Often electric vehicles are considered to still be 'dirty', even though they don't create any emissions themselves. This is because of the fossil-fuel-generated electricity that is used to power them. Luckily here in New Zealand, we run on at least 80% renewable energy throughout the year, sometimes more. However, it is still topped up by the burning of coal, gas and oil that releases carbon emissions into the atmosphere.
This has seen many Kiwi’s take the power into their own hands by installing solar panels. It allows them to be relatively self-sufficient, just topping up with electricity from the grid when needed. In areas without reliable grid power, many people are choosing to go off-grid with solar and batteries as a backup. For Kiwi's that are particularly environmentally conscious, it adds a plus of allowing them to do even more for the planet and our atmosphere.
Those with an EV can utilise solar also to make vehicle running costs even lower. As more Kiwis have ended up working from home in recent times, their vehicles are also home during the day, allowing them to charge up during the peak of sunlight hours. Thus their zero-emission vehicles are cleaner due to running on 100% renewable energy.
At ChargeSmart we recommend a home installation that is the garage of the future. Solar on the roof with an EV charger, battery storage and of course, the EV, all in the garage. This setup gives Kiwis the benefit of generating their solar power and utilising the smarts of the EV charger and the battery storage to make the most of it.
The Tesla Powerwall is our go-to energy storage option due to its reliability and ease of use. It also helps provide a key benefit to Kiwis with solar that are not home during the day. Solar runs the home during sunlight hours and the excess power is stored in the Powerwalls. This clean energy can then be used to charge your vehicle at night to avoid paying for 'dirty' grid power when the solar is not producing electricity. Powerwalls also offer the added benefit of being your backup power if the grid goes down.
When it comes to business fleets, they can also implement a similar setup to reduce their emissions and help offset their carbon footprint. Solar creates the same benefits for reducing vehicle running costs as well as cutting down the power bill; not just from EV charging, but the rest of the business too. Thus the vehicles and the business can run on clean renewable energy. With many commercial businesses running machinery or production equipment during the day they can make the most of solar production in sunlight hours and often don’t need battery storage.
In conclusion, if you are buying an EV for more than just the driving experience, you are looking to reduce your impact on the environment. Adding solar to your home or business can help you truly cut your carbon emissions and run the cleanest vehicle possible. By reducing the amount of power you pull from the grid, there is less demand for grid operators to burn fossil fuels to top up our renewable generation. Also, excess solar production from your home or business can then be sold back to the grid to provide clean solar energy for other Kiwis. This becomes a win-win for everyone.
Enquire with the ChargeSmart team today to learn more about how combining an EV charger and solar system can work for you. sales@chargesmart.co.nz
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