Amber to expand Australian vehicle-to-grid scheme
With up to 6000 people reportedly on Amber’s V2G waitlist, the scheme’s expansion represents a major step forward for the company’s efforts in introducing the technology to Australia.The project is being supported by a $13.6 million AUD funding injection from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA), bringing total ARENA funding for the initiative up to $16.8m AUD.Amber explained that its initial 50-home trial was meant to assess both the technical performance and commercial viability of V2G systems in real-world conditions.Commenting on the trial, Amber Co-CEO Chris Thompson said: “”Our initial rollout proved it works. 1,000 homes proves it scales. We’ve already seen a South Australian customer earn $500 in a single afternoon during a heatwave – customers can now save thousands annually through V2G. This expansion positions Australia as a world leader, and we see a future where millions of Australians buying EVs in the next few years can do the same.”Calling the pilot scheme a ‘test of everything’, the company also highlighted some case studies from the programme: “A Victorian household eliminated their EV’s energy costs and generated an additional $1200 in savings over a 12 month period. A South Australian customer earned $500 in one afternoon during a summer heatwave.”The expanded V2G scheme is set to include installation of V2G-capable chargers into customer homes, with software integrations enabling consumers to ‘directly’ access wholesale energy prices through Amber.The company sees this as its main USP, stating that while ‘most plans ask you to accept a fixed tariff’, its customers are able to ‘earn the full value’ of price spikes thanks to the wholesale pricing. The expanded trial will undergo ‘independent verification’ by enX, which Amber hopes will inform new policy frameworks around V2G tech in Australia.amber.com.au, arena.gov.au
