Why You Should Install Solar When You Buy an EV

Charging an EV with solar energy is an efficient, cheap, and convenient way to power a car. Wondering if you need solar panels to charge an EV? Read our blog to learn what the benefits are and how you can start!

Why Should You Go Solar When Buying an Electric Vehicle?

When buying an electric vehicle, saving the planet does not have to come at the expense of increased electricity bills. As most electric vehicle owners do most of their charging at home or work, going solar is the perfect solution to keep your transportation costs and carbon emissions low after buying an EV. 

In this article, we will look at how to charge an EV with solar panels, the main benefits of doing so, and things to remember when going solar as a current or future electric vehicle owner.

Can I charge my electric car with solar panels?

Yes, although it may seem like a concept from the distant future, using solar panels to charge electric cars is a technology that is very much available today. With a home solar energy system and a level one or level two charging station, EV owners can power their electric vehicles with the renewable energy generated onsite by a set of solar panels. 

Whenever the sun is shining, and a vehicle is plugged into a home, it is possible to charge EV directly from solar power. At night and on cloudy days, EV owners can also tap into a battery storage reserve to keep their vehicles charged with emission-free solar power. 

Is charging an EV with solar energy cost-efficient?

Yes, solar EV charging is very cost-efficient when compared to traditional, grid-supplied electricity. As solar power systems are already designed to lower the energy costs of a property, high-consumption devices such as electric vehicles can benefit even more from the long-term savings PV panels provide. By installing solar panels for electric cars, EV owners can keep their grid energy consumption levels low. Critically, this can prevent some homeowners from entering higher-tiered electricity rates often imposed on properties with large amounts of usage.

Top 3 Benefits of Charging an Electric Car with Solar Panels

Although solar panels can be a bit of an undertaking and occasionally expensive to install, combining a PV installation with electric vehicle ownership has many long-term and short-term benefits. While you may be concerned about solar panel leaking, roof damage, or fire hazards, we can assure you that safety is rarely an issue when you go solar with a reputable company.

Cost Efficiency

To promote both green energy and electrification, there are many federal, state, and local tax incentives, rebates, and programs designed to make both solar energy and EV charging stations more affordable. Notably, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 earmarked $370 billion for energy and climate initiatives, making it the most significant investment of its kind in US history. 

Today, eligible American home and business owners can take advantage of these incentives to reduce solar and EV ownership costs. When compared to rising gas and utility prices, going solar today can potentially lock in the rate you pay for electricity for years to come.

Emission-Free Fuel

Besides cost advantages, people worldwide are adopting solar energy as an emission-free alternative to fossil fuels. By powering a car with solar energy, you can keep your EV as green as possible with absolutely no carbon emissions from the fueling or driving processes. After installing even a single solar panel for charging an electric car, you can automatically reduce the fossil fuel consumption on your property. While some utilities diversify their energy portfolios, the more solar power you produce at home will contribute to a better overall carbon footprint for your property and vehicle.

More Control Over Your Power

Ultimately, from a perspective of both costs and carbon emissions, charging your vehicle with solar energy gives you more financial and environmental control over how you choose to power your EV. By producing and using your own green energy, you are no longer at the whim of fuel stations or electric utilities to determine the costs and sources of your power. For even more control over your power, you can choose to add a solar battery, such as the Tesla Home Powerwall, to increase self-consumption and decrease utility dependence. When drawing power from a battery, EV owners can utilize cost-free solar energy at night or during a local electrical outage.

How much energy does it take to charge an electric vehicle?

