Colorado has one of the highest EV adoption rates in the country, and every new EV in the driveway changes the home's energy math. If you drive electric (or plan to), solar deserves a fresh look.
How much electricity does an EV actually use?
A typical EV driven around 12,000 miles a year uses roughly 3,000-4,000 kWh annually — often a 30-50% increase in a household's electric usage. On utility power, that's a real new line item on your bill. On solar power, it's fuel your roof produces.
Sizing solar for an EV
Covering an EV's usage typically means adding roughly 2-3 kW of panels to a system design, depending on your driving and roof. This is why we ask about current and future EVs during design — adding capacity up front is cheaper than expanding later. Our home solar assessments model this for your actual driving.
When you charge matters — a lot
On time-of-use rates like Xcel's, electricity costs the most in the evening peak (when everyone plugs in after work) and the least overnight. Two good strategies:
- Schedule charging overnight during off-peak hours — every EV and most chargers support scheduling.
- Charge midday from solar surplus if your car is home — your panels' excess goes straight into the battery instead of out to the grid.
A home battery adds a third option: store midday solar, then power the house (or the car) through the expensive evening window.
Don't forget the charger and the panel
A Level 2 charger is the difference between adding ~4 miles of range per hour and ~25-30. We install Level 2 EV chargers — often in the same visit as solar — and if your electrical panel doesn't have capacity for a charger, a main panel upgrade solves it and future-proofs the home.
The takeaway
Driving on sunshine is one of the best deals in home energy: you're replacing gasoline and grid power with electricity your roof produces. If an EV is in your plans, tell us during your quote — sizing for it now is almost always the smart move.