At some point or another, electric vehicle owners have likely thought about installing a charging station in their homes. Having a charging station at home as an electric vehicle (EV) owner has its advantages, including that you can avoid going to a public charging outlet whenever you want to recharge your Tesla.
Individuals with a Tesla charging station at home will notice a considerable increase in their energy output and electricity cost. This is because you have an electric vehicle using energy alongside the household. The cost of owning an EV charging outlet is considered low. However, it can get even lower.
Solar energy offers a solution for Tesla owners. With solar power, individuals can save even more on electricity costs. Solar energy is the best renewable energy source, and the installation cost for solar panels could be much higher. This makes it a beneficial tool for Tesla owners. So, how many solar panels to charge a Tesla?
Can You Charge a Tesla With Solar Power?
Electric vehicles, including Teslas, can be charged using solar energy. Solar power is an excellent source of electrical energy. Converting to solar energy will help reduce the overall cost spent on electricity. Electric cars have battery storage that can store solar energy like solar inverters.
Solar panels can be installed at EV home charging ports to convert solar energy to electrical energy while charging. Solar electricity is cheap, and all you have to worry about is Tesla’s solar panel efficiency and battery capacity. If the efficiency of the solar panel is high, it will be able to handle more solar power.
The battery capacity of the Tesla will also determine how much kWh of electricity can be stored after each charge. To install a solar system in your home charging station, you can talk to a solar installation company to set up a suitable time for inspection and installation. However, before installing solar panels, you must acquire all the necessary permits from the city and utility company.
The solar panels need to be connected to the electricity grid after installation. This requires the new solar system to be inspected before the permit is approved. If anything could be improved in the installation of the panels, the license for the solar panels will not be approved. However, you can enjoy cheap, clean energy once everything is settled.
How Many Solar Panels to Charge a Tesla?
The precise number of solar panels needed to charge a Tesla depends on several factors. The battery storage of the Tesla needs to be considered as well as the solar panel’s efficiency to accurately determine the number of panels required to charge a Tesla. On average, a Tesla requires 8-10 solar panels connected to the charging station. If the efficiency of the solar panels is high, the number required will not be as much as if the panels’ efficiency is low.
Also, if Tesla has a large battery capacity, the charging station may require more solar panels to charge the EV quickly. When considering the number of solar panels to install for your charging station, you must first find out how many kWh of electricity is needed to charge the Tesla.
After the kWh has been calculated, the number of panels can be derived easily. A Tesla that consumes 18kWh every 62 miles will need about 8 solar panels of 400 watts of energy to charge appropriately. This amount is quite conservative and isn’t too cost intensive.
What Other Tools Do You Need?
When planning your solar installation for your Tesla, it is crucial to have your charging outlet and battery storage ready. In addition to the solar panels, the battery pack is also an essential part of the solar installation system. Solar panels draw energy from the sun but need somewhere to store the collected energy. The battery pack solves this.
Manyelectric vehicle owners charge their cars overnight rather than during the day. Hence, the solar system needs a substantial battery pack with reasonable capacity. The battery pack’s power will determine how long the Tesla can charge before the battery is recharged.
A charging station is also necessary for any Tesla owner looking to go solar. Before converting to solar energy, you must have a home charging station to which the panels will be connected. There’s no way around it. The charging outlet is necessary for the solar panel to work.
How Long Does It Take to Charge a Tesla With Solar Panels?
The maximum time required for any Tesla to charge using solar panels entirely is seven days. You are unlikely to need seven days to charge your Tesla completely, however. It depends on the car’s battery capacity and solar panel efficiency. Most people don’t exhaust their Tesla battery life, so it doesn’t usually take long to charge.
The type of charger being used to charge the Tesla also matters. Faster chargers will have your Tesla fully charged from the point of exhaustion in a few days. Most people only require three to twelve hours to charge their Tesla since they don’t allow it to get critically low. This is a short time, especially if you charge overnight.
Most people use their Tesla during the day when they have unlimited solar energy and charge through the night to ensure their Tesla doesn’t run out of power in the middle of the road. The electric vehicle will charge within a couple of hours if the Tesla’s battery is not entirely flat.
Charging Costs
The average cost to charge a Tesla is between $9.6 and $18. However, this is only when you’re relying on the electrical energy provided by utility companies. Once you switch to solar production, you will experience a tremendous decrease in the cost of charging the electric vehicle.
Individuals generating their electric power to charge their Teslas need to pay only a minuscule amount of money with their electric bill. A person who wants to install solar panels in his house to charge his Tesla will need to spend money on upfront costs and other factors attached to the solar installation.
Direct Costs
Before starting to charge your Tesla with solar energy, you must go through some processes. These processes include applying for a permit. Typically, it doesn’t cost much to get the required licenses and permits needed to install solar panels in your home. However, it might take time.
Individuals will also need to install solar panels on the roof or extend an existing solar system installation if any. You will also require an electric vehicle charger for the car. The best option for Teslas is a Tesla wall connector, specially designed to charge Tesla vehicles. The cost to purchase the charger and solar panels falls under upfront expenses.
Solar Panels Installation Cost
Apart from the price of each solar panel, there is also the cost of installing the panels on the roof or selected location. If you want to install a solar system to charge your Tesla in your home, you will need to inform the solar company’s technicians so that the system’s size can accommodate the electric vehicle.
The size of a solar system determines the amount of energy that will be generated. If the solar system is too small to contain the Tesla, the vehicle will experience slow charging, which is not very effective. Therefore, the bigger the solar system installed, the more energy can be generated.
A solar system installation is relatively inexpensive, considering its many benefits. You need only about $20,500 to install a solar system in your home. The average cost of a solar panel is around $190, and a Tesla owner will require at least eight panels connected to the system. That adds another extra $1520 cost to the initial amount.
The number of solar panels you will need for your electric vehicle charging outlet will depend on your location. Eight panels are enough if you’re located in a place with little or no obstructions and adequate sunlight. However, you might need more if your location is not favorable. The average cost for solar panels and installation is around $22,000.
Tesla Charger
After the cost of installing the solar system and purchasing the panels has been covered, the next thing that involves money is the EV charger itself. Most Tesla owners use Tesla wall connectors to charge their electric vehicles. This is because it is the most suitable charger for the car.
The Tesla wall connector comprises different components, each with its own cost. The first component is the charger, which costs around $400, a Tesla faceplate ($75), and a pedestal to carry the charger if you don’t want to place it on a wall or garage. The pedestal costs around $425.
Also, there will be some cost attached to the installation of the charger itself. Most Tesla charger installations cost between $800 and $2000. This cost is minus the amount spent on equipment. Depending on the building, you might also need some wiring work. A low approximation of the cost spent on the charger is $1200.
Total
After breaking down the various factors involved in installing solar panels in your home, and the cost for a Tesla wall connector, the total amount estimated to install solar panels to charge your Tesla is about $23,200. This might seem high at first. However, because you will be saving money and the free charge you will enjoy, it is pretty worth it.
Conclusion
Many Tesla owners have considered installing solar panels to charge their electric vehicles. This is possible because solar energy can be stored in the battery storage of a Tesla. Hence, it is possible to charge a Tesla with solar power.
But how do you know how many solar panels to charge a Tesla?
The average number of solar panels a Tesla needs is eight. However, that number might increase based on certain factors. The efficiency of each solar panel is essential, and the size of the system also matters when it comes to charging speed. Also, if there are any obstructions to sunlight, you might require more solar panels to charge your Tesla.
