The main selling point of electric vehicles is what they can do for the environment. This claim is true about EVs because diesel-powered vehicles harm the atmosphere in so many ways. However, electric vehicles need extra care and maintenance because they require electricity to keep them running instead of gas.
If you want to lessen your carbon footprint and save money with your electric vehicle, you can use solar panels to charge your electric car.
Can You Charge Electric Cars with Solar Panels?
The quick answer to this question is yes. Solar panels have been around for several years, powering houses and buildings while providing a cheaper source of electricity for all of us. Car manufacturers have designed electric cars so that they can be recharged using solar panels.
How to Use Solar Panels to Charge Your EV?
If you already have them installed at home, charging EVs with solar panels is a good idea. Solar panels cannot actually store electricity, which means that the power they generate has to be consumed immediately. You can use solar panels to power your appliances, or store electricity in a solar battery. Electric vehicles are equipped with such batteries, making it possible for solar panels to charge them.
In order to use solar panels to charge electric cars, here are some guidelines you can follow:
1. Use an Inverter That Can Handle More Power
Solar panels use inverters to generate and distribute electricity. The most common is the string inverter. With this, you can use several solar panels connected into strings and distribute their power to one inverter. Your solar panels are equipped with an inverter that can handle the expected power for it to function properly and generate electricity for household appliances. Having an inverter that can handle more power is ideal if you want to use it to charge your EV batteries. You can install an inverter with a higher capacity so that it will be able to handle your existing panels plus the ones you are going to use for your electric vehicle.
2. Install Microinverters
Microinverters are different from the common string inverters because they require each of the solar panels to have their own inverter. Using a microinverter for your solar panels will make it easy for you to add additional ones to power your electric vehicle. With microinverters, you don’t have to worry if your solar panels can handle the additional electricity for your electric vehicle. EV charging solar panels must have microinverters to be able to recharge the battery properly.
3. Install a Second Source for Solar Energy
Adding a second solar energy system is possible as long as you have enough space on the roof. It is proven to be more effective and hassle-free in powering all of your appliances and charging your EV with solar panels. Don’t worry about the cost because purchasing a second solar energy system can still help you save a significant amount of money.
4. Prepare for Future Use: Build a Bigger System
Preparing for the future is important. If you want to prepare for a future electricity increase, or if you are planning to buy more appliances or use your solar panels to charge your electric car, building a bigger solar energy system is the best thing to do. Make sure to talk to your solar installer about it and ask if the whole thing is applicable for you.
You can also try to make room for more power later on by installing energy-efficient upgrades in your home. You can start by switching out light bulbs, changing your thermostat, or upgrading some of your appliances to save some of the power your solar panels generate. This will make it easier for you to add an electric vehicle along with all your solar panel-powered appliances.
All of the strategies mentioned here can also apply to any additional appliances, not just electric cars. If you want to make some changes at home and add new appliances, you can implement some of the strategies we mentioned to maximize the use of your solar panels in the future.
When you decide to use solar panels to charge electric cars, there are a lot of things to take into consideration. If you are still thinking about buying an EV in the next few years, it wouldn’t hurt to prepare, because it can cause major changes in your lifestyle. Using solar panels to charge your electric car is the most cost-effective way to keep it running.
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