Impact of EV charging strategies on solar-powered residential buildings: unidirectional vs. bidirectional charging in Jordan

Abstract Unidirectional chargers, valued for their simplicity and cost-effectiveness, are widely deployed. In contrast, bidirectional chargers enable advanced functionalities such as Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) and Vehicle-to-Home (V2H) but come with greater complexity, higher costs, and design challenges. This aim of this research is to analyze unidirectional and bidirectional charging systems integrated with renewable energy, from both economic and environmental perspectives. Additionally, the research conducts a technical analysis of different EV charging technologies via Polysun software, considering a predefined mobility profile that includes charging times and kilometers driven. The study focuses on households with renewable energy systems connected to the grid, evaluating energy consumption, grid reliance, CO₂ emissions, and financial viability across scenarios with varying numbers of EVs (1–3) over one year. While bidirectional EV setups enhance self-consumption and reduce dependence on the external grid, they face financial challenges, including higher initial costs and a lower net present value (NPV) due to maintenance expenses. In Jordan the time-of-use (TOU) pricing system has applied for EVs charging. This study reveals that the bidirectional EV charging improves energy efficiency and reduces CO 2 emissions by optimizing PV energy utilization in Jordan to charge EVs, however, its increased initial costs under TOU pricing highlight the need for supportive policies to encourage wider adoption.