How many solar panels do I need to drive an electric vehicle on solar power alone?
The new tax rules have prompted many people to switch to electric driving. This is also a perfect time to install solar panels on the roof, as generating your own energy to charge your vehicle is an attractive economical choice. But how many solar panels do you need to drive your vehicle on self-generated solar power alone? And is this even a realistic expectation?
The minimum number of solar panels you need depends on the number of kilometres you want to drive every day, the consumption of your dream vehicle and the expected yield of the type of solar panel you want. If your vehicle consumes an average of 17 kWh for every one hundred kilometres and you drive about 50 kilometres every day, your vehicle consumes 8.5 kWh per day. Let’s say that one of your solar panels, with a theoretical power of 337 Wp and 900 full-load hours per year, yields an average of 0.93 kWh per day. In our example you would need a little over 9 solar panels to drive your vehicle on self-generated solar power for 50 kilometres.
[(Average consumption of your electric vehicle in kWh per one hundred kilometres / 100) * average distance to be driven in kilometres per day)]
/ average yield of a new, perfectly positioned, solar panel in kWh per day
Naturally, this is a theoretical answer to the question. The amount of electricity you’ll need for your next trip depends on the actual distance you want to drive and the charge level of your battery. Also, bear in mind that your solar panels won’t always generate the same amount of energy. During the winter months or on cloudy days they’ll generate little, if any, energy, in which case you won’t be able to charge your vehicle with self-generated energy. Whereas on sunny days they’ll provide you with more energy than you really need to be able to drive your usual route. Furthermore, our calculation is based on the assumption that if you charge during the day, you only do so at home and you want to store the panel yield in your vehicle rather than use it for anything else in or around the house.
Our calculation does give you an indication of how many solar panels you should install if, theoretically speaking, you want to drive your vehicle using self-generated solar power alone – or at least as far as possible, which is ultimately what you want.
This article was published on 19-10-2023. Unless expressly provided otherwise, all information you consult or obtain here is entirely without obligation and for information purposes only. The information applies exclusively to the Brussels Capital-Region.