X

Free Solar Estimate in 90 Seconds, No Phone Call Required!

Free Estimate
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
Serving DC, Northern Virginia, and Maryland
  • Project Gallery
  • Referral Program
  • Reviews
  • Blog
  • Careers
  • Contact
  • Customer Portal
Ipsun Solar Logo

Ipsun Solar

Solar Installer in Virginia, Washington DC, Maryland

  • Residential
    • Installation
    • Battery Storage
    • Solar Maintenance
    • How Much Does Solar Cost?
  • Commercial
  • Areas Served
    • Northern Virginia
    • Maryland
    • Washington DC
  • About
    • Company Overview
    • Why Ipsun Solar?
    • We Are A B-Corp
    • Amicus Solar Cooperative
    • Careers
  • Project Gallery
  • Referral Program
  • Reviews
  • Blog
  • Customer Portal
  • (703) 249-6594
  • Get A Quote

When is the best time to charge my Electric Vehicle if I have solar panels?

The best time to charge your electric vehicle depends on your goal: Financial (save money), Environmental (least amount of pollution) or Good Citizen (least load on the grid)

The best time to charge your Electric Car when you have solar panels depends on what you want to achieve. Do you want to save money, save your planet or reduce your load on the grid infrastructure.

Ipsun Solar installs solar panels in Virginia, Maryland and Washington DC. We’re lucky that all 3 States have netmetering rules 1:1. This means that each electron produced by the solar panels can either be used in the building or pushed onto the grid and one gets a credit for that electron. The credit is on a one-to-one ratio, so you get paid the exact same to push the electron onto the grid as it would have cost you to get it from the grid.

Financial optimization: Save the most money?

Net Metering:

If you have a 1:1 netmetering setup for your solar panels, then it doesn’t really matter if you consume the power you produce with your solar panels right away, or if you push that power onto the grid and use it later on.

If you charge your car during the day directly from your solar panels, you use the solar power directly and reduces the amount pushed onto the grid.

You get charged by the utility for the difference between what you consumed and what you put onto the grid. It’s not related to when you did that.

Time Of Use (TOU)

Many utilities developed a Time Of Use billing system, where the price of the electricity varies depending on when you consume the power. The power is typically cheaper during the night, increases in the morning, is the most expensive during the day when most people and businesses consume the power and reduces back in the evening. Each utility can calculate these TOU rates in different intervals and they can set chunks of time periods to specific rates. It gets complicated really fast. One of the goals of the utility is to change the behavior of their consumers so the consumers consume power when it’s the cheapest. This allows an utility to avoid having to build peaker plants that are more expensive to operate.

If you have a TOU setup with Solar (and this is not always allowed by utilities), then you would save the most money by pushing your solar power onto the grid during the day when you get the most money for your power, and consume your power by charging your car when the power is the cheapest, meaning at night.

Some utilities don’t allow this setup. They have sometimes a special utility rate for solar, they have another one for EV chargers, but don’t allow both at the same time, meaning you can’t interconnect solar to the grid if you are on an EV billing rate with the utility.

Environmental (least amount of pollution)

To minimize the pollution of charging your car, you should use the clean power locally. You minimize the production of other power sources that need to get pushed on the grid, transported and go through transformers which has power losses during each step. Each loss, even a small percentage, is pollution that can get avoided by using a local clean power source (your solar panels) without transmission losses. So the best way to minimize your pollution is to charge your car when the sun is out.

Good Citizen (least stress on the grid)

The U.S. grid is aging and avoiding to use it all together is the best option. You would then charge your car during the day directly from your solar panels. I assume your solar panels produce more power than your car needs. If your car needs more power than your panels can produce, then I would suggest you charge at night. The power being generated at night is usually coming from a baseload generation facility, in Virginia that’s mainly coal, nuclear and fossil gas. By charging at night you’re part of the baseload and not the peak load during the day when the grid is the most stressed.

Footer

Ipsun Solar Logo

Link to company Facebook page

Link to company Twitter page

Link to company Youtube page

Link to company Instagram page

Link to company LinkedIn page

DC Office
1201 Connecticut Ave NW
6th Floor
Washington, DC 20036
Virginia Office and Warehouse Showroom
3171 Spring St Suite C
Fairfax, Virginia 22031
+1 (703) 249-6594
info@ipsunsolar.com

Services

  • Battery Storage
  • Residential Installation
  • Commercial Installation
  • How Much Does Solar Cost?
  • Solar Maintenance

Company

  • Project Gallery
  • Referral Program
  • Reviews
  • Blog
  • Customer Portal
  • Careers
  • Contact

