As a content creator for cardiagxpert.com and a car repair expert, I often delve into the intricate mechanics of vehicles. But today, let’s shift gears to something equally fascinating and increasingly relevant to car owners – powering your electric vehicle (EV) with solar energy. Many car enthusiasts are starting to think about the bigger picture, not just the vehicle itself, but the energy that fuels it. This is my journey into creating a home energy ecosystem that not only reduces my carbon footprint but also future-proofs my car charging needs.
In 2021, after extensive research, I invested in a Solar Photovoltaic (PV) system with battery storage. Shortly after, I also transitioned to a fully electric vehicle. This combination has transformed my perspective on car ownership and energy consumption.
What is an Electricity Island for Your Car?
Imagine your home as an energy island, capable of being independent from the traditional power grid, at least partially. For EV owners, this concept is particularly compelling. Think of it this way: your car is no longer just reliant on the fluctuating prices and potential instability of the national grid. Instead, you have the ability to generate and store your own electricity, directly impacting how you power your vehicle.
My house is now set up as such an island. While still connected to the grid, I have my own solar power generation, battery storage, and earthing system, enabling me to power my home, and crucially, charge my EV, independently if needed. This setup ensures that “The Car Part” of my life – my electric vehicle – can be sustained even during grid outages.
Why Embrace Solar for Your EV?
My motivations for this project were multifaceted, driven by both environmental responsibility and practical considerations, all deeply intertwined with the future of driving:
- Environmental Responsibility for Future Generations: With three children, the urgency of addressing climate change is paramount. Transitioning to renewable energy and electric vehicles is a tangible step towards a more sustainable future for them. This is about ensuring that the cars of tomorrow, and the world they drive in, are cleaner and healthier.
- Escaping Ever-Increasing Energy Costs: Like many, I grew weary of constantly rising energy bills and unpredictable rate hikes from utility companies. Investing in solar and battery storage is a way to take control of energy costs, especially considering the increasing electricity demands of EV charging. The financial unpredictability of fueling our cars with grid electricity is a growing concern for EV owners.
- Long-Term Financial Sense for Car Owners: Projecting energy costs over the next decade made the financial argument for solar compelling. The significant electricity consumption of an EV amplifies these long-term costs. Investing in solar is essentially pre-paying for a significant portion of my car’s fuel for years to come.
- Reliable Power for Home and EV Charging: Power outages are not just inconvenient; they can disrupt work and, crucially for EV owners, prevent car charging. A home battery system acts as a whole-house UPS, ensuring continuous power, especially vital when relying on your EV for daily transportation. Knowing your car can always be charged, regardless of grid stability, is a major advantage.
- Preparing for an Electric Future: The UK government’s push towards all-electric cars by 2030 signals a clear direction. Having a home solar and battery system aligns perfectly with this future, ensuring I’m ready for the widespread adoption of EVs and the associated charging infrastructure demands.
Let’s delve deeper into point 3, the financial aspect, particularly relevant for car owners considering EVs:
In 2020, my family of five in a 4-bedroom house used 6,653 kWh of electricity. Consider how much of that will increase with daily EV charging. Using the same cost analysis from the original article, but now factoring in potential increased consumption from EV charging:
| Year | Amount |
|---|---|
| 2020 | £1,070.28 |
| 2021 | £1,091.69 |
| 2022 | £1,168.10 |
| 2023 | £1,249.87 |
| 2024 | £1,337.36 |
| 2025 | £1,430.98 |
| 2026 | £1,531.15 |
| 2027 | £1,638.33 |
| 2028 | £1,753.01 |
| 2029 | £1,875.72 |
| 2030 | £2,007.02 |
| £16,153.50 |
This calculation, even before factoring in EV charging needs, shows a significant potential spend on electricity over 10 years. With an EV, this figure could be substantially higher. The upfront investment in solar and battery becomes even more justifiable when viewed as a long-term energy solution for both your home and your electric car. It’s not just about saving money on electricity; it’s about securing a predictable and potentially much cheaper “fuel” source for your car in the long run.
How Solar and Battery Tech Powers Your Car
Now, let’s explore the technology that makes this possible. In this section, we’ll focus on the solar panels and battery storage, the backbone of this home energy revolution that directly benefits EV owners.
