Electric Car Charger Installations In Maine
Combining an electric vehicle with a solar electric system in your home allows you to fix your electric car’s cost and truly enables you to operate your EV as a carbon-free, green renewable energy vehicle!
With the growing popularity of electric cars and a growing network of public charging stations, many of our solar customers are requesting the installation of an electric car charging station in their homes. It is predicted that over half of new American vehicles will be all-electric in under 15 years (Business Insider). Maine is also listed as one of the top 10 states supporting EV drivers.
What Is An Electric Vehicle (EV) Car Charger?
We commonly refer to a “car charger” as an EVSE device – or Electric Vehicle Service Equipment. Tesla refers to its charging stations as Wall Connectors.
An EVSE is essentially a smart outlet – an electric vehicle’s charger is located in the car, designed for and mated to the specific battery it uses.
TYPES OF ELECTRIC VEHICLE (EV) CHARGERS:
- Level 1 — Home Charging: Level 1 charging cords are standard equipment with an electric vehicle. Level 1 charging only requires a standard three-prong 120-volt outlet. An EV owner can expect 40 miles of range in an eight-hour overnight charge. Overnight Level 1 charging is suitable for plug-in hybrids and all-electric vehicle drivers driving low miles.
- Level 2 — Home and Public Charging: Level 2 charging requires a charging unit on a dedicated 240-volt circuit, similar to a circuit used to power a common electric clothes dryer. The charging rate depends on the vehicle’s acceptance rate and the maximum current (Amps) available. Level 2 chargers range in power between 20 to 80 amps. 40 and 60 amp chargers are the most common chargers our customer requests.
Level 2 chargers are the most common public chargers, and you can find them at places like offices, grocery stores, and parking garages. Public Level 2 chargers have a standard EV connection plug that fits all current vehicles, except for Teslas, which require an adapter.
- Level 3, also known as DC Fast Charging—Public Charging: DC fast charging is the fastest currently available recharging method. It can typically add 50 to 90 miles in 30 minutes, depending on the station’s power capacity and the make of the EV.
- Tesla’s Superchargers are even faster, adding up to 170 miles of range in a half-hour. DC fast chargers are most useful for longer trips.
Installing An Electric Car Charger
In Maine, the installation of an electric car charger requires the installation services of a licensed electrician and most cities and towns also require an electrical permit and inspection by the town’s electrical inspector.
Charging Your Electric Vehicle With Solar Electricity
Combining an electric vehicle with a solar electric system in your home allows you to fix your electric car’s cost and truly enables you to operate your EV as a carbon-free, green renewable energy vehicle!
To charge your electric vehicle with solar, you need only two main components: a Level II electric vehicle charging station and a solar electric system
Your electric vehicle charging station is simply just another electric load in your home’s breaker panel. Its electricity consumption is included in your annual electric bill and can be offset with a roof-mounted or ground-mounted solar electric system.
Though you can install panels just to charge your car, we do recommend installing solar panels to cover your entire home’s electric bill because it brings you the greatest return on your investment. You not only generate solar power for your car, but you produce enough to cover most, if not all of your home’s energy needs. Excess energy produced by your solar panels during the day can then be used to charge a solar battery like the Tesla Powerwall or sent back to the grid for credits on your power bill through net metering.
How Many Panels Does It Take To Charge Your EV?
Determining how many panels it would take to charge your car can be tricky as it depends on a variety of factors such as the type of car, how many miles you drive, and the location of your solar electric system.
One of the things that are helpful to determine right off the bat is how many miles you expect to drive per year and the miles per kWh that your electric car may use. This handy guide can help guide your research.
But not to worry – our team of designers and licensed electricians will work with you to design a system specific to your home and usage.
Electric Vehicle + Solar = Carbon Free, Sustainable, And Savings!
Level 2 charging modes at home requires proper installation by hiring qualified personnel. Maine Solar Solutions has in-house state of Maine licensed electricians that are skilled in installing Level 2 EV charging stations. To learn more, please schedule a free, no-obligation assessment with our team.
