The Future Of Solar-Powered Automobiles |
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Jesse Pacheco
27 September 2012
Since the news came out that SunPower has contracted with Ford to build solar panels that will generate enough electricity to charge an electric car, people have been scrambling to catch up. GM signed a contract with another company to have solar electric charging stations installed in some dealerships. With the increasing popularity of using solar power to provide or offset the electricity needed to power a hybrid or electric car, many people are taking the time to sit down and rethink their solar power home installationstrategy. If you have been thinking that you might someday get a hybrid or electric vehicle, it's a good idea to plan for it when you are configuring your roof space for solar power panels.
Roof space can become prime real estate for solar panels for both your home and vehicle with the advent of solar powered charging stations for your electric vehicle. Fortunately, the new panels designed for the ford vehicle charging station are high efficiency panels that generate up to fifty percent more electricity than a conventional panel and use less space. This is great news for those who are looking to reduce their carbon footprint be powering both their homes and their vehicles with solar electricity.
Electric vehicles are gaining in popularity, and soon they may become the standard for drivers as they cost less to run than standard gas vehicles. Although the initial cost of switching to a solar power system for your home or business may seem high, you are sure to make up the cost over years of savings on your electric bill as well as your gas bill. There are a number of programs available at the federal, state, and local level that can also help with the initial installation costs of most renewable energy systems. At the federal level you can receive tax credit and recoup the cost of your system by paying less on your federal tax bill and many states offer rebates and other incentives to install solar power systems.
Once you've got solar power installed in your home, you can use it for almost all of your electricity needs. This makes owning an electric vehicle an even more cost efficient choice for you and your family. With solar covering the cost of powering your vehicle and your home, you could find that not only have you reduced your operating costs, if you generate more electricity than you consume, it's even possible to get paid by the electric company by allowing your surplus to feed into the electric grid. If you are looking to create a self-sustaining home or business, installing solar energy panels can help you achieve those goals and allow you to further reduce the cost of owning an electric vehicle.