If you own an electric vehicle (EV) you already know about the benefits – you’re saving money on gasoline costs and have decreased your carbon footprint.
You may have heard EVs are not as eco-friendly as they could be due to the fact that they are mostly charged by power from the grid, which is produced by fossil fuels. Luckily, there are now ways to charge your EV at home with 100% solar energy and maximize your savings in the process through a solar EV charger.
Why charge your EV with solar power?
Electric cars produce zero emissions and greenhouse gases making them energy efficient, but a big downside to EVs is how they are powered. Most EV charging stations – whether they are commercial, public, or residential – charge EVs with electricity from the grid. The majority of the national power grid generates electricity through the burning of fossil fuels.
You can go green and save on energy costs by charging your EV with a solar photovoltaic (PV) system, or more commonly known as solar panels or a solar energy system. Charging with green energy also helps you expand upon your contributions towards making the environment better for your local community and beyond.
Benefits of solar EV charging stations
Save on energy costs.
The average U.S. electricity rate is a little over 10 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh). Instead of watching your electricity bill rack up dollars from electric vehicle charging at home through grid power, you will offset the charges by using solar energy.
The cost of electricity changes based on the rate the utility provider charges you. You cannot control the price. All signs point to electricity rates increasing over time. Yet, a solar PV system will generate electricity without additional costs.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Alternative Fuels Data Center, to know exactly how much it costs to drive your electric car, you’ll need to know the efficiency of your vehicle and how much you pay for electricity. For example, if you pay $0.13 per kWh for your electricity and your vehicle uses up 33 kWh to travel 100 miles you’re paying about $0.04 per mile. Over the lifetime of your electric vehicle, you will be spending much more than you would have had you charged your car with renewable energy.
100% zero emissions.
When you charge your electric car with a solar EV car charger you have a 100% carbon-neutral footprint. Unlike EV drivers who charge their electric vehicles with fossil fuel grid electricity, you’ll charge with clean energy every time you plug in. You can feel good about yourself knowing you’re helping to eliminate greenhouse gases from the environment.
Reliability.
In the event of a power outage or blackout – more common these days due to the growing national energy crisis – you can still continue to charge your EV if your solar system is paired with an energy or battery storage system. Your stored solar energy will power your EV battery when the grid cannot provide what it is supposed to.
Can you charge an EV with solar?
You can charge an EV with solar through Energy Management Solutions from Wallbox. Their Eco-Smart Solar EV charging feature gives you the opportunity to charge your EV with energy generated by your solar panel system.
You can choose between two modes: full renewable or a mix of green and grid electricity. In “Full-Green Mode” you can charge your EV with 100% solar energy. When you set your Wallbox to this mode, the EV charging station software will detect when you have a big enough surplus of solar power to charge your car. In “Eco Mode” you offset some of your carbon emissions by powering your EV with a combination of green and grid energy. In this mode, the charging station software will detect when solar energy isn’t being used to power other devices in your home and mix it with grid electricity.
The Eco-Smart features are activated through the free myWallbox app. You can disable the mode at any time if you wish to switch back to solely grid power.
Installing Eco-Smart EV Charging at your home
If you’re ready to go greener by adding Eco-Smart charging to your home, WattLogic makes it quick and easy for you. We take care of everything for you, even applying to available rebates on your behalf so you can save even more money by cutting down the cost of your solar EV charger installation.
Wallbox is our preferred EV residential charging solution. WattLogic has partnered with Wallbox to bring their incredible solar EV chargers to your home. WattLogic is committed to maximizing the potential of every watt and bringing EV charging solutions to residential and commercial customers across the nation. From San Diego to New York City, WattLogic is ready to serve all 50 states with their EV solar charging needs. Please take this quick free survey to get a quote so you can start saving on energy costs and decrease your carbon emissions even further by charging your EV with solar power!
