Guide to buying solar for your EV

Solar energy is easy to harness, abundant, and clean. No burning stuff; just sunshine.

Turning the sun’s rays into fuel for your car might sound like some sort of magic, but it actually boils down to chemistry.

Ready for a quick science lesson?

Solar panels and smart home energy systems

If you don’t have a smart home energy system, the solar energy gets fed into your electricity supply and gobbled up by whatever you happen to have switched on at the time.

If your panels generate more electricity than you happen to be using, the extra gets sent to the National Grid. You earn a few pennies for this, but it’s usually more economical to use the electricity yourself. You pay more per unit than you can sell it for.

If you’re really on top of things, you can leap up and switch your dishwasher, washing machine, and all the rest whenever the sun pops out, to make the most of the free energy.

But the smartest thing is, well, a smart system.

Smart systems manage your electricity for you. They can take care of what’s using your solar electricity, and when it’s using it. It makes sure you’re getting the most from it and not paying over the odds.

We’ll dive into how they work and how they take solar EV charging to the next level later on.

For now, let’s get onto some practical questions about the panels themselves and EV chargepoints.

The climate you live in and the weather also come into play. If you’re lucky enough to live somewhere where the sun shines a lot (Eastbourne, we’re looking at you), your panels will produce more juice.

And finally, the efficiency of your solar panel setup has an impact (more on that later).

Do you need a special type of EV charger?

EV chargers typically work off your main electricity circuit, and most solar systems feed straight into it. So, in theory, that means your solar system will contribute free energy to your car charger.

But to really get the most out of it, you should look for a solar ready charger like the VCHRGD Seven Pro.

Solar ready chargepoints are designed to work in tandem with solar panels and help make the most of your solar power.

When the sun starts beating and you’re generating more energy than you’re using, they can capitalise on it by automatically ramping up charging. It ensures you put all that free juice to good use.

Waste not, want not. Make hay while the sun shines. Strike while the iron’s hot.

…you get the picture.

Flat roofs aren’t a problem either.

Flat roofs are fine too, provided the structure can hold the weight of the panels.

The panels won’t be work at their best if you lay them flat though; they’ll be more efficient if you mount them on brackets that sit at the optimum pitch, and face south.

 

Will my system only work when the sun is shining?

We get our fair share of cloudy days in Blighty.

In fact, we average a measly 1403 hours of sunshine each year. Perth in Australia gets 3212 hours – more than double. Strewth.

But before you start packing your bags and organising a visa, don’t panic. You might not get a tan, but your solar panels will still work in the shade. They don’t need direct sunlight, just daylight. They just won’t be generating at their full capacity.

New car.  Home chargepoint. Solar panels.

Going electric can be a hefty investment.

But like all good investments, it bears fruit in the long run.

 

Fossil fuels vehicles are getting more expensive

Petrol has been as high as 191p per litre in recent years. At that rate, a journey from London to Brighton in a standard petrol car (averaging 40 miles per gallon) costs almost £15.

Add to that the higher running costs and clean air zone charges, and running a fossil fuel vehicle is becoming pricey.

Replace a petrol or diesel with a solar powered EV and you’ll be recouping that upfront cost with every mile you drive.

You’re not exposed to fluctuating energy costs.

We all experienced 2022’s hike in energy prices. Electricity certainly isn’t cheap these days, and future prices are uncertain.

We’ve crunched some numbers and worked out how much a VW Golf ID3 120kW 163PS costs to run at summer 2023 prices, if you don’t have solar:

 

Electricity	Cost per mile driven	Cost per 1,000 miles driven
At home EV Tariff	£0.0185	£18.51
At home standard	£0.0716	£71.56
Public slow charging	£0.0864	£86.37
Public Fast Charging	£0.1357	£135.73

It’s cheaper than petrol, but electricity prices fluctuate too. Not knowing how much electricity will cost in a few months can make working out how much it’ll cost to run your EV less certain.

Unless, of course, you have solar panels.

