Options to Tie Solar Energy with Electric Vehicle Charging

A solar rooftop photovoltaic (SRTPV) system can be integrated with an electric vehicle charging station (EVCS) by installing panels within the charging station premises (on-site) or by sourcing the solar energy effectively from panels that are located outside (off-site) the premises via an electrical grid. Several pilot demonstrations that have been reported so far are primarily on-site systems. Though SRTPV technology serves as a cheaper energy source than the grid, especially for the commercial consumer category, a major drawback of co-locating it with an EVCS is the high upfront costs of solar panels. This problem can be overcome by effectively sourcing the cheaper solar energy from an off-site entity that bears the initial investment for solar panels. Such business models are referred to as energy-as-a-service models. Policy and regulation will play an essential role in enabling such mechanisms.

Here are some measures that explore the off-site sourcing of solar energy for electric vehicle (EV) charging.