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Solar panels and your electric car

If you have solar panels, your electric car is an obvious place to use the power. But the car has to be at home when the sun is shining.

By Allan Noer · 1 min read · Updated 12 October 2026

Use your own power

Power you produce and use yourself saves you the full price, including the grid tariff and taxes. If you sell it instead, you only get the spot price. That is why it pays to charge the car in the middle of the day, when the panels produce the most.

Charge with the sun

Some home chargers can follow production and only charge with the power you have in surplus. This usually needs a sensor on the house's supply. If the car is not at home during the day, you get less out of it. Then night is still the cheapest time to charge from the grid.

Subscriptions and solar

Some subscriptions with electricity are not offered to homes with solar panels or electric heating, e.g. Norlys Oplad. The price guide takes this into account when you tick solar panels under "More details".

Good advice

Plug in the car when you are home during the day at weekends.
If you are often home during the day, choose a home charger that can follow your solar panels.
In winter the panels produce little power. Then night is cheapest again.
What does power cost at home?Electricity price, grid tariff and taxes hour by hour, for your grid company.Home charging