California is the nation’s leader in electric vehicles with 37% of the country’s registered EVs in the state alone. The Golden State also has a goal to reach net zero emissions by 2045, meaning that these numbers are only expected to rise.
Converting to an electric vehicle (EV) is a great way to reduce your carbon emissions and save money on transportation costs—but charging your EV at home with solar panels provides the most benefits. At Premo Solar, we don’t install solar EV charging stations, however, we want you to get the most use from your residential or commercial solar array, and EV charging at home can help you do just that.
Benefits of Solar EV Charging
Charging an electric vehicle with solar energy can provide many benefits:
Fossil-Fuel Free
Part of the appeal of electric vehicles is that they don’t run on gasoline, but electricity from the grid isn’t necessarily better. Despite being a leader in environmentalism, much of California’s electricity still comes from natural gas power plants. That means that if you’re charging your EV from the grid, you can still be contributing to excessive greenhouse gas emissions.
Solar EV charging is the only way to ensure that your electric vehicle is running on 100% clean, renewable energy.
Cost Savings
The average cost to fully charge an EV with a 150-mile range in California is $12-16. While the cost is significantly lower than the price to fill up with gas, charging your electric vehicle with solar power can potentially eliminate the cost altogether.
Convenience
As more Californians are switching to electric vehicles, public charging stations are only going to get more crowded. Having a solar EV charger at home will help you avoid long wait times and have the ability to fill up whenever you want.
Incentives for Electric Vehicles & Solar Installation
Both solar panels and electric vehicles are great for the environment, making them eligible for several federal and state-wide incentives. The California Clean Vehicle Rebate Project offers generous rebates for the lease or purchase of electric vehicles, and the Inflation Reduction Act offers $7,500 in federal tax credits. To find more EV incentives, we recommend searching through Drive Clean CA.
Solar incentives include:
- Investment Tax Credit (ITC) – Reduce your federal tax liability by 30% of your total cost for solar installation with no maximum.
- Net metering – Sell excess electricity from your solar panels back to the grid. This incentive is for grid-tied systems only.
- Solar Energy System Property Tax Exclusion – Solar panel installation can increase your home’s value, but with this tax exclusion, it won’t also increase your property taxes.
Professional Solar Installation From Premo Solar
Whether you’re new to solar or want to expand your array in order to charge your electric vehicle, Premo Solar has you covered. As a trusted local solar installer in Salinas, Monterey, and Santa Cruz, we only use high-quality solar products, from the panels themselves to the best battery storage options available today. Our team also makes the switch to solar seamless by handling all of the permitting, applications, and paperwork.
