Hey everyone! I'm a reporter looking into the challenges of charging electric vehicles (EVs) using excess energy from residential solar panels. I've heard from the UK energy networks that numerous users have encountered problems when trying to charge their EVs directly from their rooftop solar installations. Specifically, when they plug in their EVs, the voltage can spike to 253 volts, hitting the safety limit for home electricity, which causes the charging to shut off. This seems to happen mostly when their solar panels are generating a lot of juice during the day. Has anyone else run into this issue or even have insights on how to make it work better? Also, I'm curious if anyone's aware of how these situations can be resolved. Thanks!
3 Answers
Hey! It's true that many users in the states also struggle with charging directly from solar. Most chargers still rely on your home AC power, which means they won't just take solar energy directly unless you have specific smart technology in place. Brands like Victron and Enphase offer products that can help with this, but they're typically set up to switch power based on solar availability instead of purely solar charging. It’s best to look into those systems for a real solution.
From what I've seen, it can be confusing but the issue comes down to your home's overall voltage. In the UK, the grid might already be running at around 230V, and when your solar system tries to put out excess voltage, it can spike to 253V. This confuses the EV charger, thinking it might be unsafe to charge. I think it's a matter of needing better equipment that can handle these variations or a smarter setup that can manage voltages better. Unfortunately, the basic setups just aren't capable of that right now.
I think there’s a misunderstanding here. When you're using the solar energy generated at home, it's consuming the voltage right away for household needs. If your EV charger and your home are on separate circuits, it might complicate things too. There are systems like OpenEnergyMonitor that can help monitor and manage how solar energy charges your EV, but it might not be foolproof. It’s really about the equipment you have and whether it properly communicates with your solar setup.