Horizon Power has completed a 12-month trial in Exmouth testing vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology, which allows electric vehicles (EVs) to both draw from and export energy back into the grid.
The pilot, the first of its kind in Western Australia, showed the potential for EVs to act as mobile energy storage systems and contribute to powering homes, lowering costs and improving grid stability.
The trial was conducted using Horizon Power’s Distributed Energy Resource Management System (DERMS), which integrates data from power systems, rooftop solar, EVs, and weather forecasts to balance energy supply and demand.
The system already plays a role in easing grid capacity constraints, particularly in enabling regional households to connect solar more easily.
Horizon Power partnered with the Gascoyne Development Commission, Shire of Exmouth, Exmouth Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and WA Country Health Service, each of which was provided with a V2G-compatible Nissan Leaf EV and smart charging infrastructure for the year-long study.
Insights from the project will inform Horizon Power’s future product development, which will aim to deliver additional customer benefits such as powering homes directly with EV batteries or earning income from exporting surplus energy back into the grid.
Energy and Decarbonisation Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson said the findings marked an important step for WA’s clean energy pathway.
“The success of this regional trial in Exmouth is an important milestone in our clean energy transition and in testing the technology that could make two-way charging a possibility in Western Australia,” she said.
“Electric vehicle batteries are powerful. As well as helping to stabilise the grid, they have the capacity to power homes and reduce energy bills.”
She added that the Exmouth project showed Horizon Power’s technology is capable of managing EV charging and discharging in a way that supports reliable grid operations, while also laying the groundwork for flexible energy services that customers can shape themselves.
Sanderson said the trial provides a strong base for EVs to play a bigger role in WA’s energy networks going forward.
