Solar Panels + Electric Car = Zero Electricity And Fuel Bills

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How much can you save with an electric car if your home has a rooftop solar power system? In this solar/EV owner’s case, a significant amount.

Transcript begins–

Hi, my name is Chris. I live in South-east Queensland in my fully electric house with my little family of three. Let me tell you a bit about my EV and solar setup.

About three and a half years ago, we made the decision to purchase a fully electric vehicle – the BMW i3. A few months after that, we installed our first solar system – a 10.8 kilowatt system; fairly large for the time.

But in the three years since installing that, we’ve been upgrading it; having seen great value from everything that it provides. So, we’ve upgraded the house to three phase and now have 28.8 kilowatts of panels on the roof. We can now produce up to 23.6 kilowatts of power, but unfortunately we can’t send it all back to the grid. So, whatever we don’t use is essentially wasted.

So, it’s all about moving loads to the middle of the day¹. For the pool we use a smart switch. For the hot water, we use a timer and for the car we use the Zappi.

What does the Zappi actually do? Well, it charges your car, just like any other car charger. This one goes up to 22 kilowatts power, but it also has CTs², which monitor the grid. This simply means that you can charge the car as fast as you’re actually exporting solar. So, you basically don’t pull anything from the grid unless you’re in a big rush.

Chris’s  Solar And EV Savings

We’ve only spent $500 on servicing. So, we’ve saved at least a few thousand dollars there. We’ve driven over 138,000 kilometers. So, we’ve saved over $14,000 on fuel too. And the car drives as good, if not better than what it was when it was brand new.

And this car is a driver’s car. It’s rear wheel drive, built from the ground up as an EV and the space inside is absolutely magnificent.

So, what have I actually achieved here? Well, basically I don’t have a power bill anymore. I don’t have a fuel bill anymore. I get paid roughly a thousand dollars a quarter from my power company³ and I’ve got the best car I’ve ever driven.

I think what I’ve set up here is a really good example of what’s possible. My EV’s really old and compared to a modern EV, it’s got a very small range. I can only go about 200 Ks on the highway, but I’m doing over 40,000 Ks a year without any trouble at all.

Most people would agree that Australia’s EV uptake has been pathetic. We can only go up from here and I can’t wait.

Additional Commentary From Finn

Now, I will point out that Chris did pay $72,000 for that shiny BMW, which is more than he would have normally forked out for an ICE⁴ car. But nevertheless, based on his numbers, he is arguably still well ahead and EVs are only getting cheaper.

–Transcript ends

On a related note, discover the answers to 4 common questions Finn is asked about his EV and why your next car should be electric.

This segment is from SolarQuotes TV – Episode 10: The Ultimate Guide To Electric Vehicles – watch it to learn everything you need to know about electric cars. For more SQTV episodes and solar energy related videos with a special focus on Australia, visit and subscribe to the SolarQuotes Youtube channel.

Original Source: https://www.solarquotes.com.au/blog/solar-electric-car-savings-mb2232/