Using solar panels to charge an electric car can reduce carbon emissions and save the average household over £400 a year. Solar panels offer homeowners a way of generating clean, renewable energy to power their homes. So can they also charge our electric vehicles? In short, yes!
There are a few things to consider before you switch to solar panel charging for your EV. Here are some of the pros and cons: Solar panel charging is good for the environment. Electric cars are much cleaner than petrol or diesel cars, but if they're charged using electricity from coal-fired power stations, their environmental benefits are reduced.
Solar panel charging is good for the environment. Electric cars are much cleaner than petrol or diesel cars, but if they're charged using electricity from coal-fired power stations, their environmental benefits are reduced. Solar panel charging helps to maximise the environmental benefits of driving an electric car.
The average domestic solar PV system can generate one to four kilowatts of power (kWp). This is enough to fully charge an electric car with a battery capacity of 40 kWh in just over eight hours. Of course, the amount of solar energy available to charge an electric car will vary depending on the time of year and the weather conditions.
According to EnergySage, you will need about seven to 12 solar panels to charge an electric vehicle at home. Given that each panel is roughly 5 by 3 feet, there simply isn't enough solar power being generated — or real estate on the vehicle for enough panels — to provide the energy needed to fully power a moving vehicle.
This makes a solar battery well worth investing in as they store excess solar energy which can then be used when the solar panels aren't generating energy. Electric cars can actually be charged using a standard 3 pin plug but this isn't recommended. For a faster charge, you should have a home-charging point installed which is much more efficient: