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Pinkafeld, 10 March 2026 - Electric cars can do more than just provide environmentally friendly mobility: as flexible home storage units in combination with a photovoltaic system, they increase independence from the power grid and significantly reduce costs. At least they have the potential to do so. This is demonstrated by Christoph Paar's bachelor's thesis in the Building and Energy Technology degree programme at University of Applied Sciences Burgenland. Various sizes of PV systems, vehicle types and charging and consumption profiles were examined in simulation-based analyses for a typical residential building - with a clear result: vehicle-to-home (V2H) has the potential to make private energy systems noticeably more efficient.
"If you can charge your electric car bidirectionally, you can turn the car park on your doorstep into an energy storage facility - and make significant cost and CO₂ savings," says study author Christoph Paar.
"The results show that electricity consumption from the grid can be reduced by up to 51 per cent compared to uncontrolled charging. At the same time, the PV system's own consumption increases and both feed-in and consumption are distributed more intelligently."
Christoph Paar, student on the Bachelor's degree programme in Building and Energy Technology
The starting point of the work is a current trend: according to BEÖ, 257,717 electric vehicles were registered in Austria by December 2025. With an average battery capacity of around 65 kWh, this results in a theoretical storage capacity of around 16.75 GWh - a considerable buffer that has so far remained mostly unutilised. This contrasts with typical household consumption: single-person households require an average of 1,900 kWh per year, three-person households around 4,200 kWh. This is where V2H comes in: Surpluses from the PV system are stored in the car and fed back into the house when needed.
The study shows: The benefits are particularly great if the PV system is small to medium-sized and generation and consumption do not always take place at the same time. In these scenarios, the annual electricity costs in Christoph Paar's simulation fell by over €1,400 in some cases. In addition, CO₂ emissions per vehicle were reduced by up to 370 kilograms per year. V2H also makes sense for larger PV systems - although the relative additional benefit decreases, the energy flows can be further optimised.
"The greatest effect is achieved when photovoltaic generation and household load are not perfectly synchronised," says Paar. "Then the vehicle closes the gap between midday sun and evening consumption as a mobile storage unit. V2H is therefore a realistic building block for greater self-sufficiency and a clean, affordable energy supply in the home."
The work proves: Intelligent integration of bidirectional charging infrastructure is technically feasible and makes both ecological and economic sense. It therefore provides a sound basis for future applications, further developments and investments in decentralised energy management. "Vehicle-to-home is already technically possible. However, widespread use is currently failing less because of the technology than because of a lack of standards and unresolved issues regarding grid connection, metering and billing. As European standardisation progresses and the regulatory framework becomes clearer, we can expect V2H to gradually find its way into homes in the coming years," concludes Christoph Paar.
The Bachelor's degree programme aims to train specialists who deal with the planning, installation or ongoing operation of technical facilities in buildings. The main aim is to create cosy and comfortable environmental conditions for the users of a building while being as energy-efficient, resource-saving and ecological as possible. The Building and Energy Technology degree programme can be studied full-time, part-time or on an extended part-time basis.
Registration for the 2026/27 academic year is already possible. www.hochschule-burgenland.at
Enquiry notes:
Mag.a Christiane Staab │ Marketing and Communication │ University of Applied Sciences Burgenland GmbH │ Tel: +43 (0)5 7705 3537 │ E-Mail: christiane.staab(at)hochschule-burgenland.at
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