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Solar Panel Photovoltaic vs Solar Thermal Technology
You may be aware that there are two types of solar panels: solar PV (photovoltaic
April 24, 2023
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With the current state of energy prices, it makes more sense now than ever to invest in solar panels.
Nowadays, electric vehicles are more than just a viable alternative to petrol and diesel cars. They’re a well-established thing, and after 2030 they’ll be the only type of car you can buy in the UK.
Electric vehicles perform well, they’re cheaper to run and they don’t pollute the atmosphere. Plus there’s more. Excitingly, nowadays, with solar energy, you can charge an electric car for free, using the sun.
The electricity that solar carports produce is normally used to charge an electric vehicle. We’ll explain everything you need to know about this. However, solar carport electricity can be used for other purposes as well. We’ll also explain this.
Did you know that, nowadays, electric vehicles account for almost 15% of new vehicle registrations in the UK?
A solar carport is a carport that produces electricity by having solar panels on its roof.
Solar carports can come as either:
Often, solar carports that are built as an adaptation to a conventional carport are seen as more visually appealing. You can fit solar panels to the roof of a wooden framed carport, for example. In this case, the solar panels will be partially hidden within the carport structure.
Modern purpose-built solar carports aren’t ugly, though, and they’re worth consideration. In many places, a purpose-built solar carport will look perfectly acceptable.
A solar carport does two jobs:
Solar carports are just the next stage in the evolution of the carport. Not only can you keep your car sheltered in the winter and shaded in the summer. You can also generate free electricity using solar panels.
You don’t necessarily have to build a new solar carport. If you’ve already got a carport (or a garage, it’s basically the same thing), then you can fit solar panels onto it and turn it into a solar carport. Otherwise, to have a solar carport for yourself, you’ll need to build a new structure.
You need to be particularly careful about one thing when it comes to building a solar carport – It needs to be located in a good position to harvest the sun’s rays.
Solar carports can be more difficult to site than roof mounted domestic solar panel systems. House roofs are more elevated than carports and garages and so they’re usually less prone to issues with shading.
Working out whether it will be appropriate to build a solar panel system at your property can be more difficult than it seems at first. It’s best if your carport is in a position where it’s unshaded for most of the day. If you’re in doubt about whether you can build a solar carport at your property, a good idea is to speak to an expert.
As we mentioned already, most people use solar carport electricity to charge an electric vehicle.
The two main approaches are as follows:
Note that adding a battery to a solar carport system (or to any solar panel system) does add slightly to the cost.
For more information about charging electric vehicles from solar panels.
Again, as we mentioned already, there aren’t any rules about where you use the electricity your solar carport produces. If your solar carport system is linked to your domestic energy system, then you’ll be able to use the electricity in the same way as your other solar-generated electricity.
You can also:
In some cases, people actually just use the roof space on their carport or garage to provide additional space for a pre-existing domestic solar panel system.
This is the big question. Unfortunately, it’s not always completely clear. The amount you save will depend on:
While it’s hard to be precise, however, it’s definitely possible to make a prediction and so we’ll do that. In the table below are some likely scenarios for savings with a solar carport.
The following savings estimate is based on:
Electric Vehicle Type and Electricity Consumption (Watt-hours Per Mile) | Total Annual Vehicle Electricity Consumption in Kilowatt-hours | Total Annual Cost in Pounds at Grid Prices | Annual Savings With a Solar Carport | How Much an Electric Vehicle Owner WIll Actually Spend on National Grid Electricity Each Year |
Tesla Model 3 – 245 Wh/mile | 2450 kWh | £833 | A 2kW solar panel system will always save around £537 per year. Note that this will mean that, at a cost of £3500, it takes 6.5 years to pay off the investment. If the solar panel system lasts for 25 years (this is a typical warranty period), the eventual return on investment will be £9934 | £296 |
Volkswagen ID.3 Pro Performance – 270Wh/mile | 2700 kWh | £918 | £381 | |
Nissan Leaf – 269 Wh/mile | 2690 kWh | £915 | £378 | |
Audi Q4 e-tron 40 – 306 Wh/mile | 3060 kWh | £1040 | £503 | |
The Electric Vehicle Database average EV figure – 315 Wh/mile | 3150 kWh | £1071 | £534 |
For impartial information about solar panels and financial savings, you can look at the Energy Saving Trust.
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