Path-Q Solar
How should expected EV mileage and the share of charging done at home affect estimates of future household electricity use?
Answer
Estimate future EV electricity use from expected miles, vehicle efficiency, and charging losses, then multiply by the share charged at home. Add that home-charging amount to the household's projected non-EV consumption rather than adding the vehicle's entire energy requirement.
Key points
- A basic estimate is expected annual miles divided by vehicle miles per kWh, adjusted for charging losses.
- Only the home-charged share belongs in the home's electricity-use estimate.
- Use a range of mileage and home-charging assumptions because both can change.
What it depends on
- Annual driving distance
- Vehicle efficiency under actual driving conditions
- Charging losses and charging equipment
- Share of charging performed at home
- Changes in household occupancy, commuting, or other loads
Risks and trade-offs
- Underestimating mileage or charging losses can undersize a future solar system.
- Overestimating home charging can make the system larger than needed.
- Seasonal driving, weather, towing, and battery conditioning can make actual consumption differ from simple estimates.
Information you may need
- Expected annual mileage
- Vehicle model or efficiency estimate
- Expected home-charging percentage
- Existing annual household consumption
- Other planned changes in electricity use
Your next step
What to do next
Build low, central, and high annual EV-use scenarios and add the home-charged kWh from each scenario to projected household consumption.
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