Solar EV Charging: New Features to Maximize Your Energy Savings
Imagine you’ve invested in home solar and an electric vehicle. Now, you’re set to charge your car with clean, cost-free energy straight from your own solar panels. It sounds ideal, right?
In practice, it's a bit more complex. With changing weather conditions and different hardware - often from multiple manufacturers - optimizing your charging for maximum savings while fitting around your lifestyle can be a challenge. At ev.energy, we call this the ‘Solar Struggle’.
Fortunately, smart software can bridge the gap. For the past three years, our ev.energy SOLAR product has helped drivers reduce emissions, cut energy bills, and maximize the return on their solar investment directly from our app.
Today, we’re excited to share a raft of recent improvements to ev.energy SOLAR, making it easier than ever to drive on sunshine. Let’s dive into what’s new!
Introducing Solar Smart Mode
We’re thrilled to announce the launch of our new Solar Smart mode after months of testing. This intelligent mode automatically optimizes your charging schedule to maximize solar energy during the day, as well as topping the car up with the cheapest and greenest grid energy during off-peak hours at night.
Just leave your car plugged in when you’re at home and let us do the rest. The app intelligently manages your charging so your car is ready when you need it. It’s the perfect balance of clean energy, cost savings and convenience.
If you have an integrated Tesla or an integrated EVSE where we can vary the rate of charge, Solar Smart mode is now available alongside Solar Only mode, directly in the app.
Don’t have this hardware setup? You can still use Solar + Grid mode to make the most of your solar production.
Live Solar Generation Data
Our solar charging schedule is optimized using a variety of data sources, but the most valuable data comes directly from the hardware itself - specifically from your solar panels. The solar energy generated passes through a solar inverter, making it an essential data point for ensuring precise charging schedules.
That’s why we’ve introduced a range of integrations that allow drivers to connect their solar inverters directly to the ev.energy app. With support for over 700 models - including popular brands like SolarEdge, Enphase, and Growatt - this data enhances the accuracy and efficiency of our charging solution, making it more powerful than ever.
See your Solar Forecast In-App
The app now provides a daily forecast of your solar panel’s expected production. This helps you know when your EV can be charged with your solar generation, so you can ensure your car is plugged in at the right time.
By understanding your solar output ahead of time, you can maximize energy efficiency, align your charging with peak solar production, and potentially boost your savings.
Simpler, Smarter Solar EV Charging
In addition to these new features, we’ve refreshed the app interface for a smoother, more intuitive experience, making it easier than ever to see how your solar power is being used to charge your car.
With the launch of Solar Smart Mode, live solar production data, in-app forecasts, and an updated design, charging your EV with solar power is now simpler and more efficient. These enhancements are part of ev.energy’s ongoing commitment to helping EV drivers reduce carbon emissions and lower energy bills.
Ready to power up with the sun? Download ev.energy or update the app today.
Are you a business looking to offer solar-to-EV charging solutions to your customers? Contact Aaron Sweet, Director of Partnerships, to schedule a demo.
