Solar-Powered EV Charging Station
BENY Electric is a well-established EV charger and PV equipment producer with over 30 years of expertise. Our expertise in the production of PV components guarantees that all of our EV chargers outperform your expectations in terms of service life and performance.
Our EV charger’s sturdy construction allows you to meet a variety of business objectives while pushing your brand.
With its type 2 connector, this EV charger can power any electrical car. The PV product is appropriate for both outdoor and indoor use due to its wall-mounted structure and IP65 dust and waterproof enclosure. Our EV charger’s power ranges from 16amps to 32amps.
How to Charge EV with Solar Power.
Here are the procedures to charging your electric car using solar panels:
Step 1: Determine how much kWh your car requires based on your driving patterns. You may make an educated guess by calculating the average amount of miles driven every day.
Step 2: Determine how many solar panels you’ll need to generate that kWh. To charge an electric automobile, you’ll need between 10 and 17 kWh of power every day.
Step 3: Acquire solar equipment capable of producing that much power. You’ll need a solar energy system and all of the necessary equipment.
Step 4: Purchase a Level 2 vehicle charger.
Cost of Charging EV Directly from Solar Panels.
According to a survey done by consumer solar panel setup reviews site SolarReviews, using residential rooftop solar to charge an electric car in the US costs only 415 per year, opposed to 662 on-grid electricity at residential and 450,058 with a public EV charger. The survey also discovered that filling a petrol car’s tank might cost up to 450,260 per year.
Rooftop solar panels, a centralized string converter that converts the DC output of the solar boards to AC, and a level 2 EV charger are typical components of a solar EV charging arrangement. According to SolarReviews, five sun panels are required to charge an EV.
Solar roof panels have a lower long-term expense than buying power from the grid, where the average kWh of electricity price is growing over time in practically every country.
Solar EV Chargers: Power Your Car with Sunshine
13,476 miles. That’s how much the average American drives each year, according to the US Department of Transportation. To put that in perspective, you can drive from Anchorage, AK to Miam i, FL and back in 9,916 miles.
At a national average of 24.7 mpg, our vehicles will each suck up about 546 gallons of gas this year. which costs around 450,650. We’ll also each contribute 4.6 metric tons of CO 2 to Earth’s atmosphere.
Whether it’s to cut expenses, do your part for the environment, or a little of both, more and more Americans are making the switch to hybrid or electric cars. But these next-generation vehicles still need fuel, and electricity isn’t free. unless you have solar power.
Find out what options you have for electric vehicle (EV) charging stations, how much they’ll cost you, and how many panels you’ll need to power your car.
The Types and Costs of EV Car Chargers
There are three types of EV chargers, and which type you decide to install will dictate the cost. Currently, Paradise Energy offers options for private chargers, integrated private chargers, and public chargers.
Private EV Charger
A private EV charging station will allow you to plug in your electric vehicle and charge up your car’s battery. These can be hooked up to a solar panel system or it can be grid-tied, so if you have an electric car but no solar panels, it’s a great home charging station option.
Costs for a charging station like this will be in the neighborhood of 5000,000. 3,000, if installed in conjunction with a solar array. The cost will depend on several factors, including how far it is installed from your main distribution panel, and whether or not trenching will be required.
Integrated Private EV Charger
An integrated private charger is similar, but can only be installed with a solar system that has a solar inverter that’s the right brand and size. At Paradise Energy, we offer a SolarEdge EV charging station that integrates with some SolarEdge inverters.
For this option, a 25-foot charging cable is connected directly to your inverter. While this is the least expensive option, your SolarEdge inverter must be in a location where you can pull up your car and park it for a few hours. Granted you are installing the proper inverter, this solar-power EV car charger and its installation will cost around 450,100 if it is installed at the same time as the solar array.
Public EV Charger
The third option is a public charger. These are intended for commercial use and allow their owners to charge a fee to those who use them. They’re also the most expensive option and require ongoing software updates.
These updates are integrated with an app that lets people see where EV charging stations are located and which charging stations are already occupied. They can also reserve their spot in a virtual line, so they don’t have to wait around for their turn to charge.
A public charger that is integrated with a solar system will likely cost you in the ballpark of 15,000. A public charger that is not integrated with a solar system can run around 20,000 or more. You’ll also have to pay for continued software maintenance for the app.
Charging Times and DC Fast Chargers
If charging speed is important to you, DC fast chargers may be an option. A standard 7.6 kW charger can charge a 16 kWh battery in about two hours and a 90 kWh battery in ten to 12 hours. However, a 50 kW DC fast charger can charge a 16 kWh battery in just 20 minutes and a 90 kWh battery in under two hours.
