Matching electricity supply and demand throughout the day is an essential consideration in the transition to 100% renewable energy. Leading clean energy sources such as solar and wind are intermittent energy sources, meaning that they produce different amounts of energy at various times of the day. Energy storage solutions allow energy to be stored during peak production times and discharged during peak electricity demand times. As we seek to maximize the use of renewables on the grid, Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) technology is quickly emerging as a leading energy storage solution.

V2G utilizes the batteries that already exist in electric vehicles (EVs) to store the energy on our grid. Typically, we think of EV batteries in terms of one-directional charging. With V2G technology, electricity flows in two directions, the grid can charge the vehicle, and the vehicle can also send energy back into the grid. V2G technology allows us to optimize charging times to provide maximum benefit to the grid. For example, EVs can fully charge during the middle of the day, when solar panels are producing the most energy and electricity costs are low. Excess energy in the battery can be directed back into the grid during peak electricity demand hours in the evening.

V2G technology can help increase the use of renewables, create a more efficient grid, lower EV charging costs, and will naturally expand as more EVs hit the road. Several technology and policy advancements are needed before V2G technology can be deployed at scale.

To learn about the role of V2G technology as a grid stabilization tool and when it will be ready for scale, we called on seven V2G experts. Here’s what they had to say.