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Solar Systems with Integrated Electric Vehicle Chargers

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â€Ķ.like Peas and Carrots

Solar Panel, Solar energy, Annapolis MDAs referenced in our accompanying EV Growth Blogs, the adoption of Electric Vehicles has skyrocketed in recent years. This is small wonder considering EV purchasers can look forward to a 30% federal tax credit on the upfront cost, reduction of fuel costs of at least 60% (according to this Nissan Leaf owner’s calculations), and State Grants/tax credits where applicable (Maryland, for example) and the negation of various oil changes and maintenance costs that accompany an internal combustion engine. For homeowners who have discovered the substantial energy savings by purchasing (not leasing!) a solar residential system, it’s a natural step to want to extend these savings to their current, or future, electrified vehicle.

Ahead of the curve on this natural progression is an innovative new product from inverter manufacturer SolarEdge. All solar systems have two major components 1. Solar panel arrays 2. Inverter(s) that convert incoming DC energy to appliance-ready AC energy. As the national leader in residential inverter supply, SolarEdge made a great move in developing an Inverter that has a built-in EV Charger with a 25’ charge connector. Net energy meter customers (NEM) or energy generating customers interconnected to Pepco are not eligible to apply for the R-PIV rate.

Electric Charging,Solar, Annapolis MD

Why not choose a separate EV Charger?

Four reasons:

  1. Cost. Upgrading to an inverter that has a built-in EV Car Charger comes at around a $1000 cost increase (assuming one inverter/car charger). However, this upgrade – as part of the solar installation – qualifies for the 30% federal tax credit, putting the material cost at around the same as a separate stand-alone EV Charger such as Clipper City. In addition, the integrated inverter has no additional labor or electrician charges – its all covered in the solar install.
  2. Warranty. Popular stand-alone Car Chargers such as Clipper City come with a 3- year warranty. Solar Edge’s integrated inverter has a 12-year warranty, with upgrades up to 25 years available.
  3. Design Elegance. Between service panels, routers, generators and other wall-mounted electronics – its nice to have a 2-in-1 solution and save some wall space. No additional wiring or conduits needed. Of course, the inverter does need to be placed within 25’ of where the EV will be parked nightly.
  4. All Pros no Cons. As with Stand-alone chargers, Solar Edge’s integrated solution allows for indoor/outdoor placement, comes with a 25’ connector and offers software that tracks your EV’s energy consumption that is accessible from desktop or phone, and can be controlled remotely.

Thinking Ahead

Due to the clear advantages, and seeming inevitability of rapid EV adoption by the majority of Americans by the Year 2030, we now ask all of our prospective solar shoppers two questions:

  1. “Do you plan to buy an Electric Vehicle in the not-so-distant future?”
  2. If so, “ What is your expected weekly/annual mileage?”

Mileage calculations inform how many solar panels we should add to the array in order to cover as much EV car use as possible (as roof space allows). Worth noting for our Washington DC/Montgomery County solar customers, PEPCO does require us to fill out an Electrical Usage Calculation Sheet if the solar system is sized over 120% larger than the past 12 months usage history. In those cases we simply submit the estimated kWh increase (as per expected mileage calculations) that the EV will add.

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