Solar EV Charging

You chose your electric vehicle for its many benefits. Charging your EV at home with your own solar power offers the best in cost savings, convenience, and clean energy use. You can even power your EV entirely with 100% renewable energy from your rooftop solar panels. 

If you want to get the most from your EV, and pay the least for it, read on.  

Can You Charge an EV With Solar Panels?

Charging an electric vehicle with solar power from your home solar panels is the ideal meeting of cost, energy efficiency, convenience, and environmental impact. Using electricity generated from your solar panels, either straight from the panels or through a solar battery, means your EV is running on 100% clean, free, independent, and renewable energy with no fossil fuel or utility grid electricity. 

If you’re charging your EV overnight, when there’s no sun and therefore no solar power, you’ll need battery backup to turn the sun’s energy into power for your EV. You may be able to offset the cost of charging your electric vehicle using net metering credits where available.

Charging an EV With Rooftop Solar Panels

How does electricity from solar panels on your roof power an EV’s battery? It’s not much different than power running to your refrigerator or a heat pump. When the sun is out, the electricity your EV charger draws from your home is supplied by your solar panels.

Using solar power to charge your EV at home saves you money and offers significant eco-friendly advantages. An EV eliminates the need for gasoline and solar panels greatly reduce or even avoid utility electricity costs. Charge at home and you spend less time and money at public EV charging stations. Many sources confirm that home charging with solar power is more economical than charging with grid power, and provides even greater savings compared to public chargers.

How Many Solar Panels Do You Need to Charge an EV?

Determining the number of solar panels needed to charge an electric vehicle can be difficult, as it involves several variables. Factors like your EV model, how much you drive, your location, and solar panel efficiency all play a role in the calculation.

To begin, you need to estimate your EV's annual electricity usage. An EV's energy consumption rating typically indicates the kilowatt-hours (kWh) required per 100 miles driven. For example, popular EVs range from the Hyundai Ioniq 6, which uses about 0.24 kWh per mile (or 24 kWh per 100 miles), to larger vehicles such as the Rivian R1S, which may consume around 0.54 kWh per mile.

Then, you need the miles you drive in a year. According to the Federal Highway Administration, an American driver drives about 13,500 miles a year.

Now, the equation is:

Vehicle rating x miles driven/100 = kWh a year

For example, plugging a Tesla Model S in (rating 0.28 kWh/mile) gets you:

0.28 x 13,500 = 3,780 kWh a year

Generally, a larger EV, such as an SUV or truck, has a higher rating. More driving will also mean more kWh.

From here, you want the average kWh used a day. 

3,780/365 = 10.36 kWh a day

Next, you need the peak sun hours in your location.This figure is 4.2-5.5 a day on average over a year for most of the US, with a range from about 6 in western Arizona, southern Nevada, and southern inland California to about 3.5 in coastal Washington and Oregon.

Using 4.2 peak sun hours as an example, the equation here is:

10.36 kWh/4.2 peak sun hours = 2.47 kW

Now, take the kW needed a day and divide it by the expected kW generated a day by a solar panel. Most residential solar panels are rated at about 400 watts (0.4 kW).

With this figure, the equation is:

2.47 kW/0.4 kW = 6.2 panels

With this example, seven panels would likely be the recommended number. 

How Much Can You Save Charging an EV with Solar Panels?

The average residential electric rate in the US was 17.45 cents per kWh in April 2025 according to the Energy Information Administration. If you have an average EV, as far as energy usage, at 4,000-5,000 kWh a year, and you charge it entirely with solar, you’d save $698-$873 a year compared to charging with utility grid electricity. 

Your savings will depend on factors like how much you drive, the cost of electricity in your area, if you can use net metering credits, and more. 

Comparing home solar charging to public charging stations varies a great deal. Unless you’re lucky enough to still have access to free public charging, rates at a Level 3/DC fast charger range from $0.20-$0.70 per kWh. The rate depends on factors like state, location, time-of-use rates (which some chargers utilize), the charger company, and if you have a subscription or plan.

If your home solar charging is replacing public charging instead of home charging from the grid, you’ll save a bit more.

Start with the 13,500 miles a driver in the US averages a year and an EV averaging 0.35 kWh used per mile.

13,500 miles x 0.35 kWh/mile = 4,725 kWh a year

4,725 x $0.20/kWh = $945

If you’re paying $0.70 per kWh at a public charger, the estimated annual cost goes to $3,307.

You can compare charging an EV all or primarily with home solar power to the cost of gas for 13,500 miles a year. 

We can use 26.0 miles per gallon, the average for model year 2022 vehicles according to the Environmental Protection Agency, 13,500 miles per year, and an average gas price of $3.30 per gallon in 2024 according to the US Energy Information Administration.

13,500 miles/26 mpg = 519 gallons

519 x $3.30/gallon = $1,713

Cost of charging/fueling a car for 13,500 miles

Portable Solar Charging Kits 

Portable solar charging kits harness sunlight to generate electricity. These systems can charge various devices, including a limited-range, emergency charge for an electric vehicle. Think of them as a transportable version of a larger home solar power system, with an integrated battery. You can use these kits as an emergency solar EV charging station, during camping trips, for outdoor activities, or in emergency situations.

These devices offer the convenience of power anywhere you need it. They're designed for ease of use and versatility, and you can recharge them with free solar power. 

However, they do have limitations. They're not suitable for large power needs (such as fully charging an EV), high-capacity systems can be considered portable but are too heavy and large to be easily portable, and generally lack the durability or lifespan of home solar panels.

Benefits of Charging an EV With Solar Power

The primary reason to charge an EV with home solar power is to maximize your savings. Here’s a recap of the benefits. 

• Cleanest energy possible: Solar power is completely clean, renewable, and virtually infinite. You will use no fossil fuel and have the smallest possible carbon footprint for driving. Even grid electricity consumes some fuels like coal or natural gas.
• Maximizing your solar investment: If you’ve gone solar, you should get the most out of it. Net metering can be a good benefit, but using your free energy yourself is often more cost-effective than sending excess energy to the utility grid. 
• Financial incentives: In many regions, solar panels, EVs, and charging components qualify for federal, state, and local tax credits and other incentives, which can significantly offset the initial cost of the system and vehicle.
• Convenience: If you charge your EV at home, it’ll reduce the recharging stops you need to make coming and going to work, school, and everywhere else.

If you’d like to learn more about how a home solar system can save you money, and how it makes perfect sense with an electric vehicle, you can start with our solar savings calculator or explore Palmetto’s Energy Advisor.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you charge an EV with solar panels?

You can charge an EV with solar power from home solar panels, a portable solar charger, or from a solar-powered battery. 

How many solar panels do you need to charge an EV?

Estimates and examples from a number of sources, using different vehicles, mileage numbers, locations, solar panel specifications, and other metrics say you likely need 6-11 solar panels to charge most EVs.