Solar panels not only power homes and commercial buildings but also cars. Electric cars have become a trend and most people are now buying this type of car. Solar electric vehicle (EV) charger. is a must to be able to have your electric car running again. So how do solar panels and electric vehicles work? There are two ways : a charging outlet powered by electricity or a solar charger.
How Many Solar Panels Does It Take To Charge An Electric Car?
Charging an electric car using solar panels will depend on the electric car’s battery size. Energy needed to keep an electric car running is measured by kWh. So, for instance, a standard electric car has a 75 kWh battery, and a low quality solar panel can produce 1 kWh per day.Then that means you will need 75 solar panels! However, if you can get high quality panels, then you can reduce the number of solar panels needed to fully power up your electric car’s battery to 100%. With high power solar panels, you can use maybe 13 to 15 solar panels.
How Long Does It Take To Charge An Electric Vehicle, And What Is The Cost?
The length of charging time and cost will depend on what type of chargers will be used to charge an electric car:
120 Volt Outlet
This is often used at home to charge an electric car in slow mode. It is also called level 1 and is the cheapest way to charge an electric car. An empty battery will require 16 to 20 hours before it gets fully charged. Most electric cars have this at home, and it is perfect when they charge their cars upon arriving home and let them stay overnight by the time they need to go out. It is already fully charged. Off-peak hours will also be perfect for charge, so you can get lower rates for your electricity charges.
240 Volt Charger
Also known as level 2. This type is usually used at public electric car charging stations, and they can charge cars within 8 hours. Getting a level 2 for your home will also be a good way to charge your electric car in a shorter period. However, it can cost you around $200 to $500 to purchase a level 2 charger and attach it to your charger port and store your level 1 charger. For full installation of level 2 , it can cost you around $1,000 to 2,000 for full installation. It may be costly, but it will be worth it with all the convenience it can give you.
480 Volt Station
This is the best choice of charger, and it’s known as level 3.It can fully charge your electric car for 30 minutes. These are usually seen at public charging stations. Machines are big, so they might not be convenient to have at home, and they are expensive. Most public charging stations require customers to register and avail a membership to have access to the charging station. The rate of charging services usually costs $0.5 to$0.6 dollars per kWh.
Can I Charge My Electric Car With Solar?
Absolutely yes. You can have a solar panel system installed in your home for your electric car charger. You can have the following set up for your solar panel EV car charger:
- Solar panels are installed in the roof or structure in your home where it can collect enough sunlight to get power.
- The solar panels are then connected to an inverter. Inverters are needed to convert DC ( direct current) to AC (alternating current), which is the usable type of current that can charge your electric car.
- A charging port is then connected to the inverter where you can connect your car, so it can be charged.
Solar panels and electric vehicles work well and can save you a lot of money compared to using electricity as a source of power to charge your car. You may have to invest in having one installed in your home, but it can save you a lot of time and money since you can charge at the convenience of your home rather than spending time and money on using a public EV charging station.