The idea behind vehicle-to-grid (V2G) is simple: the battery in your electric vehicle can help power your home and support the grid.
For some households in Australia, V2G has already arrived via Amber’s V2G product.
Sam, based in South Australia, has rooftop solar, a home battery, and a V2G-enabled EV all working together through Amber. It's a setup that has delivered some pretty remarkable results.
Earlier this year, South Australia saw extreme wholesale electricity price volatility over the January public holiday, and for Sam, it created a significant opportunity.
“It was a very good day for me… it ended up in excess of $700 of credit [in a] single afternoon.”
It's a glimpse of what's possible when EV batteries can respond to the grid in real time, and why the most valuable V2G use cases are those where customer incentives align with wholesale electricity prices.
A typical home, with one powerful addition
Sam’s home is not unusual by Australian standards - a three bedroom single family home on the outskirts of Adelaide, with a 6.6 kilowatt solar system.
That changed when he installed a Sigenergy Sigenstor system with a built-in bidirectional EV charger, bringing his EV into the household energy mix alongside that solar.
“When I put the vehicle-to-grid system in, combined with the battery system, it allowed me to make the most of those renewable assets I already had - and expand the capabilities that my house had.”
Sam chose an integrated system that tightly coordinates solar, the home battery, and the EV.
“I went with an all-in-one vehicle-to-grid and battery system… because it allows for much tighter control of the whole system, with the battery, vehicle and solar working together to maximise their potential.”
In practice, that means the EV battery can help power the home, store cheap electricity, or export energy when the grid needs it.
Why Sam chose Amber
To make V2G work effectively, software matters just as much as the hardware. Sam had already researched energy retailers before installing his system and knew he wanted access to wholesale electricity prices.
“Amber exposes the real underlying wholesale market prices for energy at my address. What Amber allows me to do is have the hardware respond to that. I tie the hardware to Amber’s platform and it intelligently buys or sells at the relevant times when it’s most advantageous.”
That responsiveness is what helps Sam save on his energy bills day to day, and cash in when electricity prices spike.
Day-to-day value: reducing bills
Most days are less dramatic than that January public holiday. But even without extreme price spikes, Sam still sees value from his system. On stable days, it simply balances the home’s energy needs.
“On days where there's no real volatility, I've been able to basically just null out my bills and not have to export much and not have to import much.”
In other words, the EV battery becomes part of the household energy system. It stores solar power during the day and uses it later when prices are high, reducing the need to draw expensive electricity from the grid.
Does V2G damage the battery?
One common concern with V2G is battery wear. Sam isn't worried. He sees the power flows involved as relatively modest compared to normal driving.
“If I’m drawing about 12.5 kilowatts, that’s equivalent to driving just over 60 kilometres an hour on flat roads. Most of the time I’m doing vehicle-to-home, it’s around 1 kilowatt… so that’s pretty nominal. It does incur some wear and tear on the battery for sure. But for most people’s use case, it’s going to be pretty minimal.”
How V2G changes the way Sam thinks about EVs
Perhaps the biggest shift for Sam is how vehicle-to-grid has changed the way he evaluates electric vehicles themselves.
For Sam, bidirectional capability is no longer a niche feature or technical curiosity. It is now a core part of what an EV should be able to do.
“If I had to buy a new EV, looking for permissive vehicle-to-grid conditions would be a big part of the deal for me. This is now a must-have feature, not just a nice-to-have.”
That mindset reflects a broader shift happening in the EV industry. Cars are increasingly seen not only as transport, but as storage that can interact with homes and the electricity grid. But unlocking that potential requires support from car manufacturers, and Sam believes the ecosystem around the vehicle matters just as much as the vehicle itself.
“The ecosystem around the vehicle and the support from the manufacturer is a critical piece… knowing that if anything did go wrong, they’ve got my back. I’m really pleased to see BYD endorse this activity.”
This is where BYD has taken an important leadership role in Australia’s V2G development.
As part of Amber’s V2G trial, eligible BYD Atto 3 vehicles can participate under a formal battery warranty exemption, allowing customers to perform bidirectional charging while maintaining manufacturer support. That move makes BYD one of the first EV manufacturers in Australia to officially, and actively, participate in real-world V2G use with energy retailers and customers.
Sam believes the entire EV industry should embrace that shift.
“They just have to be bold enough to acknowledge where the market’s going and endorse that with their warranty… and be a bit prouder [about] what their vehicles can do.”
If you’d like to join the Amber V2G waitlist, you can do so by filling in this form here.
