Can a commercial solar system be used to charge EV charging stations?
Vehicles play a crucial role in the day-to-day operations of businesses and with the growing trend in sustainable energy solutions, many companies are looking at the benefits of installing EV charging stations on their premises. We look at whether commercial solar systems can be used to charge electric vehicles and the process behind it.
The short answer is yes, you can use commercial solar systems to charge electric vehicles. Combining a commercial solar system with EV charging stations provides a wide range of company benefits like cost savings, environmental sustainability, and energy independence.
If you have a solar battery storage system it is also possible to store excess energy for later use when sunlight is not available. This surplus energy can be used by businesses by allowing them to charge their fleet vehicles overnight or during periods of company downtime.
How does commercial solar panel charging work?
Solar panels utilise sunlight to generate electricity using photovoltaic cells. Your commercial solar panels have the capability to be directly linked to your EV charging station, enabling the electricity produced to directly power your company vehicles as well as the cars of your employees.
What size commercial solar panel do I need to charge EV charging stations?
The size of the solar panel system required to power up EV charging stations varies based on multiple factors. These factors include the quantity of charging stations, their power rating, the average daily usage, local weather conditions, and the space available on the premises for solar panel installation.
How long does it take to charge an EV from commercial solar panels?
EV charging times can greatly differ when using commercial solar panels. Under ideal circumstances, EVs can be charged relatively quickly. However, when faced with less than ideal conditions, the charging process may take longer.
Factors that affect EV charging time include:
- How much electricity can be generated and supplied to the EV charging station.
- The battery capacity of the EV and how empty it is when it begins charging.
- Environmental factors such as sunlight intensity, weather conditions and time of day.
- The charging technology used e.g. Level 2 (AC charging) and DC fast chargers.
Experts in Commercial EV and Solar
The Cleaner group is a collective of businesses specialising in commercial EV and solar solutions. We take pride in educating various companies about the advantages of incorporating EV charge points. By conducting personalised site surveys, we are able to provide unique solutions and deliver the optimal outcome for our clients.
