How to use solar panels to charge your electric car

Modern solar panels allow charging electric vehicles, making life easier for electric vehicle owners. Today, installing a car charger solar panel will not be a problem.

Thanks to the development of the modern market and solar companies nearby, it is possible to install solar panels at affordable prices. Specifically, solar car charging requires solar panels, an outlet, and time. But for the system to work, it must be under the active sun.

The process of charging an electric car using solar panels

To charge an electric car with solar panels, just follow a few steps. Namely:

Choose a location for solar panels for electric cars. They need a place as open as possible to direct sunlight. It is best to install them on the roof or directly on the ground near the car.

Select batteries for the charge controller. It is necessary to use a controller that can regulate the flow of energy to make an operation efficient. It will be able to optimally transfer it from solar panels to an electric vehicle.

Connect the charge controller to the inverter. The latter is necessary to convert direct current to alternating current. The alternating current is suitable for both a car and household appliances.

Connect the electric car to the inverter. For these pop purposes, there is a special cable. It can be included.

Everything is ready for charging. If everything is installed correctly, then after connecting the solar system will charge your car.

Remember, charging an electric car from solar panels will take much longer than from the network. In addition, weather conditions and the power of the selected models may affect the process.

Features of solar panels for car charging

Unfortunately,  solar panels cannot completely replace the generation of energy from fuel-fired power plants so far. Yes, charging cars with solar panels can use a stable source of energy during a stop, while traveling, or while driving. But this does not cancel the charge from the network.

When you install solar panels on the roof or ground next to the car, they will begin to collect energy from the sun on their surface. Then it will go to the auto-charge controller, which will regulate the flow of energy supply. The controller will provide optimal parameters for charging the battery of an electric vehicle.

But the quality of the solar panels directly depends on getting on them. In other words, the required amount of time for charging will increase on cloudy days, at night, and in bad weather. If you have time to wait – you can easily cope with this problem. But if you are late or value every minute of your life very much, it is better to use the system only as an additional source of energy.

How many solar panels do you need to charge an electric car

It is important to consider many factors when determining the optimal number of solar panels. The main ones are electric car battery power and capacity, vehicle usage, and weather conditions.

Use the following tips to evaluate:

1. Start by evaluating the battery capacity of your electric vehicle measured in kWh.
2. Calculate the amount of energy required to fully charge the battery. For calculations, you need the capacity of the battery. If it is equal to 50 kWh, then 50 kWh is also needed for a full charge.
3. Calculate the optimal number of solar panels. To do this, specify what is the average power generated by solar panels in your area per day. For example, it is equal to 4 kWh/day.

Based on the results, you need to install thirteen solar panels.

There is no way to call all of these calculations accurate. They require the evaluation of many more factors. For detailed calculations, you will need the help of professionals.  

The benefits of solar panels

Solar panels are rapidly gaining popularity. They have a number of advantages:

• environmental friendliness – they do not emit emissions and other harmful substances into the atmosphere that can cause environmental pollution;
• energy independence – solar panels work thanks to solar energy, so they do not need to be connected to the power supply network;
• low operating costs – after installation, they do not need to be replaced and repaired;
• durability – solar panels have a long service life, which can reach 25 years or more;
• flexibility – you can install solar panels anywhere there is adequate sunlight and use them for a variety of purposes, including electric vehicle charging;
• the ability to save energy – thanks to modern panels, solar energy can be stored for use at the needed time, for example, at night or in cloudy weather;
• energy independence – after installing solar panels, you will become independent of the power grid and expensive fuel.

Solar panels are an environmentally friendly and economical solution.

Conclusion

As you understand, using solar panels to charge electric cars is an ideal option for an additional source of energy. Although you can’t completely move away from the traditional network, you can pretty much save money. It is enough to install the panel on the roof and go on a trip under the scorching sun, while your car will always be charged. You can also come to a camping or picnic and install the system on the ground. The main thing is to correctly install each part, to ensure as much light as possible is falling on the surface of the panels. We have analyzed all the nuances of installation, the rules for calculating the required number of panels, and all the advantages of installing the system. Use your new knowledge to always travel in a charged car.