On 28 April 2025, a massive blackout swept across Spain and Portugal, leaving millions of homes and businesses without power. While investigations are ongoing, early signs point to a mismatch between how much electricity was being generated and how much was being used—likely worsened by the unpredictable nature of renewables.
It’s a sharp reminder that while moving to green energy is essential, our energy systems need to be smarter and more resilient too. All is not lost though! This is where solutions like Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G), Vehicle-to-Load (V2L), and smart home energy systems can make a difference.
So, what are V2G and V2L?
Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) tech allows electric vehicles (EVs) to send electricity back to the grid, turning your car into a kind of portable battery. Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) takes it one step further—letting you power things like tools, appliances, or even your entire home directly from your car.
This kind of two-way energy flow could be a game-changer. In the middle of a blackout, an EV with V2G or V2L capabilities could keep your home powered or even support vital infrastructure. That means less pressure on emergency services and more peace of mind for you and your family.
The smart way to charge and store energy at home
Tech like the myenergi zappi is leading the way in home energy resilience. It’s an EV charger that works brilliantly with solar panels, automatically adjusting to make the most of your home-grown electricity. It can also charge your car during off-peak times, helping ease the load on the grid and saving you money (always a plus!).
Pair it with the myenergi libbi—a home battery that stores either solar power or cheap off-peak electricity—and you’ve got a powerful combo. Together, zappi and libbi give households real energy independence and a solid backup when the lights go out.
Remember QR codes during COVID?
If you cast your mind back to the pandemic, QR codes went from niche to normal almost overnight. Why? Because we had to find a safer, contactless way to do things.
That’s what might happen here too. The blackouts in Iberia could be the push we need to take smart energy tech seriously. V2G, V2L, and battery storage aren’t futuristic luxuries—they’re here now, and they work. The more we use them, the more resilient and sustainable our homes become.
Time to future-proof our homes
As we move further into an electric, renewable-powered world, we need to make sure the systems behind it all can cope. That means more than just plugging in a solar panel – it means adopting technologies that keep us going when things get tough.
Policymakers, manufacturers, and homeowners all have a role to play. The more we invest in smart charging, battery storage, and V2G tech, the less reliant we’ll be on an overworked, fragile grid. And the more progress we make towards a cleaner, greener future.
Want to learn more about how V2G works? Check out this deep dive from EE Power
By acting today, we can keep our homes and communities safe, smart, and sustainable – no matter what the future throws at us.
