Electric vehicles (EVs) and solar panels are completely aligned in their vision. Both are building towards a green future, so EV charging with a clean energy source like solar power is a natural progression for environmentally conscious consumers.
If you want to charge your EV with a solar system, how many solar panels do you need to install? Let’s find out.
Critical Factors to Consider
Several factors can affect the number of panels you need to charge your EV. These factors are:
Solar Panel Power Generation
Different solar panels generate different amounts of power. It depends on the material they are made of, whether they are fixed or moving, the age of the solar panels, and so on.
EV Battery Features
The battery size of your EV and its power efficiency also need to be considered while calculating the power it will need to charge.
Your Driving Needs
Finally, how much you use the EV will also dictate how much power you will require.
Calculating a Ballpark Figure
Step 1: Calculating the EV Power Needs
You need to find out three variables for your EV – miles per gallon equivalent (MPGe), kWH/100 miles, and miles/kWh.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provides the MPGe for all EVs.
Step 2: Calculating your EV’s efficiency or miles/kWh
You can easily determine the exact figure. However, if you can’t, here’s the formula to calculate it:
miles/kWh = MPGe/33.705
So, if your EV has an MPGe of 100, then,
miles/kWh = 100/33.705 = 2.96 miles/KwH
Step 3: Calculating the Power Required/Day
Federal Highway Administration estimates that Americans travel 13,500 miles per year on average in their EVs, which comes to 36.98 miles/day or roughly 37 miles per day.
So, you can estimate the amount of power required by the EV as follows:
36.98 miles per day/2.96 miles per kWh = 12.49 kWh per day
Step 4: Calculating the average power generated by solar panels
Hours in the sun range from = 3.5 to 6 hours/day or 4.5 hours on average
Average solar panel output = 250 to 400 watts or 325 watts on average
Power generated by a solar panel each day,
4.5 hours x 325 watts = 1462.5 Wh or 1.462kWh per day
Step 4: Calculating the number of solar panels
Power required by the EV per day = 12.49 kWh
Power generated by a solar panel each day = 1.462kWh
Number of solar panels required to charge the EV: 12.49 kWh/1.462kWh = 8.54 solar panels on average
Americans typically require about 5 to 12 solar panels (on average, 8.5) to charge their EVs. They can drastically reduce their expenses and carbon footprint by charging their EVs with a renewable power source.
Contact Green Power Energy today for more information.
Whether you’re considering EV charging or exploring solar options for your home, we have the expertise and resources to provide you with the information you need to make an informed choice. Click here to speak with our team today.