Solar Panels to Charge an Electric Car

At Skywell, we believe that driving an electric vehicle should be simple, affordable, and better for the planet. Even if you are new to the EV world, you will have probably seen the benefits that come with the EV lifestyle. Many EV owners look for the most cost-effective way to charge their cars, which is why we often get BE11 drivers asking whether they can use solar energy to charge their electric cars at home. The good news is that it’s absolutely possible.

Using solar power to charge your electric vehicle means you can rely less on the grid, reduce running costs, and significantly reduce your carbon footprint. With the right solar panel system, a compatible home charger, and smart energy management, your Skywell BE11 can be powered by the sun.

Whether you drive the BE11 Standard Range (72kWh) or the BE11 Long Range (86kWh), solar-powered EV charging can help you get even more value from every mile.

How Solar Panels Charge an Electric Car

Solar panels don’t connect directly to your Skywell BE11. Instead, they work as part of a system.

When solar panels generate electricity, the electricity is produced as direct current (DC). Your home, however, runs on alternating current (AC). That’s where the inverter comes in, it converts DC into usable alternating current (AC) power.

This AC electricity can then be used to power your home appliances, exported to the grid, or sent to your home EV charger to charge your car.

The basic flow looks like this:

Solar panels → Inverter → Home electricity supply → EV charger → Skywell BE11 battery

With a solar-compatible EV charger, the system can automatically prioritise your renewable energy, ensuring that any excess solar is used to charge your vehicle before drawing from the grid.

Charging the Skywell BE11 with Solar Power

The Skywell BE11 is designed for easy home charging using AC charging via a Type 2 connection. This makes it ideal for integration with modern solar panel systems.

Skywell BE11 Standard Range (72kWh)

• Battery size: 72kWh
• Combined WLTP range: 248 miles
• City WLTP range: 304 miles
• Typical DC rapid charging time (10–80%): 36 minutes

Skywell BE11 Long Range (86kWh)

• Battery size: 86kWh
• Combined WLTP range: 304 miles
• City WLTP range: 401 miles
• Typical DC rapid charging time (10–80%): 45 minutes

At home, most solar EV charging uses AC power, which is ideal for slower, more consistent top-ups throughout the day or overnight. This is also gentler on your battery and ideal for long-term battery health.

How Many Solar Panels Are Needed to Charge an EV?

How many solar panels you need will depend on a few different things, like how far you drive each day, the capacity of your BE11 battery, how much usable roof space you have and its orientation (south or north facing, for example), the efficiency of the panels you choose, and the amount of sunlight you receive throughout the seasons. In the UK, a typical solar panel generates around 350–400 kWh of energy per year, and if you’re driving 25–30 miles a day, your BE11 will generally use about 7–9 kWh of electricity. This means that a standard 4–6 kW solar installation is capable of meeting a substantial portion of your annual EV charging needs, particularly in the spring and summer months when solar output is at its peak.

Using Excess Solar to Charge Your Electric Car

One of the biggest benefits of solar-powered EV charging is the ability to use any excess energy your panels generate rather than sending it directly to the grid. If you don’t have an EV or a home battery, surplus solar electricity is usually exported back to the network, but with a solar-compatible smart charger, you can redirect that extra power straight into your Skywell BE11 instead. These chargers can detect when your panels are generating more than your household needs and automatically start charging your car, dynamically adjusting the charging rate based on available sunlight and even pausing when cloud cover reduces output. By matching charging to your solar generation in this way, you can effectively power your driving on sunshine!

The Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) and EV Charging

The UK’s Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) allows homeowners to earn money by exporting unused electricity back to the grid, but for many Skywell drivers, using that solar energy directly to charge their electric car delivers far better value. This is because the cost of importing electricity is often significantly higher than the rate paid for exporting it. By charging your Skywell BE11 with your own solar generation, you reduce the amount of electricity you need to buy from the grid, lower your cost per mile, protect yourself against rising energy prices, and increase your overall energy independence, win, win, win.

Cost of Installing Solar for EV Charging

There isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to installing solar panels. It all depends on system size, roof type, and whether you include battery storage.

As a general guide:

• 4kWp system: £5,000–£7,000
• 6kWp system: £7,000–£9,000
• Home battery storage: £2,000–£5,000

Although there’s an upfront investment, many drivers find that combining solar power with EV ownership dramatically reduces their long-term running costs. Over time, savings on fuel and electricity can offset much of the installation cost and deliver a healthy return on investment.

Why Solar and Skywell Work So Well Together

Charging your electric car with solar is about much more than saving money – it’s about making your driving cleaner, smarter and more sustainable. With the Skywell BE11, you benefit from efficient energy use, an impressive real-world range, smooth compatibility with home charging, low running costs and a reduced environmental impact. When you use solar panels to charge your BE11, you cut emissions even further, enjoy quieter journeys, and create a truly renewable driving experience from your driveway.