The Solar Panels: Harnessing Sunlight for Your Drive
My home is ideally positioned facing south, allowing for maximum solar energy capture. I installed 18 solar panels, specifically JA Solar (Segen) JAM60S10-345/MR panels, each with a 345-watt capacity.
For optimal performance and to mitigate potential shading issues, I opted for SolarEdge optimizers and a SolarEdge SE6000H HD Wave inverter. This system provides a peak output of 6.21 kWp. While peak output is rarely reached in real-world conditions, I consistently see around 5.5 kWh on sunny days.
The inverter, located in my loft, is connected to my home network via Cat6 cable and to the electrical system, channeling the generated solar power to the meter box and Tesla Gateway. The SolarEdge app provides excellent monitoring capabilities, allowing me to track energy generation and the performance of individual panels. This real-time data is invaluable for ensuring the system is operating efficiently and maximizing the solar energy available for EV charging.
On my best day so far, I generated 43 kWh. As an EV owner, you’ll quickly find yourself becoming very interested in the daily weather forecast, anticipating sunny days to maximize your “free” fuel generation!
The Battery: Storing Solar Energy for Nighttime EV Charging
This is where the Tesla Powerwall comes in – a marvel of engineering that perfectly complements solar panels, especially for EV owners.
The primary reason for battery storage is maximizing self-consumption of solar energy. Exporting excess solar energy back to the grid often yields a minimal return compared to the cost of importing grid energy. The battery allows you to store excess solar power generated during the day and use it to power your home and charge your EV at night, effectively using your own clean energy around the clock. For EV owners, this means charging your car overnight with solar energy captured during the day, significantly reducing reliance on grid electricity and minimizing charging costs.
Without battery storage, excess solar energy would be exported at a low rate, only to be bought back at a much higher rate when you need to charge your EV or power your home at night. This is inefficient and financially disadvantageous. The goal is energy independence – using as much of the solar energy you generate as possible, especially for your car.
Beyond energy storage, the Tesla Powerwall offers seamless backup power in case of grid outages – a whole-house UPS. This feature is incredibly valuable for EV owners, ensuring uninterrupted home power and, crucially, continuous EV charging capability. Interestingly, you don’t need solar panels to benefit from the Powerwall’s UPS functionality; it can be installed as a standalone battery backup system. However, pairing it with solar maximizes its value and aligns with sustainable EV charging.
The Tesla Gateway acts as the brain of the system, managing:
- Power input from solar panels.
- Energy flow to and from the Powerwall battery.
- Connection to the national grid and the home’s electrical system.
- Power distribution to various circuits, including, importantly, the EV charger.
- Integration with the Tesla app for monitoring and control.
- Earthing for the “energy island” setup.
For my home’s electrical setup, I have a more complex configuration with multiple consumer units due to the location of the original unit. This complexity is often necessary to manage high-power devices like EV chargers and ensure safe and efficient power distribution throughout the house.
Key features of the Tesla Powerwall:
- 13.5 kWh usable capacity.
- 7 kW peak power output.
- Configurable reserve capacity for power outages.
- 120kg weight.
- Option to turn off the indicator light.
The Tesla app provides user-friendly monitoring and control of the Powerwall, displaying real-time energy flow, battery status, and system performance. This level of visibility and control empowers EV owners to optimize their home energy usage and EV charging schedules.
The Investment: Powering Your Car for the Long Haul
The total cost for my system was £14,719.88. This is a significant investment, but when viewed as a long-term strategy for powering both your home and your electric vehicle, it becomes a very compelling proposition. As highlighted earlier, the projected cost of grid electricity over the next decade is substantial, and this investment essentially prepays for a significant portion of those energy needs, especially for EV charging.
This blog post offers a glimpse into my experience with solar and battery storage. In future posts, I’ll delve into the specifics of EV car chargers, analyze the actual cost savings based on collected data, and explore home automation strategies for further optimizing energy usage and leveraging time-of-use tariffs to minimize costs, especially during winter months. Stay tuned for more insights into maximizing the synergy between your home energy system and your electric vehicle.
Thank you for reading. Feel free to share this article with anyone considering a similar transition to sustainable energy and electric vehicle ownership.
