Whether you’re drawn to home solar panels to lower your energy costs, reduce your carbon footprint, or both, the idea of using those solar panels to power your car is an exciting one. The thought of driving a car powered by the sun was once science fiction, but it’s a reality today. In fact, you only need to take a few steps to deliver solar energy to your car’s battery on a regular basis.
How to Charge Your EV Car with A Solar Panel
If you already have an electric vehicle, you also likely have an EV charging station installed in your garage. Typically, an EV charging station is set up to draw power from the grid. This inflates your home energy bills unnecessarily. After all, solar power is freely available. To get the most out of solar-powering your EV, you’ll need the right charging station, and battery storage.
Choosing Your Charging Station
A Level 1 home charging station is a low-charging system that uses a 120-volt outlet. With this voltage, the typical EV battery takes approximately six to 14 hours to fully charge. With a Level 2 charging station that has a 240-volt outlet, it could take less than an hour to charge your EV’s battery.
In addition to this important benefit, a Level 2 charger generates less wear and tear on the battery, allowing you to maximize its life. While a Level 2 charging station isn’t a necessity when using solar power to charge your EV’s battery, It makes sense to upgrade. Consider, for example, if you had a Level 1 charger and no solar battery supply.
Your solar panels could only provide power to the charging station while the sun is up, and your EV would need to be connected to the charging station for most of the daylight hours to get a decent charge.
Selecting a Battery Storage Solution
Solar batteries can be cost prohibitive during the panel installation process, but they have true benefits. This is particularly true when you plan to use solar power to charge your EV’s battery. Most notably, the battery stores solar power so that your home can draw energy from the sun long after sunset.
This results in even lower energy bills and provides additional power on rainy days when the grid is down. When you plan to charge your EV’s battery with a solar panel, a battery storage solution also allows you to charge your car’s battery with the sun, even if you arrive home after the sun goes down.
If you are gone most of the day, a battery storage solution will help you get the most out of your home’s solar panel system when charging your EV’s battery.
Frequently asked questions
Can my home solar panels really power my EV?
Yes solar panels can absolutely charge your electric vehicle. You’ll need three things in place: an EV charging station, a solar inverter to convert the panel’s DC power to AC, and ideally a battery storage system so you can charge even after sunset.
What’s the difference between a Level 1 and Level 2 charger?
A Level 1 charger uses a standard 120-volt outlet and can take 6–14 hours to fully charge your EV. A Level 2 charger runs on 240 volts and can charge your battery in under an hour. Level 2 also causes less wear on the battery, helping extend its overall lifespan making it the better choice when pairing with solar.
Do I need a home battery to charge my EV with solar?
It’s not strictly required, but it’s highly recommended. Without battery storage, your panels can only charge your EV while the sun is shining, meaning your car needs to be parked at home during daylight hours. A solar battery lets you store excess energy and charge your car after dark or on cloudy days, making the whole system far more practical.
Will charging my EV with solar actually lower my energy bills?
Yes. Without solar, your EV charger draws power from the grid through its dedicated circuit, adding to your electricity costs. Solar power is free once your system is installed. Add battery storage and you can reduce grid dependence even further — running your home and vehicle on stored solar energy well into the evening.
Do I need to contact my solar panel installer to make these changes?
Not necessarily. A licensed electrician can handle the upgrades needed to connect your EV charging setup to your solar system. At Niceville Mister Sparky, our team can assess your current setup and make the necessary adjustments so you can start charging on solar power right away.
Schedule Service with Niceville Mister Sparky Today
You don’t need to get back in touch with your solar panel installation company to make these important adjustments to your system. Instead, you can count on our skilled and licensed electrician at Niceville Mister Sparky to complete the work without delay. With our expertise and quick service, you can start driving on solar power right away. Don’t put up with any malarkey, call Mister Sparky for service today!
