Electric cars have become trending, and more people are now using them. The good thing about electric cars is they can be powered by electricity and solar panels. Charging an electric car with solar panels can be a good choice since they can save you a lot of money compared to using electricity. How and why to use solar panels to charge an electric car?
Why Should You Use Solar Panels for Your Electric Car?
Having your own solar panel system to support your electric car can be better. Upfront costs can be expensive, but the money you can save from charging at the public charging station or using electricity. Apart from saving money, you can also contribute to reducing the toxic emissions made by your car when you use fossil fuels as a source of your energy. When you use solar panels, the greenhouse gas emissions are less or even zero. Residential areas benefit from increased safety and dependability as a result of smart street solar lighting. Not only is there increased safety, but residents and councils save money on high-priced power bills and the time-consuming labor of running cables to light fixtures.
How Much Does It Cost To Charge An Electric Car With Solar or Without?
There are three ways that you can charge your electric car.
Grid Power at Home
The cost of charging on the grid would be $.10 to $.40 per kWh. This can vary depending on your location and the demand. The cost can go up at any time due to the scarcity of its resources.
Public Charging Station
There are public charging stations provided in some areas where electric cars can be charged. The average cost of charging would be $.28 kWh. They may be convenient since they can be used by anyone, but you spend more compared when you charge from the grid.
Charging With Home Solar
Deciding on installing a home solar panel is a big decision to make, but can also have a big impact on your home and finances. The upfront cost is high, but it is a good investment, with all the electricity bills you can save for the next 25 years. If you total the amount, then you can even pay the upfront cost you use in purchasing your solar panel system. Being able to charge your electric car at home is the most convenient option. You can get it fully charged for the whole evening and be ready to go in the daytime.
Do You Need Home Solar Batteries To Store Energy For EV Charging?
It is not necessary and not practical. Solar panels are connected to the grid, which means any excess energy will be directed to the grid. And if you need to charge your car at night and your solar power is not enough, the system will draw from the grid.
How To Charge An Electric Vehicle With Solar
Step 1: Know how many kWh your EV car needs.
If you are a person who tracks down their car’s mileage per year, then this will be easy to determine. You can also check on the internet your car model and how much kWh it needs.
Step 2: Know how many solar panels are needed.
Now that you have determined the kWh of your car, then match it with how much solar panel is needed to fully charge your car.
Step 3: Get the Equipment Needed
You might need a string inverter. This combines the DC output of the solar panels with AC. Micro-inverters can also be used to convert panel output to AC. Then this is connected to a combiner box that connects to your main AC panel.
Step 4: Charging your Electric Vehicle
You can now charge your electric car using your solar panel system since you have everything you need.
Now that you have an idea of how and why to use solar panels to charge an electric car. You can now start discussing your solar panel installation with your solar provider. They can assist you in determining the solar needs of your home, and they can do the necessary process to start the inspection, and then proceed with the paperwork, so they can finally install your solar panels. If you have a problem with your budget, there are financial options offered by solar providers, or they can refer you to their partners, so you don’t have to pay the upfront cost at once.