While those charging speeds sound attractive, they come at a high price. A DC fast charger can costs upwards of 60,000.
How Many Solar Panels Does It Take to Charge an Electric Car?
Electricity is expensive, just like gas. While you can hook your EV charger to the grid and pay your utility to charge your car, you could also cut your carbon emissions by using renewable energy instead. If you have a solar system or you’re considering installing one to power your EV charger, it may take fewer solar panels than you think.
As a general estimate, it could take in the neighborhood of eight and 14 solar panels to charge your electric car. This depends on how much you drive, the efficiency of your vehicle, the sunshine in your area, and the type of panels you have installed. The installation cost for a system of this size would likely be 20,000 to 25,000 before incentives.
To get a clearer picture, you’ll have to determine how much electricity your car uses. We’ll take a look at how many kilowatt-hours (kWh) it takes for your car to travel 100 miles. To find this out, you can look up your vehicle on fueleconomy.gov. The number you need will be at the bottom of the green EPA Fuel Economy box:
Once you have that information, find out how much extra electricity you’ll need to power your car each month with the following formula:
(kWh per 100 Mi for your electric vehicle monthly miles driven) / 100 = kWh needed per month
Or, use our calculator below:
Here’s an example. Sticking with our averages, we’ll say we drive 1,100 miles each month with a car that uses 30 kWh of electricity to travel 100 miles. Crunching the numbers, we’ll need 330 kWh to travel that distance each month.
How many solar panels is that? It’s hard to give an exact answer, because how much electricity one solar panel produces is based on the type of panel, where it’s installed, and the weather in your area. A general estimate is that one panel can produce around 30 kWh each month. Divide the 330 kWh you need to power your electric car by 30 kWh, and you get 11 panels.
One option for these solar panels is installing them as a carport, so you’ll have a place to park your car while it’s charging. You can also add EV chargers to an existing system or integrate it into a new, larger system that powers the rest of your home or business.
How to Effectively Charge Your Car at Home
When you purchase an electric vehicle, chances are the vehicle comes standard with a Level I charger. This works well at home because it can plug directly into the 120v plug-ins you likely have at home. However, for a more effective charge, we recommend installing a Level II charger in your garage.
If you want faster, more efficient charging, it can be worth rewiring your home, or at least garage, with 240v outlets that can handle the power of a Level II charger. This type of charger needs to be wired directly into your electric system, and any local electrician can help you do that!
When to Charge Your Vehicle
Whether you have a Level I or Level II charger, there is a preferred time to charge your car if you want to save money on electrical bills. There are peak hours and off-peak hours.
There are times of day where there is much higher demand for electricity, thus it can cost nearly twice as much per kWh than during off-peak hours. For the most part, on-peak hours are during the day, between 8am and 10pm. Overnight, between 10pm and 8am is the best time to charge your car during those off-peak hours.
Save Even Money With a Solar EV Charging Station
Solar energy and electric vehicles are in the same vein when it comes to sustainable options for your home and lifestyle. Combining the two together is like an ultimate commitment to sustainability and also will save you a ton of money in the long run.
While solar panels have been around for a while, solar-powered EV chargers are a new technology. And we think they’re the future of charging electric vehicles. They not only save you money on your electrical bills but also help the environment by using renewable solar energy.
How Do Solar Panels and Power Work?
First, it can be important to know how solar power actually works before investing in the installation of them at your home. Solar power is the process of converting sunlight into electricity. Solar panels are made up of solar cells that are arranged in a grid-like pattern.
These solar cells work by absorbing sunlight with photovoltaic materials. This, in turn, causes an electrical current to flow between positive and negative layers which results in the solar cell generating electricity. Solar-powered EV charger works by using solar panels to generate electricity which is then used to charge your electric vehicle.
Why Should You Consider Solar Power for Your Electric Vehicle Charger?
There are many reasons you should consider solar power for your home’s EV charger, but here are our top three:
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Save money on your electric bill
Installing solar panels on your home can be a big investment, but it’s one that will pay off in the long run. Here’s how to start with your solar panel installation to power your EV charger.
Installing a Solar At-Home EV Charger (Step-by-Step)
The most important part of installing your at-home solar-powered EV charger is to hire a reputable electrician like 4Front Energy to get the job done right.
Step 1: Choose an Installation Spot
The best location for solar panels is on a south-facing spot on your roof that will get the most sunlight. If you are only installing the panels for your EV charger, your garage can be a good place to install it, free of shadows and overhanging trees.
