Car charging vs solar panels

[rwiegand]

Happy to see that the newly added panels pretty much keep up with the draw from the car (the spike between noon and 3 PM).

 

[QtownTaxiGreg]

Who's a happy hamster then, charging the car for free!

 

[QtownTaxiGreg]

Could you come out ahead by selling your peak power to the grid and charging at night? I think that is supposed to be how it works for bigger systems.

 

[jjrandorin]

Who's a happy hamster then, charging the car for free!

Unless the solar panels were free for this OP, its not "free" its "pre paid until it generates enough energy to pay off the panels". I say this as someone who has 2 EVs, solar panels, and also powerwall batteries, so its not like I am anti solar or something.

Its just one of my pet peeves that people put up solar panels (and pay 10s of thousands of dollars to do so) then turn around and say "and now I charge my car for free".

(yes, I realize this is a bit of a "wet blanket" type of thing)

Could you come out ahead by selling your peak power to the grid and charging at night? I think that is supposed to be how it works for bigger systems.

Depends on what the local cost of power is for a person, whether there is a time of use plan, if so, if they have some way to limit power use during the time of use plan, what the overnight cost of power is, etc.

In CA for most people all those things exist, so its generally better for someone who has solar power AND someway to limit power use between 4pm and 9pm to do what you said. That generally means solar + batteries, or having a schedule that means you are not home from 4pm to 9pm or something.

 

[rwiegand]

Could you come out ahead by selling your peak power to the grid and charging at night? I think that is supposed to be how it works for bigger systems.

Power here is the same price no matter the time of day.

And no, I am absolutely not charging my car for free! With reasonable assumptions the system should, however, pay about a 6% annual return on a pretty low risk investment over the first 10 years.

 

[QtownTaxiGreg]

And no, I am absolutely not charging my car for free! With reasonable assumptions the system should, however, pay about a 6% annual return on a pretty low risk investment over the first 10 years.

I was only being happy for you. I get the feeling if I had said "look who's making bank" someone would have come back with "not for ten years". Whatever.

 

[kc1953]

Unless the solar panels were free for this OP, its not "free" its "pre paid until it generates enough energy to pay off the panels". I say this as someone who has 2 EVs, solar panels, and also powerwall batteries, so its not like I am anti solar or something.

Its just one of my pet peeves that people put up solar panels (and pay 10s of thousands of dollars to do so) then turn around and say "and now I charge my car for free".

(yes, I realize this is a bit of a "wet blanket" type of thing)



Depends on what the local cost of power is for a person, whether there is a time of use plan, if so, if they have some way to limit power use during the time of use plan, what the overnight cost of power is, etc.

In CA for most people all those things exist, so its generally better for someone who has solar power AND someway to limit power use between 4pm and 9pm to do what you said. That generally means solar + batteries, or having a schedule that means you are not home from 4pm to 9pm or something.

Further, the kwh used in charging would otherwise either be sold to grid or would avoid pulling kwh from the grid, so there is a real (opportunity) associated with charging an EV.

 

[BroncoAZ]

I did a test on Earth Day where I charged while the solar was cranking. My 36 panel solar wasn’t free, but it looks like it’ll be about a 6 year ROI.