Techno-economic and environmental analysis of a hybrid renewable energy system with V2H support for remote Australian communities

Remote Australian communities continue to experience persistent energy insecurity and increased greenhouse gas emissions due to their reliance on diesel-based microgrids. In response, this study presents a comprehensive techno-economic and environmental assessment of a hybrid renewable energy system integrating solar photovoltaics (PVs), wind turbines (WTs), battery energy storage systems (BESSs), and electric vehicles (Evs) with vehicle-to-home (V2H) functionality. Three system configurations are evaluated over a full-year simulation horizon using realistic solar irradiance, wind speed, household electricity demand, and driving profiles of electric vehicles: (i) off-grid (PV–WT–diesel generator (DG)), (ii) on-grid (PV–WT-BESS–Grid), and (iii) off-grid with V2H. System operation is coordinated through a rule-driven dispatch framework that governs real-time energy flow allocation. Simulation results indicate that off-grid with vehicle-to-home configuration achieves the highest return on investment (113.1%), the shortest payback period (8.42 years), and the greatest lifecycle carbon dioxide reduction (91.2%) relative to a diesel-only baseline. Although all configurations ensure 100% renewable energy penetration and eliminate diesel fuel usage, the integration of V2H capabilities further improves energy flexibility and BESS lifespan by utilizing EVs as mobile energy storage during evening demand peaks. The levelized cost of energy remains within a narrow range across the evaluated configurations ($0.28–0.32/kWh), indicating broadly comparable cost efficiency despite differences in system architecture and operational strategy. Sensitivity analysis reveals that BESS capital cost and project lifetime are the most influential parameters affecting overall performance. Overall, the results demonstrate that EV-enabled V2H support can strengthen renewable microgrid operation and deliver simultaneous economic and lifecycle-emissions benefits under realistic remote-community operating conditions.