPs in Australia to communicate this export limit, and compliance with this standard is required by the guidelines above.
Bidirectional EV chargers and Battery Energy Storage Systems are currently exempt from this requirement.
In future, it is likely that sites with multiple exporting inverters (e.g. a site with both solar PV and a bidirectional charger) would need to be able to collectively keep within the sitewide export limit. There are several possible architectures for this, for example a single hybrid smart inverter, a collection of inverters controlled by a master inverter, or with local device coordination via a site gateway device.
Frequently asked questions
Find answers to the most frequently asked questions below.
SA Power Networks does not have additional certifications for device approvals.
We refer to the Clean Energy Council approved inverter list for bidirectional chargers. Note that all EV chargers (including bidirectional / V2G) must also be on the South Australian Government Technical Regulator approved devices list.
If your charger is not correctly showing on the list, please contact Industry Enquiries via email: customerservice@sapowernetworks.com.au
Please refer to the Embedded generation user guides webpage, which includes information and training resources on how to use the portal for applications. Specifically, this guide provides instructions on how to create a V2G application in our Portal.