Electric vehicles are generally powered by electricity produced by fossil fuels. As EVs are getting more and more popular, it has become critical to implement solar charging to power these vehicles. The environmental impact of electric vehicles is mainly determined by the source of power used in their manufacturing and the source of power used to charge them.
The combination of solar energy and EV charging is crucial to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. Many companies are running pilot programs to explore the potential use of solar-powered EV charging stations. National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has proposed to power EV charging stations along the highways with solar energy wherever feasible.
A photovoltaic (PV) panel, commonly referred to as a solar panel, is made up of multiple solar cells, each made of a semiconductor. This semiconductor absorbs sunlight and converts it into electricity. This electricity can be used to power an EV charging station or in case of an on-grid solar charger, fed back into the power grid. More on this below.
Types of Solar EV Charging Stations/Systems:
Off-Grid Solar EV Charging Station: In this setup, the EV charging station is not connected to the grid. It is also called ‘EV autonomous charger’.
Here, the solar panel setup feeds the battery storage system. Next, this battery storage system provides power to the charger. Since this type of charging station does not need a connection to the grid, it can be installed anywhere.
On-Grid Solar EV Charging Station: The main difference between on-grid solar EV charging station and an off-grid one is that the energy generated by the solar power system is stored in the grid rather than in batteries.
When you feed the grid, the power corporation gives you credits, which you can use to charge your EV. The energy that you do not use is sold to the power utility company.
Core Components of a Solar EV Charging Station:
- Solar Panels (Rooftop Photovoltaic Panels)
- Battery Energy Storage System (BESS)
- EV Charger
A key challenge with solar power, especially when it is used to charge EVs, is that solar power is largely generated during the day, when the sun shines the brightest. However, most people charge their EVs at night. The most straightforward way to deal with this is to store the energy generated during the day and use it later.
SolarBotanic Trees:
Scan the barcode and download the EVJoints app to find 6,000 EV charging stations across various networks.
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London-based ‘SolarBotanic Trees’ has introduced a ‘solar tree’ prototype and showed the tree’s utility in EV charging.
The SolarBotanic tree features leaf-shaped photovoltaic nanocells and thin-film solar panels. The company has designed the solar trees to feed power into an AI-driven energy storage and management system. This controls and releases the power as and when needed.
Solar EV Charging Station in Ladakh:
Convergence Energy Services Limited (CESL), a subsidiary of Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), under the Ministry of Power, has established a solar-powered EV charging station in Ladakh. The EV charging plaza has been set up in Leh city. The region gets abundant sunlight and this EV charging station makes the most out of it. The solar energy generation and storage system comprises of high efficiency solar panels with a large capacity lithium-ion battery storage system.
Solar power during the daylight hours is stored, thus allowing EVs (including electric buses) to charge 24/7.
Conclusion:
Electricity comes from a variety of sources and it is crucial that electric vehicles are powered by renewables.
While EVs hold vital importance in India, most of the electricity used to power them comes from fossil fuels. Therefore to ensure a clean future, widespread adoption of solar chargers for EVs for both personal and public use is the need of the hour.
