Electric vehicles are the mode of transportation of the future. Since people have become more environmentally conscious, there has been a significant push. That being said we need to have alternative charging methods so that EVs can be charged with ease. The combination of solar energy and EV charging is critical to drastically reducing our reliance on fossil fuels.
Electricity is generated from various sources, and electric vehicles must be powered by renewables. Electric vehicles are becoming increasingly popular, and we anticipate that in the coming years, nearly everyone who owns an Electric vehicle system will install a solar charging station in their home. This will necessitate a fundamental shift in how we think about refueling our cars, as well as a natural evolution of our energy infrastructure.
Types of Solar Charging Stations
1) On-grid solar charging station
A grid-connected solar energy system is the simplest way to charge your electric car with solar energy. A grid-connected solar energy system will feed power to the grid whether or not your home requires it at the time.
So, while you are at work and your solar energy system is feeding into the grid, the electricity generated at home is sold to the utility company. That power will be returned to you by the utility company in the form of credit. When you get home from work and park your car, you can use that credit to recharge your car.
2) Off-grid solar charging station
An “Electric Vehicle Autonomous Renewable Charger” is another name for an off-grid electrical car charger. There is no need for a connection to local utilities.
The solar panel array will feed the battery energy storage system, which will provide all of the power required. Because there is no need for an electrical grid connection, off-grid electrical car chargers can be installed almost anywhere. Because the independent solar array canopy catches a lot of wind, a solid foundation is required.
A heavy steel base plate serves as ballast in some off-grid solar energy chargers. Because no foundation or digging is required, they are extremely simple and quick to install.
ATUM India’s new solar charging station
The latest charging station from ATUM Charge, the country’s first solar-powered electric car charging station, is operational in Malad (E/W), Mumbai.
The charging station is operational from 9 am-9 pm. The charging station has 250 charging stations that have already been installed. In addition to it, Mumbai is about to get a new EV charging station, with a capacity of 5.2KW ATUM Solar Roof.
It is the world’s first solar roof that can generate electricity and is registered as a trademark in India, the United States, and South Africa.
With the introduction of its universal EV charging stations, ATUM Charge is fostering an eco-system that is sustainable and friendly to the environment, further demonstrating the company’s dedication to sustainability. The installed ATUM modules are 16 nos. x 325 WP, producing 24 kWh each day and 8,760 kWh annually.
ATUM has not only started its plant in Mumbai but also in other Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities like Tamil Nadu (44), Telangana (48), Andhra Pradesh (23), Karnataka (23), Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal(23), Odisha(24), and Haryana(14). ATUM is the new solar-powered EV charging station in India
Specifications of ATUM Chargers
The Electric vehicle service equipment(EVSE) can provide a normal charging of 3.3-10kW. ATUM has at least two EVSEs installed on every station. They also assist in installing personal charging stations.
Government-owned Solar charging stations
According to the press release made by the Ministry of Heavy Industries, three solar charging stations have been installed by Rajasthan Electronics and Instrument Limited.
Not just this but various hybrid solar charging have been installed in places like Delhi, Jaipur, Mumbai, and Pune. Delhi-Chandigarh highway isn’t ignored and Solar Magic is also working with the installation of 22 chargers at 20 locations.
How to access the time taken by the solar charging infrastructure?
To determine how many solar panels you will require for your solar EV charger, you must first determine how much you drive per day. Assume you drive 600 miles per month or about 20 miles per day. The Tesla Model 3 is one of the most popular electric vehicles, requiring approximately 26 kWh for every 100 miles driven.
Consider that you live in an area that receives at least 5 hours of direct sunlight per day, and you have a panel that produces 1.5 kWh per day, which means you need four solar panels of 290 watts each if you want to power your EV without using the grid.
This can vary for different electric vehicles. You need to consider three components while calculating the amount of solar energy you require.
1) Battery Capacity
2) Distance traveled
3) Charging time required
4) The actual time it takes for your electric vehicle to get fully charged.
This new switch in charging the electric vehicle technology will be very helpful in the long run as people go on to adopt large-scale electric vehicles. Then we would set up a solar-powered EV charging station in India
Read More: Implementation of EV Charging Using Solar-wind Energy
