5 Great Reasons Why Solar Installers Are Choosing To Add EV Charging
Alternative and renewable forms of energy help push the power industry toward a cleaner, more sustainable future. At the heart of the EV race is the goal of reducing the impact that widespread vehicle travel has on our planet’s resources.
Naturally, it’s perfect to consider how pairing renewable energy like solar with EV charging can have a huge impact on the future of widespread adoption of both technologies. As solar installers get busier and busier bringing renewable energy to homes and businesses (often with great government incentives), here are some excellent reasons to consider adding EV charging from EV Connect to your list of services.
What Is Solar EV Charging?
EV charging with solar technology uses panels to convert energy from the sun into power that an EV can utilize. Sounds easy enough, but there are some key components that make this all function properly.
The Solar EV Charging Process
First, solar panels turn photovoltaic cells into DC power. For most applications, this DC power will then be converted into AC power to be stored in a power bank or utilized immediately. Because solar energy has varying maximum potential and the goal is to be sustainable, using a storage bank for solar power helps increase the value of solar charging — even more so when you consider grid charging has to contend with peak demand and other factors. When you use networked solutions like those offered by EV Connect, these technical aspects are taken care of through a management portal.
5 Benefits of Solar EV Charging
While your business may be a solar installation leader, the wide array of benefits for pairing EV charging with solar makes this sustainable partnership well worth considering. Let’s take a look at how this technology benefits customers and installers alike.
1.) Cost
The best thing anyone can hear about a potential purchase: This will save you money. Solar installers can show data-driven evidence that in pretty much everywhere in the U.S., installing solar ends up being cheaper than purchasing power from the grid. Pair this with the fact that owning an electric car can increase household energy consumption by between 50% and 100%, and solar EV charging becomes such an obvious solution. Installers can offer a value-added solution service package that saves customers money.
2.) Packaging Services
Another great factor for installers to consider: Customers are always seeking ways to package their purchases to simplify and save. As soon as folks know that pairing solar and EV charging can save them money, they will likely be eager to simplify the installation. This also benefits solar installers; rather than making multiple repeat trips to residences and businesses, teams can be deployed once to complete the whole process. The overlapping of infrastructure work can help increase the value to the customer while also increasing the installer’s margin.
3.) Incentives
The variety of incentives for both solar power and EV ownership means that both technologies are likely to continue growing well into the future. Upcoming Build Back Better incentives may push this even further, which means that customers will be increasingly likely to want both services. Installers should consider getting ahead of the curve and begin offering EV charging with solar.
4.) Benefits During Peak Season
With the summer season comes a large toll on the electricity grid. For customers, this often means paying a premium for electricity. While demand response helps, what better way to stave off the increased cost than by benefiting from the very thing increasing the electricity toll? And the fact that EV Connect’s cutting-edge software automates demand response can further simplify the process and increase revenue. Installers can entice customers with solar, especially in warmer climates, by highlighting the peak season savings they experience through storing energy from the sun rather than paying for grid services during expensive months.
5.) Sustainability
As the EV industry continues to drive sustainability by cutting out reliance on oil, we must understand that using the electricity grid still often means relying on natural gas and coal power. Solar eliminates these needs for nonrenewable energies and helps bolster the sustainability initiatives at the heart of the EV industry. Both installers and drivers can feel great about their impact on the future of energy and vehicle travel.
Bonus: Grid Independence
While many of these benefits highlight how grid independence saves money, another aspect of that is remote charging capability. Much like modern street lamps and speed signs can operate independently of the grid, standalone solar EV chargers can allow electric cars to charge where the grid has not yet made it. And even if there is power in a certain location, why tap into it if you can use solar instead?
Solar EV Charging Recap
Both solar power and EV charging are growing needs in our increasingly climate-minded society. By utilizing the power of the sun to convert and store energy that will then power our vehicles, we truly are living in the future. Solar installers can offer incredible services to their customers by adding EV charging to their existing solar products.
Why Choose EV Connect?
If this all seems overwhelming, don’t fret! The learning curve from solar installation to EV charging is not nearly as steep as it may seem. EV Connect brings 12+ years of industry knowledge and can guide solar installers and property developers on how to optimize their project by adding EV charging management solutions. Besides, EV Connect offers an incredible amount of pre- and post-installation support with our turnkey solutions to make partnering with us an easy choice. Services like post-installation support, third-party access to our EVC portal and the availability of our white label and API options give solar installers a plethora of reasons to choose EV Connect. Contact us today to get started!
Sources
Solar Reviews - How and Why To Use Solar Panels To Charge an Electric Car
Solar Power World Online - Residential Solar Installers Get Versed in EV Chargers
Car and Driver - At Home Charging: Solar Electric Car Charger
Energy.Gov - Homeowner’s Guide to the Federal Tax Credit for Solar Photovoltaics