Maximizing Your EV Savings With a Solar Powered EV Charging Station

Solar-Powered Independence

Weather-related power outages have increased by 80% over the past decade and the rise in inclement weather shows a pattern that this trend will continue on into the future.

As the economy increasingly embraces electrification across all industries and technologies, this is a concerning trend if no steps are taken to strengthen our grid resilience and bolster our energy resilience to avoid power outages in the future as more bad weather events occur.

EV and hybrid sales could represent 24% of new vehicle sales by 2025, and experts predict that the total EV load from charging could grow by 1,850% before 2040. Renewables will play a key role in increasing energy production capacity to meet the growing demand for EV charging and utilities and governments are already actively working on deploying clean energy resources.

However, change also needs to happen at the local level with the adoption of residential solar panels for a renewable energy source.

Residential solar is a well-established industry that makes communities more independent from the grid, allowing for self-sufficient EV charging and even whole-home energy when paired with other energy transition technologies such as battery storage or bidirectional capable EVs.

Cost-Efficiency Through Solar Energy

Installing a solar-powered EV charging station at home comes with an upfront cost, but savings will quickly add up and cover the initial investment.

Charging an EV is considerably cheaper than filling a gas-powered vehicle, but you can unlock further savings by prioritizing affordable ways to charge. With utility providers charging an average rate of $0.16 per kWh, charging an EV costs around $60 a month if you’re driving 1,100 miles on average.

This amount can be lowered with solar energy and having residential solar will also insulate you from fluctuating energy prices, which could impact the cost of EV charging.

The cost of charging an EV with solar energy is minimal once the solar array is paid for. Your savings will compound when you are able to apply the energy from the panels to additional EVs and modern electrical replacements for your gas-powered appliances.

Eco-Friendly Driving

Beyond cost savings, driving an EV charged with solar power has some significant environmental benefits.

Even though modern ICE vehicles have significantly improved fuel efficiency and leverage technologies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, transportation remains a significant source of emissions. In fact, burning a gallon of fuel results in around 20 lbs. of greenhouse gas emissions.

A solar-powered EV charging station eliminates any potential greenhouse gas emissions that result from producing electricity with fossil fuels. If you’re looking for ways to reduce your carbon footprint, combining EV adoption with solar charging is one of the most effective ways of doing so.