Resources

  • Solar Incentives
  • FAQs
  • Guide To Going Solar
  • Knowledge Base
  • Make a Payment
  • Solar 101
  • Solar For Kids
Google Rating
4.8
Ipsun Solar
Ipsun Solar
4.8
Mary Weddle
20:07 28 Nov 22
Ipsun Solar installed our solar panels, and it was the right decision for many reasons. It was easy to work with the company - from sales to installation and beyond. We have had the panels for some time now, and yet the Ipsun team continues to monitor them to ensure each is working properly. We receive regular reports of the energy generated, and our electric bills have gone down dramatically! The team members are professional, responsive, and caring. We highly recommend Ipsun for their help in making a good decision about a solid investment with a great return and for their ongoing support.
Allan Needell
21:10 23 Nov 22
Ipson Solar worked with me and a roofing company to coordinate removal of an older obsolete system, roof preparation, and installation of a new system. All went well and on schedule and I am completely satisfied with the result.
Mark H
20:31 14 Dec 22
Ipsun was great to work with setting up my Solar array. Most importantly, they've been great about upkeep an maintenance in the years since I've had it installed. They came out to fix some of the wiring when a critter ate through it and repaired the critter guard too.I just wish I had a bigger roof so I could get more kW.
Mark Elion
16:10 20 Oct 22
I used Ipsun Solar for my system and batteries. It has been a very difficult process with many delays and mistakes. I would recommend choosing another installer. You are stuck with the installer for the life of the system. Make sure you pick a good one.I signed with them in January 2022 and was sold on the idea of an operational system in 4 months. They said because they were in a co-op they could do things quicker and in a more labor friendly way (B corp). It’s been 10+ months and my system has not operated at 100% (didn’t operate at all for 3.5 months after delayed July installation).There have been many delays and mistakes directly attributable to Ipsun. It seems like the company does not communicate with itself (or it’s customers).They will promise amazing costumer service, but they under deliver. They will promise they have access to batteries and there will be no delays, but then there are equipment and labor delays.They will install your system and forget that it doesn’t work leaving you sitting for months asking for a fix. But, one thing they will do is attempt to collect payment for a system that doesn’t work (over and over and over). They will send workers out to do nothing, or to repeat completed tasks (over and over) because they have not been told a previous worker did it.You’d think a manager would have reached out to me by now. Nope.
Kem Clawson
18:04 01 Nov 22
After thinking about adding solar to our home, I finally got serious about it last spring. I contacted 5 firms and had a wide range of experience- not all good. IPSUN emerged as my solid choice. Knowledgeable sales rep, flexible, and not high pressure. I was further pleased by their engineering staff and the final solution. And then a very smooth installation day. Plus, this company is a strong advocate for solar energy and climate action. We are so pleased we selected IPSUN.
Ed Masuoka
17:46 28 Nov 22
Ipsun Solar did an excellent job in every aspect of getting our 48 kilowatt solar panel system from the initial planning through permitting and installation. Their support was great and the system is performing flawlessly.
Travis Kallman
19:36 21 Dec 20
I just wanted to leave a quick review and say that Ipsun has been great to work with. From the very beginning, they were communicative and walked me through every step. Although COVID made everything a bit slower and more difficult, I basically got to sit back and let them take care of everything, which they did. When the time came for the install, the team was very quick, professional, and did a clean job, which looks great. I would not hesitate to recommend Ipsun and I am looking forward to cranking out the kilowatts.
Dawson Wu
03:41 10 Jun 23
Great and professional services, including consultation and installation! Our solar panels launched about a month ago. The Ipsun app provides sufficient information for me to check power production. I truly recommend to go solar with Ipsun Solar!
Marynelle Losin
17:11 02 Apr 23
Ipsun solar was an outstanding company to work with. Every person from start to finish was enthusiastic, expert, easy to contact, very helpful, and truly professional. We would recommend this company eagerly and without hesitation!
David Best
14:27 14 Dec 22
Ipsun Solar is the best Solar provider in Virginia. I have had my system in rfor a little over a year and could not be happier with the results it provides. My average bill is about $7.50 a month during most of the year. The Enphase equipment is excellent and their program provides the ability to follow on-going collection from the panels. I recommend IPSUN to anyone who wants Solar on their home.
Bobby Singh
21:22 10 May 23
Mr. James at ipsun solar was more than fantastic to work with. Friendly, fast, easy processes made working with him and this company an absolute pleasure. 10/10 would recommend him to anyone who is interested in anything solar.
Phil Roth
23:13 20 Jun 23
I work for the manufacturer of a component that Ipsun utilizes in some of their installations. Ipsun has taken full advantage of all of our training materials, courses, design support, tech support and sales support. Ipsun consistently produces flawless installations of our product because their team took the time to learn all of our best practices.Installers get a lot of love from their clients but, speaking as a representative of a company that Ipsun is a client of, they deserve credit for their due diligence from start to finish.I work with solar installers in every part of the country and this team really stands out!
Amy MacNeille
16:44 23 Jun 23
Working with Ipsun Solar on a large residential project in Maryland was amazing. Every step, from planning to completion, was organized and communicated clearly. There were no surprise invoices and they handled all utility permitting for us. Their app shows all real-time functionality of solar panels and they provided all docs needed for the tax incentives come tax time. Install itself was a breeze - just a few days for a very large home. 5 stars!
Alan Worden
20:27 23 Jun 23