Electric vehicle charging capacities vary heavily depending on the make and model of a car and the size of its battery. As more and more energy is being required to charge today’s high-powered EVs, here is a look at the battery capacity for some of today’s most popular electric vehicles:

• Audi e-Tron – 95 kWh

• Tesla Model S – 100 kWh

• Tesla Model X – 60 to 100 kWh

• Tesla Model Y – 81 kWh

• Tesla Model 3 – 50 to 82 kWh

• Chevrolet Bolt – 60 kWh

• Nissan Leaf – 40 to 62 kWh

Of course, if you own a hybrid vehicle rather than a fully battery-powered car, a partially-electric engine will require much less energy to charge if it is also powered by gasoline. Comparatively, here are the battery capacities for a few of today’s top hybrid vehicles:

• Chevrolet Volt – 18.4 kWh

• Toyota Prius – 8.8 kWh

• Honda Accord Hybrid – 1.3 kWh

If you are looking for a Tesla Car Charging Station in Florida or a different charger to fuel your EV at home, it is typically not advised to perform an installation yourself. With high-powered charging stations, older homes may need an electric panel upgrade, which must be performed by a licensed electrician. For your safety, we recommend talking to a professional before making any dramatic changes to your property for solar or EV charging.

How many solar panels do you need to power an EV?

When determining how many solar panels to charge a car is necessary, it is important to remember that your total PV system capacity will likely cover the power demand of your vehicle and your home. While it is possible to set up a standalone solar-powered electric vehicle charging station, homeowners will likely benefit the most from a full-home system. 

With this in mind, calculating the number of panels that a home solar EV charging station will require above and beyond the property’s ordinary usage is quite simple. For example, let’s say you own a Tesla Model 3, which has a battery capacity of 50 kWh. If you’d like to charge your Tesla from empty to full every day, you would need enough solar panels to produce 50 kWh of electricity daily. 

To put this into perspective, Florida has approximately 4.25 peak hours of sunlight daily, and modern residential solar panels typically hover around 300W in capacity. With each module generating roughly 1.275 kWh daily (300W x 4.25 hours), this would mean that you need 39 solar panels (50 kWh / 1.275 kWh) to charge the battery from empty to full every single day. Thankfully, most EV owners do not use their entire battery reserve daily, and the actual number of solar panels you need to power an EV will be much lower, depending on your driving habits.  For small and large vehicle fleets, commercial solar power systems in Florida can be used to produce massive amounts of renewable electricity connected to one or more EV charging stations. With essentially no limit to the size of solar panel charging stations, the benefits of sun-powered vehicles can be achieved by homeowners, business owners, government entities, and more.

How much does it cost to charge EV with solar panels?

Once a transaction is complete, and you own your solar panels, then there are no costs to charge an EV with the power they produce. Whether you financed your PV system or bought it outright, your solar panels will begin to “pay for themselves” once they have produced enough electricity to cover the costs that would have otherwise been spent on utility energy.   When calculating the total cost of a solar panel for EV charging, the more energy you produce and use, the more likely you will save money in the long run. If you have a high-power demand vehicle such as a Tesla or Audi e-Tron, the costs to install a large solar panel system will be higher than a smaller installation, but the pay-back periods will be similar beyond overhead costs for permitting, labor, and other factors. 

What to Know as an EV Owner Considering Solar Panels

Whether you just purchased your EV or are tired of paying higher electricity bills each month, there are a few important things to consider before you install solar panels. As EVs can dramatically increase the average electricity consumption on a property, you will want to ensure that your solar panel system will produce enough energy to cover both the demand of your home and vehicle. 

Besides the extra consumption, EV owners going solar must also adhere to ordinary installation considerations such as roof constraints, available sunlight, and total project costs. In Florida, there is certainly no shortage of sunlight, but home and property owners should work with their installer to determine if their roof has enough available space to accommodate a full PV solar system. To control your energy use and spending even further, EV owners should also consider batteries for home solar system installation. With a battery backup, you can continue to charge your car with solar panels in the event of a grid outage and also more easily navigate your fueling around higher-tiered electricity prices from the utility.

Buying an EV with Solar Panels Already Installed

In a reverse scenario, there are also a few things to consider when purchasing an electric vehicle as a solar energy system owner. To accommodate for the extra energy used at home, you may want to expand your array if possible. This is typically easier to do with module-level micro inverters rather than a string or central inverter system.

The Bottom Line

Simply put, solar panels and EV chargers go together like peanut butter and jelly, salt and pepper, or renewable energy and a sustainable future. By installing a PV system when you buy an electric vehicle, you can create your very own solar-powered EV charging station to keep your fuel costs low with free and infinite sunlight. 

