Electric vehicles inevitably need electricity to run, but using grid power for electric vehicles can be expensive. Using solar power to charge an electric car is cheaper and cleaner. But how many solar panels does an electric car need? There are many factors that influence this question. In this article, we explain how to calculate how many solar panels you need for your electric car and the related issues.
Before calculating how many solar panels are needed for an electric car, you need to know several figures. These include the energy consumption of the electric car, the local peak sunshine hours, and the power of the solar panels.
Energy Consumption of Electric Vehicle: According to the survey of electric vehicles, the average electric vehicle consumes 0.35kwh per mile of driving, and this is only the basic power consumption of an electric vehicle, but you may also use other electronic devices during the driving process, which will increase the number of solar panels.
If you drive an average of 40 miles per day, then your EV’s base power consumption is 14kwh and your other EV power consumption is 1kwh, so your total EV energy consumption is 15kwh.
Local peak sunshine hours: For different regions, the corresponding peak sunshine hours will be different. There are a number of factors that influence the amount of peak sunlight, such as altitude, latitude, etc. You can check this directly on the internet.
The power of solar panels: For the solar panels used in electric cars, 450W and 550W are more common. You can choose the suitable solar panel according to your actual needs.
After you know the above data, you can calculate the number of solar panels. You also need to use the following formula.
Number of solar panels = Energy consumption of the electric car / Peak sunshine hours / Power of the solar panels
Let’s still use the above data to calculate, the total energy consumption of your electric car is 15kwh, if the peak sunshine duration in your area is 3h, and the power of the solar panel you choose is 550W, then you need 4kwh/4h/550W≈9 pieces. In this case, you need to buy 9 pieces of 550W solar panels.
If your electric car is charged by the grid, according to your daily electric car consumption of 15kwh, you need 450kwh of electricity to support your electric car in a month. If your local electricity rate is $0.1, you can save $45 a month on your electricity bill.
You can save even more when you start using solar power to power your electric car. For some countries, there is not enough electricity for the population, and to solve this problem, the government raises the price of electricity and reduces its use by the population. When the price of electricity is increasing in your area, you can add more to your bottom line by using solar energy.
Reduced Electricity Costs: When you use solar power to charge your electric car, you don’t need the grid to power your electric car at all, so you save money on your electric car’s electricity bill. As long as there is sunlight, your electric car is running at no cost.
Convenience: If you choose to use solar panels to charge your electric car, all it needs is sunlight wherever you are. Even if you’re traveling to an area that’s far from the grid, your electric car can still be charged. But if you don’t use solar panels to power your EV, you’ll still need to go to a specific charging station to charge your EV.
Reduced Carbon Footprint: Solar energy is a clean energy source, and you are not producing harmful gases such as carbon dioxide during its use, reducing your carbon footprint in order to improve air quality.
Whether or not you currently have solar panels installed on your electric car purchase, you may want to consider installing solar panels on your electric car. Although the upfront investment for installing solar panels is high, the long-term savings on electricity costs from using solar energy to charge your electric car will be worth it.