The price of solar energy doesn’t change – it’s always free. As far as we know, nobody has worked out a way to charge for daylight yet.

 

Payback periods are better than ever

With high energy prices, city low emission zones, and lower up-front costs for solar panels, it’s a great time to invest. Payback periods are better than ever.

The used EV market is picking up too, with more and more vehicles for sale. There are bargains to be had: a study by the AA found that they’re selling for about half their original price (based on an EV that’s either three years old or has 60,000 miles on the clock).

It all adds up to shorter payback periods. And one of the quickest ways to make your money back on a solar system is to use them to charge your car.

 

It’s the future

Aside from the financial benefits, the future is electric.

Petrol and diesel cars are being phased out (from 2030 car manufacturers won’t be allowed to make them anymore) and government net zero policies are pushing for an end to fossil fuels.

Renewable energy and energy efficiency will be a key feature of modern homes. Low carbon and low cost. Smart thermostats. Ultra-efficient appliances. LED lighting. Modern tech is built with sustainability first.

In the not-too-distant future a low-tech home with no renewable energy and a petrol car in the driveway will feel like it’s stuck in the dark ages.

As we touched on earlier, a smart energy system is key to unlocking the potential of your solar panels, and never more so than when you throw an EV chargepoint into the mix.

Let’s dive into the details: how smart systems work and why they pack such a punch.

Smart, solar EV charging

A smart energy system will make sure you squeeze every last drop of value from your solar panel and EV chargepoint combo.

The system will automatically work out when it’s cheapest to charge your car, taking into account the rest of your home’s energy needs.

You get home, plug in, and, using an intuitive app, tell your smart system that you need your car fully charged by 8am the next day.

The system gets to work while you press on with your day.

It analyses what else you’ve got on in your home, how much juice is flowing from your solar panels, and what electricity tariff you’re on.

Because it’s got AI, it knows there’s a few hours before your usual teatime rush. It gets some free solar energy into your car before the rest of your home needs it.

Then, tea-time hits. The solar’s now needed by the dishwasher, the cooker, and everything else that’s going on. It pauses charging your car, because otherwise you’d start eating into expensive mains electricity.

An hour later, things are calmer. The car charging resumes.

Then the sun goes down. Because you’re on a cheaper night-time electricity tariff (the system’s chosen that for you, based on your usage patterns), it pauses charging again. When the cheaper electricity kicks in at midnight, it turns your charger back on.

You could manage all that yourself – turning it on, then off, then on, then off, and so on. But it’d be a full-time job. And you’d be up half the night.

Much better to let a smart system handle it all. Lower bills, lower carbon footprint, and zero hassle.

 

Smart systems can automatically pick the best value EV energy tariff too

Smart home energy systems can also make sure you’re on the best value tariff, by analysing exactly how you use electricity.

For example, if you often charge your car at night and need to use mains electricity, your system can automatically put you on a cheaper night-time EV tariff (if that turns out to be the best value for you).

That means you can use your solar in the day, and avoid paying through the nose for mains electricity at night. Free in the day, low cost after dark.

If, on the other hand, you rarely use any power at night (perhaps you have a home battery that’s able to run things, or you do all your charging in the day), your system will get you on a different tariff.

Either way, it tailors things to bring your total energy costs down and help you do your bit for the planet – all without you lifting a finger. Happy days.

 

The best way to run an electric car

A solar panel and EV chargepoint combo is simply the best way to run an electric car.

It’s future-proof, it’s cheap (free once the payback period is complete), and it reduces your impact on the environment significantly.

If you’re considering it, our advice? Go for it. You won’t regret it.

 

About Powerverse

We’re industry experts in home energy management. Our easy-to-use app is built for your future electric home. It will effortlessly sync your solar, battery, heat pump, EV charger and more, helping you cut costs and your carbon footprint on your way to becoming energy-independent. Curious to know more? Talk to one of our experts. 

Also, if you’re considering installing solar panels, we’d be more than happy to recommend several trusted partners who can provide and install them for you.