PPM Solar specializes in installing solar panels for home use in Florida alongside many of the additional pieces of equipment necessary to help you meet your energy goals, including backup batteries, EV charging stations, and commercial solar systems. If you’re interested in a quote or simply want to learn more about saving the most on your energy expenses with solar and EV charging, please contact us today to get started.

Solar Panels Maintenance & Cleaning: What You Should Know

If you are wondering how to maintain solar panels, then you may be pleased to learn that it is actually a very simple task. Although your panels can generate electricity every time the sun is shining on them, there is very little that needs to be done in order for your system to continue to operate efficiently.   

In this article, we will explore everything you need to know about solar panel maintenance and cleaning so that you can generate the most possible renewable energy for years and years to come.

Do solar panels require maintenance?

While you can expect solar panels to produce electricity for three decades and more, systems typically require very little maintenance to continue operating efficiently. Besides the occasional cleaning, solar panels can largely be ignored as they passively generate renewable energy daily. PPM Solar have been providing maintenance services for 14 years, and we had experience with the systems as old as 20 years old.
Solar panel repair and maintenance is required from time to time, but residential system owners do not have to worry about much ongoing upkeep. This is largely thanks to the fact that solar panel systems do not have any moving parts and are continuously refueled by the sun, rather than a manual process of any kind.

How often do solar panels need maintenance?

The frequency for which solar maintenance is required is based on the size of the system and the conditions around the installation. While smaller home systems may only require a routine annual or bi-annual inspection for preventative maintenance measures, large installations like solar power for farms in Florida should be more closely monitored to optimize ongoing performance.  
Ultimately, PV system maintenance is usually only performed when there is a part malfunction or significant loss in energy production efficiency. This may be caused by internal issues with the equipment or a number of external factors such as weather, the quality of the installation, or unforeseen circumstances. PPM recommends to keep an eye on your electric bills and the online monitoring, this way the homeowners can find and resolve any issue promptly.

What maintenance is required for solar panels?

More than anything else, solar panel cleaning is the most common maintenance required for PV energy systems. While rainy or snowy conditions can actually do a pretty good job of cleaning PV panels, areas without frequent precipitation are more likely to lose system efficiency due to the buildup of airborne debris. Even with a downpour, precipitation alone is also unlikely to fully eradicate a set of solar panels of dirt or dust.

To clean your solar panels, some homeowners find success in a simple spray from the garden hose. For a deeper clean, you can also hire a professional PV panel cleaning service to maximize the amount of light that can reach your panels unobstructed by grime or sediment.  
Beyond routine cleaning, servicing solar panels may be required when a part is broken or a new piece of equipment is added. Inverter replacement may be necessary due to part failure, wires can be replaced if damaged by weather, animals, or other factors, and some homeowners choose to add electricity storage such as a Tesla battery installation midway through the operating life of a solar energy system.

How much does it cost to maintain solar panels?

The cost of solar panel maintenance is typically very low and sometimes nonexistent for residential PV system owners. When you install solar panels in Florida, most of the costs exist upfront and solar power maintenance may only be required when system parts fail. Oftentimes, a faulty inverter or solar panel will malfunction while it is still under warranty, thus not costing any extra to replace or repair.

How do I know if my solar panels need maintenance?

The best way to know the exact moment when your solar panels need maintenance is to actively monitor their performance. When you see a dip in electricity production levels, either on a monitoring app or on your energy bills, then some solar panel upkeep may be required and you should contact your installer. 
Critically, you should never attempt any internal solar cell maintenance if a panel were to break down and stop working. Even if you are an electrical engineer, performing any “solar panel surgery” is more than likely going to void an existing warranty and possibly put you and your system at risk for damage. 

When do I need to clean my solar panels?

According to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, solar panels can be cleaned on an “interval” or “condition-based” schedule to optimize performance. While it is recommended to clean your solar panels at least once a year, overly dry conditions or individual cases like bird droppings, fallen leaves, or heavy pollen levels may warrant a one-time cleaning to keep performance high.  
So like many things in residential solar, how often you should clean solar panels depends on many individual factors unique to your installation such as its location, weather conditions, and unexpected events.