Ipsun was FANTASTIC. I have undertaken dozens of construction projects. Ipsun was absolutely top of the list. Every person was great, friendly, smart, and totally professional. They are a great firm. Don't hesitate to use them!
Brian Miller
16:42 20 Jun 23
Of all the companies I talked to about my solar installation, Ipsun was head and shoulders above the rest in terms of clarity, openness, and thoroughness. The install went smoothly and we love being solar-powered!
Peg Butner
19:58 31 Jul 23
Everyone, from the very beginning of discussing the project to the final installation, was wonderful to work with. The people who explained the assessment of our house for solar were very knowledgeable and answered any and all questions. The installers were courteous, also answered our questions, and were very professional in their work. I just can't say enough good things about Ipsun Solar. We were thrilled when we were able to "flip the switch" and use the sun for our power.
Jim Strang
23:50 07 Sep 23
We had a great experience with Ipsun Solar. The goal was to generate all of our power from the solar panels and have whole home backup when the grid went down. I was very particular where the equipment went, batteries, solar panels, and control equipment. They were able install all of the components where they were not visible from the street. The team at Ipsun Solar were very patient answering all of our questions and concerns. The crew worked together and got the installation up and running over a four-day window. Ipsun delivered what they promised! The system has now been operating for eight months. No power bills and whole home backup. We’ve lost our power several times in the past six months and it’s a seamless switchover. They listen to the customer. They have the experience and knowledge to deliver a system that meets the needs of the homeowner. Many Thanks to the Ipsun Solar team.
Robert Miller
16:24 03 Oct 23
On the installation and maintenance side Mike, Abdul, Nelson, and James were fantastic! Installation process went very smooth and they ensured the job was done right. They also helped set up the app to monitor solar production and consumption. A++ on the maintenance side!
Sean Dumont
15:18 04 Oct 23
Everyone I spoke with at Ipsun including the salesperson, technicians, coordinators, electricians, and all the other roles were very professional and helpful. When I had questions they were acknowledged and quickly addressed. I'm happy with the pricing, scheduling was quick and painless, and the array looks great. Thanks again to everyone at the company, I would definitely recommend them if you're interested in solar.
Corey Barber
15:09 17 Oct 23
I was pretty torn about what sort of review to leave for this company because I initially had a very good experience, but after the installation, I have essentially been "ghosted" by the company. I think your experience will probably come down to which representative you happen to get assigned to help shepherd you though the project.The longer story is that the designer that I initially started the consultation with was fantastic. He was very responsive and answered all of the questions that I had, which were a lot because I'm an engineer and like to get into the nitty gritty. After my system was designed, they assigned another person to help keep me updated and ensure my project stayed on track. It took a very long time to get to the installation date, but they did a good job at reaching out and keeping me informed. The installation itself also went very well. It was smooth and I think we only had one slight unforeseen issue which required removing one panel from the original 32 panel design. Not a big deal and they identified it prior to the actual install (during the site survey). Inspection went well and I don't think the inspectors even had to come out to the house... everything was done via plans and photos.After the installation, I was assigned a new representative to lead the project through the PTO phase from Dominion Energy and get my signed up for SREC credits. This is where the troubles began. First of all, it took an extraordinarily long time to get our PTO from Dominion Energy. It took about two months before Dominion even granted a temporary PTO, which allowed us to turn the system on, but did not provide net metering. After that, it was an additional 7 weeks before the final PTO was granted. So, about 4 months in all until we could begin generating AND get reimbursed for excess. While I don't blame IPSun Solar for this (it was purely on Dominion Energy), the new representative did a terrible job at reaching out to us to keep us apprised of the situation. He may have provided one update over that entire time period and was unresponsive to any questions or e-mails that I sent him.After receiving our final PTO, we got (what I assume is probably an automatically generated e-mail) from our designer telling us to expect an e-mail from the SREC broker that they use to set us up in the SREC market. That e-mail never came, so I reached out to our IPSun Solar representative and got... crickets. No response to at least three inquiries. So, we reached out to our designer to see if he could help and did not receive a response. Finally, we reached out to the main office and were told that they would take care of it and to expect an e-mail shortly. Nothing... After months of trying to get IPSun Solar to set us up in the SREC market, we finally gave up and did the registration ourselves. I hope we did it correctly as there is some technical information around metering that we did not have, but we had no alternative.If my experience with this company had stopped at the installation, I would have easily given 5 stars. However, knowing about their lack of responsiveness once the work is completed and how difficult it is to get any support, I definitely worry if we should have any warranty issues. Because of the experience over the past few months, I have to give a rating of 3 stars instead of 5.
Alan Sipress
17:34 28 Oct 23
We were extremely pleased with Ipsun Solar's installation of solar panels on our home. On the front end, the company's representative was very responsive to all our questions, and I never felt like he was trying to oversell us. The team that did the work was punctual, professional and kept us closely updated on the progress of the project. In the months since the panels were installed, they've operated just the way we'd hoped they would. I can recommend Ipsun Solar without any reservations.
See All Reviews
powered by Google

© 2023 Ipsun Solar · Powered by 321 Web Marketing · Website Privacy Policy & Terms of Use