Solar for EVs: Charging Your Car with the Sun
Table of Contents
Driving an Electric Vehicle (EV) is already significantly cheaper than gas, but in 2026, the real prize is charging your car with the sun. When you pair residential solar with an EV, you're essentially creating your own private gas station with zero fuel costs for the next 25 years.
Quick Rule of Thumb
To power an average American commute (30-40 miles/day), you need approximately 5 to 7 dedicated solar panels (assuming 400W each) added to your base household system.
1. Sizing Your System for an EV
Most modern EVs get around 3.5 miles per kWh. If you drive the national average of 12,000 miles per year, you'll need about 3,500 kWh of energy annually. In a sun-soaked state like Arizona, 6 panels might do it, while in Seattle, you might need 9 or 10.
2. Level 2 Charging Hardware
To charge effectively with solar, you need a **Level 2 (240V) charger**. In 2026, smart chargers like the **Enphase IQ EV Charger** or **SolarEdge EV Charger** can talk to your solar inverter. They can be set to "Eco Mode," which only uses excess solar energy to charge your car, ensuring you never pull expensive power from the grid during peak hours.
3. Bidirectional Charging: Your Car as a Battery
The biggest trend in 2026 is **Vehicle-to-Home (V2H)**. Many new EVs can now act as a backup battery for your house. This means the 80kWh battery in your Ford F-150 Lightning can power your entire home for 3 days during a blackout, potentially replacing the need for a separate home battery system.
4. Future-Proofing: Oversize Your Inverter
If you don't own an EV today but plan to buy one in the next 5 years, **don't size your inverter for today's needs.** It is vastly cheaper to install a larger inverter and extra mounting rails now than it is to rewire your entire system later. I always advise my clients to add "EV headroom" of at least 3kW to their initial design.