While installing solar can save you money on your electric bill and reduce your carbon emissions, homeowners are going even further and using solar electricity to charge their electric car. Thanks to an innovative new product from SolarEdge, powering your car with solar electricity is easier than ever.
SolarEdge is the most popular inverter manufacturer on the EnergySage Solar Marketplace – in the second half of 2017, two out of every three quotes offered to solar shoppers on EnergySage included SolarEdge products. Their newest innovation is the EV Charging Single Phase Inverter, which integrates a charger for your electric car directly into your solar panel system.
According to Lior Handelsman, VP of Marketing & Product Strategy and Founder of SolarEdge, “SolarEdge’s EV charging inverter is really the first product that represents the paradigm shift that has occurred in solar over the last decade… We are very excited to launch the world’s first inverter that can charge a car from the sun.”
Why choose an integrated inverter & charger option, rather than installing them separately?
When you install an integrated EV charging inverter, you’ll save money in the long term by reducing your equipment costs and installation costs. SolarEdge’s EV charging inverter does come at a slight price premium – if you want to install one as part of your solar panel system, you can expect to pay a few hundred dollars extra. But, these added costs are still lower than installing a separate charger later on. For example, a standalone level 2 charging station can run you $500-700, plus another $500 for an electrician to install it, bring its costs over $1000. Plus, installing an integrated EV-charging inverter eliminates the need for installing additional wiring, conduits and a breaker down the line.
Cost savings are important, but there’s another big benefit for SolarEdge: faster charging for your car. “The first-of-its-kind EV-charging PV inverter provides faster charging, thanks to its solar boost mode,” said Handelsman. “…More power is delivered to the car by tapping power from the solar inverter in addition to pulling power from the grid.” According to SolarEdge, this can result in charging speeds that are as much as six times faster than a level 1 charging station plugged into a standard wall outlet.
Having a single integrated product means that you can monitor and manage your solar panels and your electric car charging simultaneously, directly from your phone. SolarEdge’s software can track your EV’s power usage separately from your solar production, and you can control your charging remotely.
If you own an EV, or are thinking about buying one, you’re an ideal candidate for the EV charging inverter
If you have an electric car or are about to buy one, the benefits are clear. But even if you don’t currently own an EV, there’s always the chance that you’ll buy one in a few years. An estimated 1 in 10 new cars sold will be electric by 2025, and solar PV system owners are more likely to purchase electric vehicles than the general population.
“Anyone going solar should think about adding EV charging,” said Handelsman. “If you don’t have an EV now, you will almost certainly have one over the 20+ year lifespan of your solar energy system, so investing now and saving on purchase and installation costs makes sense.”
The EV charging inverter is also an easy way to install a second charger at your home in case you decide that your next car will be an EV. According to Handelsman, “Most homeowners may not realize that an integrated EV charger may be the only way to add a second charger for a second EV without a very expensive upgrade of the home’s main electricity panel.”
Already gone solar? You can retrofit your solar panel system with an EV charging inverter
If you already have a solar panel system, but need to replace your existing inverter, you can easily upgrade to SolarEdge’s EV charging option – the installation process is the same as installing a standard inverter. An added bonus: if your inverter is in need of replacement, upgrading to a SolarEdge option may boost your electricity output thanks to improved efficiency.
How to get a solar panel system with SolarEdge’s EV charging inverter
SolarEdge’s EV charging inverter is a new product, and launched in the spring of 2018 in North America. Companies in SolarEdge’s installer network – many of whom are submitting quotes to property owners on the EnergySage Solar Marketplace – are now installing the EV charging inverter for homeowners and businesses across the country. To get your own EV charging inverter, we recommend you register on EnergySage today and indicate your interest in an EV charging inverter in your preferences.
