You can absolutely use solar panels to charge an electric car. Your solar panels will come with an inverter that converts the DC (Direct Current) electricity that comes from the sun to AC (Alternating Current) electricity, which you can use in your home and to charge your car.
Battery charging from solar panels is a renewable and sustainable way to power your electric vehicle. Simply put, solar panels work by converting sunlight into electricity, which can then be used to charge your EV battery.
Yes, you can use a regular EV charger with solar panel charging but you'll need a PV inverter unit that converts solar energy into electricity in order to start charging your EV with solar panels. Most installations will have an inverter as standard but it’s important to check.
Once you have your solar system, you need a solar-integrated smart charger. A solar integrated smart charger basically has terminals for a solar or renewable feed, creating a connection between your solar system and EV charger. You can tap into both solar and grid charging by linking the two.
Solar panel charging can take longer than grid charging. Yes, it takes longer to charge an electric car using solar power than it does to charge from the grid. But, if you have a solar PV system installed, you can charge your EV overnight while you're sleeping, so it will be ready to go in the morning.
Batteries have charge controllers to manage charging from solar panels and discharging to power devices and the EV charger optimally. While adding battery storage increases upfront costs, it maximizes solar capabilities and savings over time, providing solar power independence and reliability.