Charging Your EV with Solar in Oregon: A Local Homeowner’s Guide

• The “Gas Station” on Your Roof: Charging with solar is roughly equivalent to paying $0.75 per gallon of gas.
• Sizing Matters: An average daily commuter needs about 8 to 10 extra solar panels to cover their driving habits.
• The Net Metering Bridge: You don’t need to charge while the sun is shining. Net Metering lets you produce power during the day and “cash it in” to charge your car at night.
• Level 2 is Essential: We recommend installing a 240V Level 2 charger for overnight full-charges, rather than relying on slow standard outlets.
• Future-Proofing: Even if you don’t have an EV yet, sizing your solar system now for a future car saves money on upgrades later.

Drive around Oregon City , West Linn , or Gladstone lately? You’ve probably noticed a quiet revolution. There are fewer gas engine rumbles and more silent glides of electric vehicles (EVs).

For many of our neighbors, buying an EV is the first step toward a cleaner lifestyle. But the second step is often a realization: I traded a gas bill for a higher electric bill.

While charging an EV is cheaper than buying gas, charging it with PGE grid power still costs money.

The magic happens when you pair that EV with a solar system. Suddenly, you aren’t just saving on gas; you are driving on sunshine. You are effectively pre-paying for your “fuel” for the next 25 years at a fixed, low price.

As Energy Solutions , we help hundreds of locals make this connection. Here is how to turn your roof into your personal filling station.

The most common question we get during a consultation is, “If I get a Tesla, how much bigger does my solar system need to be?”

We don’t guess. We look at the numbers.

• The Average Driver: Drives about 12,000 miles per year.
• The Average EV: Uses about 30 kWh to travel 100 miles (efficiency varies by model).
• The Calculation: 12,000 miles ÷ 100 × 30 kWh = 3,600 kWh of energy per year.

In the Oregon City climate, generating 3,600 kWh requires approximately 8 to 10 high-efficiency solar panels (assuming a good south-facing roof).

The Takeaway: If we are designing a system for your home, we simply add a “row” of panels specifically for the car. If your home needs 20 panels for lights and appliances, we install 30 panels to cover the car too.

A common worry is: “I’m at work during the day when the sun is out. How can I charge my car with solar if I’m not home?”

This is where Oregon’s Net Metering policy shines.

You don’t need to have the car plugged in while the sun is hitting the panels.

1. Daytime: Your solar panels pump clean energy onto the grid while you are at work. You earn “energy credits” for every kilowatt-hour.
2. Nighttime: You come home, plug in your car, and pull power from the grid.
3. The Swap: You pay for that nighttime power using the credits you earned during the day.

Financially, it is a wash. You are still driving on solar power, even if you charge at midnight.

You can charge an EV with a standard wall outlet (Level 1), but it’s painfully slow—adding only about 3-5 miles of range per hour.

To make the “Solar + EV” lifestyle work, we install a Level 2 Charger .

• Power: Uses a 240V circuit (like your dryer or oven).
• Speed: Adds 25-40 miles of range per hour.
• Smart Features: Modern chargers, like the Enphase IQ EV Charger , integrate with your solar app. You can see exactly how much sunshine went into your battery.

As licensed electricians , we handle the heavy lifting: running the new circuit from your main panel to your garage or driveway, ensuring it meets all Clackamas County electrical codes.

Gas prices fluctuate wildly. One month it’s $3.50, the next it’s $4.50. Utility rates are also climbing— PGE rates have seen significant hikes recently.

When you install a solar system sized for your EV, you are locking in your fuel cost .

If the solar system costs $X to install and produces power for 25 years, your effective cost per “gallon” is pennies. No matter what happens to oil prices or utility rates in 2030, your cost to drive remains the same. That is true energy independence .

We often meet homeowners who are planning to buy an EV in two or three years.

Our advice: Size the system for the car now.

It is much cheaper to install those extra 8-10 panels while our crew is already on your roof than it is to come back in two years and try to expand the system. Plus, until you get the car, that extra energy will just wipe out even more of your household electric bill.

Solar panels and electric vehicles are the peanut butter and jelly of the energy world. Separately, they are good. Together, they are unbeatable.

If you want to stop renting your power from the utility and your fuel from the gas station, let’s chat. We can look at your driving habits and design a system that powers your life—and your commute.

Ready to drive on sunshine? Get My Free Quote or call our local team at 503-680-3718 to discuss your EV charging options.