SolarEdge has released its bi-directional DC-Coupled electric vehicle charger, which will enable solar-powered EVs for Vehicle-to-Home (V2H) and Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) charging, and is expected to be commercially available in the second half of 2024.
The revolutionary charger was unveiled in Munich at the Intersolar Europe 2023, and the Israel-based manufacturer’s innovative architecture allows for simultaneous EV charging directly from solar, home battery storage, and the grid.
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The device can charge solar-powered EVs directly from the photovoltaic (PV) cells with no unnecessary AC-to-DC power conversions. It also allows fast charging of up to 24kW by simultaneously drawing electricity from the PV array, the home battery and the grid, bypassing the home’s AC infrastructure and the limitations of the car’s onboard EV charger
The charger can be connected to single- or three-phase inverters through a DC bus circuit which can be oversized by up to 200 per cent, enabling charging the EV with excess PV. The charger has a charge/discharge rate of 12/24 kW and a peak efficiency of DC to DC of 99 per cent.
In addition, SolarEdge’s ONE energy optimization system will offer enhanced savings by applying smart algorithms to calculate dynamic utility prices and autonomously charge and discharge the EV battery. This will enable homeowners to receive payments from their electricity supplier during demand response events, by discharging their stored EV battery power back to the grid (V2G).
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The company, which is a prominent player in the smart energy industry, also revealed that another benefit of its charger will be that the EV battery can even function as a large home battery storage solution of up to 50kWh, both on and off-grid, enabling homeowners to use their EV to back up their homes for extended periods during an outage (V2H).
The Charger will be compatible with both 400V and 800V EV powertrains via a standard CSS connector.
