Linking EV charging and renewable energy generation more closely in location and time unleashes additional benefits for the transition to a clean power system. The current version of the Renewable Energy Directive (III) created a new opportunity to advance this approach.

Member States must now implement a credit mechanism that counts renewable electricity used in EV charging towards sectoral renewable energy targets. Jaap Burger explains new ways governments could design the credit mechanism, starting from leveraging existing accounting methods to using available technologies such as EV smart charging. Connecting to existing technology can limit costs and increase benefits significantly, such as more efficient use of local networks. Making better use of what’s already there — renewable energy generation, vehicle batteries and data solutions — can also increase the effectiveness of individual measures and reduce costs.

The recommendations below help policymakers explore ways to use the merits of smart charging to meet renewable energy targets, make better use of renewables and avoid unnecessary grid investments.

Solutions include:

• Going beyond the direct-line requirements — direct use or battery storage of on-site renewable energy production — and using current accounting and settlement mechanisms for energy communities, energy sharing within multi-tenant buildings or neighbourhoods, as well as commercial and industrial sites where multiple tenants collectively balance energy.
• Requiring system operators to make the current and predicted grid mix available in a standardised format. More transparency about the share of renewables in the grid mix can in turn,  boost the market for smart charging services that expressly support the use of renewable energy for EV charging.
• Enabling the use of more granular certificates of origin for the electricity used for public and private charging.

These solutions would also help create more accurate tracking of the renewable energy used for bidirectional EV charging and should be tested further in current pilots.

The electrification of road transport can be a perfect match for renewable electricity by using existing mechanisms to measure energy flows, determine the share of renewable energy and, importantly, leverage the technology to intelligently match EV charging sessions to these parameters. Now that all EU Member States must implement such a credit mechanism, it is time to look at practical ways to maximise its benefits.