Should solar panels be cleaned by a professional?

For the safest and most effective way to clean your solar panels, we recommended hiring a professional. With a professional solar panel cleaning, you do not have to risk the safety of your roof, the system, or yourself as a contractor will be able to take care of the job, typically in less than two hours. 

Of course, if you’re worried about the cost to clean solar panels, then there is always the option of doing it yourself. Unlike the wiring or installation processes, cleaning solar panels does not require a permit or professional certification, and can generally be performed by any able-bodied individual. Before you get started, you’ll want to familiarize yourself with the best methods and equipment used for DIY solar panel cleaning to prevent system damage and maximize its effectiveness.  
For large systems like commercial solar power in Florida where hundreds of panels are installed together, hiring a professional is almost always recommended to maintain optimal system performance with efficient, ongoing cleanings.

When do solar panels need to be replaced?

Unless a part has malfunctioned and is no longer generating electricity, solar panels generally only need to be replaced after 25 years or more. Although it is true that solar panels slowly lose efficiency over time, high-quality equipment can still produce significant amounts of electricity two and three decades after an installation. 
As a company that installs solar energy for homes in Florida, we replace individual panels every so often, but entire arrays are more typically decommissioned all at once. If a homeowner needs to replace their roof during a solar system’s lifetime, the panels can also be taken down and replaced once the new materials have been installed.

The Keys to Solar Panel Maintenance

To care for solar panels without expending too much time or energy, it is important to monitor the performance of your system as reported by your inverter or inverters. If your panels seem to be working properly, there is no need to worry about maintenance beyond a yearly inspection for debris buildup, potential wiring issues, and other problems caused by life outdoors.   
When considering upgrading your system in any way, you should consult a professional before making any changes to your solar energy installation. Those homeowners who are interested in exploring the benefits of solar energy storage may need to upgrade other system parts, such as the inverter or home electrical panel, in order to safely incorporate a battery.

Ground-mounted Panel Maintenance

In general, ground-mounted solar panels maintenance is easier to perform than on a rooftop system. As the modules are installed at ground level, both homeowners and those hired to perform the servicing of solar systems can more easily access the equipment for cleaning, routine inspection, or part replacement. 

Of course, ground-mounted panels are also more easily accessible for unwanted visitors such as animals or neighborhood pranksters. To prevent unnecessary damage to systems that would cause the need for repair, you can minimize the chances of panel damage with a security fence and camera system.

Rooftop Solar Panel Maintenance

Although they are typically cheaper to install than ground-mounted systems, rooftop solar panels are a bit more expensive to maintain over time. As you will need to access your roof for any emergency or preventative PV maintenance, cleaning or replacing your panels will take more time and effort than simply approaching a ground-level installation. 

Here, safety is very important and maintenance should only be performed either with a harness or a tremendous amount of experience and caution. If you have qualms or concerns about safely cleaning your rooftop solar panels, hiring a professional will help you mitigate both your stress and the risk of injury.

Solar Panel Warranties

The key to keeping the costs of any solar system maintenance low is to fully understand the warranties of your panels, inverters, batteries, and more. As parts can malfunction, working  with a company that offers great warranties and covers system repairs will help you minimize the costs of required maintenance and can also reduce the amount of time your system is offline and unable to produce new energy. 

Here, choosing the right solar provider is the best way to reduce the chances of a faulty system or costly repair. And while canvassing is a common way for companies to market their products, it is important to never fall for a door-to-door solar scam and always read the fine print before signing a new contract. 

When it comes time to make a warranty claim, you can work directly with your installer to ensure that everything is filed properly and that the parts will be replaced within your coverage period.

Bottom Line

To put it simply, when you install a PV energy system, maintaining solar panels should be one of the last things on your mind. While solar panels can reduce your energy costs or assist with going off the grid in Florida, keeping them up and running is often as easy as letting the rain fall and scheduling a preventative maintenance check every so often. 
For more information or to get started on a PV installation of your own, PPM Solar is your local expert in Florida. Serving Gainesville, Orlando, Tampa, St. Petersburg, Jacksonville, and beyond, contact PPM Solar today for questions, a free quote, and more.