As a green conscious country, we’re always looking for ways to reduce our environmental impact. When it comes to doing just that and saving money on fuel, there’s nothing that makes such an impact like charging your car with solar panels.
That’s right! In addition to powering your home’s lighting, entertainment and other appliances, solar power can keep your vehicle running. Electric car owners can really benefit from installing a solar panel rooftop and a fast electric car charger to charge their vehicles. And here, we’ll show you how.
BENEFITS
- Lower your environmental impact by reducing your use of petrol and fossil fuels used to generate electricity
- Save money compared to fuelling your car with petrol or mains power
- Create your own re-fill station to spend less time outside, or worrying where to charge your vehicle
- Charge your EV car quickly at your own home and be ready to go straight to work in the morning
How to install a solar panel rooftop with your electric car in mind
Purchasing a solar system for your home and vehicle isn’t too different than if you were to install a system with no vehicle in mind.
The main factor is you want to keep the extra kW that your EV or hybrid plug-in car needs in mind with the power capacity system you install.
Like traditional vehicles, every car is different with the amount of fuel or power they need to run. But to give you a figure, the average electric car can go 6kms from 1kWh electricity in their battery. We find that most people need another 2kW of solar panels to their rooftop, but you may need more or less depending on your car and how often you drive.
Tip: Based on how much kms you normally expect to drive a day, our solar experts at Solar System Australia can assist you in the additional number of panels you need to install for your vehicle.
Why you need an electric car charger
In truth, you don’t need an electric car charger to charge your vehicle with solar. But you do lose a LOT of efficiency with your charge when you forgo it. Charging through a power point in your home runs a lot slower than if you were plugging your car into an electric car charger. And while you aren’t supposed to be charging your car’s battery to max capacity, it does make life harder. Just ask any electric car owner.
There’s just no real substitute to an electric car charger, for the convenience, reliability, and assurance of getting where you need to go.
Tip: If you are looking for an electric car charger, we supply a range with Type 1 and Type 2 connections at Solar System Australia. As experts in the field, our installers can also recommend to you an electric car charger that will be most suitable for your vehicle.
I work 9 to 5, can I still charge my car with my solar rooftop?
If you are out most of the day and work outside from home, then you are likely charging your car from grid power when you are charging your vehicle at home. But there’s no need to worry! The power your solar panels generate will still be more than enough to offset the carbon impact of charging your vehicle from the grid.
The power it also supplies your home for your family there during the day is also a plus!
However, if you are determined to self-consume your solar power as much as possible, it’s worthwhile to looking into solar batteries. With battery storage, you will always be able to draw on the electricity your panels generate when you plug into your electric car charger at home.
If you are looking for more information about charging your car with rooftop solar or want to find out if this might be the right technology for you – it might be a great time to have a chat with our solar installers. Our team will always recommend the most suitable installations to you, from our calculations and knowledge of the industry.