Step 2: Mount the Brackets
Solar panels need to be mounted securely to your roof or garage using sturdy brackets. Since solar panels are fragile and expensive, it’s important to make sure they’re mounted correctly. Solar panel brackets usually come with the solar panel kit, but if not, you can purchase them at a hardware store.
Step 3: Install the Panels
The panels should now be carefully placed and angled appropriately at around 18 to 36 degrees depending on the slope of the roof. These will be secured to the brackets using bolts tightened enough to be strong but not too tight as to strip the bolts.
Step 4: Get the Electrical Wired
An electrician can now do the electrical wiring that will allow you to harness the solar power in your appliances. This will include connecting the solar panel to an inverter and then to your home’s electrical grid.
Step 5: Connect the Solar Inverter and Solar Battery
Your solar panels require an inverter and a battery to convert and harness the energy it gathers from UV rays. The solar inverter changes the direct current (DC) electricity that solar panels create into an alternating current (AC).
This is the type of energy used by most appliances and devices in your home. The solar battery stores solar power so that it can be used when there is no sunlight, like at night or on cloudy days.
Step 6: Install the Electric Car Charger Per Manufacturer Instructions
And lastly, install your new electric vehicle charger according to its instructions. Your newly installed solar-powered EV charger will use the solar panels to generate electricity, which is then used to charge your electric vehicle.
What is solar export diversion?
In a nutshell, it’s an automated charging feature built to maximise the benefits of locally generated solar energy, prioritise EV charging from clean energy, and minimise the electricity costs of grid power to charge your vehicle.
Evnex’s solar EV chargers implement this tool by regularly measuring the amount of power that your home is using or generating at any given time. If your home starts exporting power to the grid above a certain threshold, it will divert the power to start your charging session automatically. It then dynamically varies the charging speed to match the solar energy you would otherwise be exporting.
Ultimately, this means that you’ll ‘self consume’ more energy as opposed to selling it back to the grid at a lower price than you would buy it for. It also means that you’ll be charging your EV from 100% renewable energy.
Key Advantages
- Ensures clean charging of your EV
- Allows for greater control of your solar energy
- Reduces energy costs to charge your EV
Solar charging in action
Now that we understand the advantages of solar EV charging, let’s look at the automated steps taken to start a solar charging session.
Sometimes your home solar system will generate little to no power and require additional energy from the grid to meet your demands. In this case, your solar charger will detect the imported power and won’t start an EV charging session unless you override it.
If your home energy demands are less than the power being generated from rooftop solar panels, the power will be exported back to the grid. Detecting this, your solar charger will monitor the export amount until it meets a minimum 1.5kW of power for 60 seconds before starting your solar charging session. This ensures you can sustain a minimum charging speed for your EV (1.4kW). The more excess solar that’s available, the quicker the charging time.
If your solar availability decreases below 1.5kW for 60 seconds (due to an increase in home energy consumption, time of day, or weather) your Smart solar charger will pause the session and revert to monitoring for a rise in solar power levels.
Maximising your renewable energy usage
In the case of solar power, the peak demands of residential power usage aren’t always aligned to times when solar energy is most available.
During times of low use, your excess solar can either be stored in battery systems, or be exported back to the grid. While high capacity battery storage continues to drop in price, a Tesla Powerwall is currently 14,000 (NZD) before installation, these systems may be too expensive for homeowners to justify when considering installing a solar panel system.
An intelligent solar EV charger is one solution to this puzzle. Although not a perfect home battery alternative, it does allow for free energy to be diverted and stored in your electric car’s battery instead of being exported to the grid.
It’s important to note here that solar export diversion is a one-way energy flow and not the same as V2H (Vehicle to Home) technology.
Is solar EV charging for you?
While energy retailers may promote off-peak times as cleaner available energy, you still may be charging your EV from power sources that produce dirty emissions. An easy way to guarantee your EV is charged with 100% green power is by harnessing your own home solar system.
Are Evnex EV chargers compatible with my home solar system?
Evnex EV chargers include Smart charging capabilities like solar export diversion as standard with every home install. The system relies on a power sensor placed at a building’s distribution board, not integrated into the solar inverter itself. So regardless if you have home solar installed yet, our EV charger will be ready to activate this feature in the future.
Using a solar EV charger
Evnex chargers are Cloud-connected, allowing you to control and view charging history on your mobile device. You can schedule charge times or start and stop charging as needed. This way you can override solar charging to prioritise a faster charging time.
Thanks for reading and helping power the transition to sustainable electric mobility in New Zealand.
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