Toward net zero buildings: The investment case for smart EV integration
- By Vincent Minier
- 08 Sep 2025
- 3 min read
The journey to net zero buildings requires more than insulation and efficient heating. With the rapid growth of electric vehicles (EVs), buildings now face a dual challenge: decarbonizing their operations while providing the charging capacity people increasingly expect. Our report finds that smart charging and microgrids—combining rooftop solar and battery storage—are the most effective path to cut emissions, contain costs, and keep occupants satisfied.
Uncontrolled charging pushes buildings to exceed grid power limits in 80% of use cases. The result: higher connection costs and strained networks. Smart charging, however, spreads demand across low-tariff hours while still meeting drivers’ needs. This approach eliminates peak overloads across all modeled cases without compromising EV readiness.
Illustration of an EV charging scenario in a Denmark-Small-Hotel during the night of January 21 to the morning of January 22, comparing smart charging and uncontrolled charging strategies.
- Top: EV Charging Station presence and electricity tariff time series.
- Middle: building power demand time series under uncontrolled charging.
- Bottom: building power demand time series under smart charging
Adding a microgrid—rooftop solar combined with a stationary battery—creates resilience and future-proof returns. Benefits include:
- Up to 50% headroom recovery, leaving room for new loads.
- Significant energy bill reductions from self-consumption and grid exports.
- Attractive internal rates of return (IRR) across building types and geographies.
Even as EV adoption grows, microgrid investments made today remain profitable in 2035 scenarios.
A common concern is whether load management leaves drivers undercharged. The study shows that:
- With smart charging, satisfaction stays high across most building types.
- With microgrids, satisfaction levels are excellent, with nearly all vehicles leaving at 90%+ charge.
- Even under high EV penetration in 2035, most sectors maintain very good satisfaction rates, proving these solutions scale with demand.
The research suggests that combining smart charging with microgrids offers three wins:
Grid stability
Preventing overloads and deferring costly upgrades.
Economics
Delivering attractive IRRs and energy bill savings.
Experience
Ensuring drivers; charging needs are met.
This makes net zero building strategies not just a sustainability imperative, but also a sound financial decision for owners and operators.
Download the full report: Toward net zero buildings: The investment case for smart EV integration to explore methods, scenarios, and investment pathways for smart charging and microgrid adoption.
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