Auto manufacturers, national governments, and rideshare platforms are increasingly devoting time and resources to electric vehicle (EV) technology over internal combustion engine vehicles. Will this increase in EVs lead to a rise in electrical energy demand? Electrical energy generation and creative storage solutions such as the Tesla Powerwall are helping make way for widespread EV use.
Coal to solar: non-renewable & renewable energy sources
Modern electricity takes many forms, including:
- • Fossil fuels (coal and natural gas)
- • Hydroelectric
- • Solar thermal
- • Nuclear
- • Geothermal
- • Wind generation
When the first commercial power plants began to emerge in the 1880s, they relied on coal-fired power generation and were tiny compared to today's systems. While hydropower generation opened new methods for power generation, coal had already established a foothold in the history of power—one that it would maintain for over a century. Ecological concerns over the increase in fossil fuel power plants have paved the way for more sustainable power generation, such as renewable energy solutions like solar energy harvesting.
Electric vehicles & renewable energy
While EV demand has risen in response to gas-powered vehicles' ecological concerns, switching energy sources is only as effective as the generation method. If coal-based power plants provided electrical energy to EVs, the carbon footprint of the average EV would be nearly identical to a gasoline-powered vehicle. Therefore, scientists are looking to renewable energy generation to match EV demand.
Between 2009 and 2019, solar capacity installed across residential, commercial, and utility sectors increased 423 times over. However, as of 2019, solar energy generation only accounted for 1.8% of all energy sources, meaning the solar industry is growing exponentially, with a promising potential of meeting more energy demand. We can attribute the increase in solar-powered electricity generation to the decrease in photovoltaic (PV) cell manufacturing costs, which have been slashed by over 60% in the last decade.
Solar power storage systems: Tesla Powerwall & more
One of the more significant challenges accompanying the widescale adoption of solar energy is efficiently storing the energy it creates. Unfortunately, the demands of electricity consumption and energy generation do not align. This presents engineers with a challenge: how do we store solar energy generated during the day until it's needed during peak times? Most conventional solar storage solutions rely on local batteries to store electricity, while other technologies rely on thermal energy storage or even hydroelectric dams.
One of the most well-known solutions to store solar energy is the Tesla Powerwall, which is sold as a supplemental utility to a photovoltaic solar panel system. Essentially a large lithium solar battery, the Powerwall holds the energy that a home's solar panels take in during the day. This zero-carbon approach to electricity generation and usage is an ideal model for reducing the ecological impact of mass transportation. Tesla is the first automotive company to offer a full end-to-end solution for generation, storage, and use of solar energy at the residential level, but several other companies offer at least a partial alternative, such as ABB Solar, Fortress Power, Goal Zero, and LG.
Solar EV charging stations: easing energy flow
Electric vehicle charging stations are unique solutions enable EV drivers to charge their vehicles while parked in a parking lot, generating and storing the energy using a local solar panel grid. These standalone devices are a fast, affordable alternative to a grid-tied charging infrastructure, making charging stations more available and increasing EV adoption.
The futures of solar panel technology and solar energy storage are bright; the impending boom of EVs promises to demand more electricity than ever. As manufacturers around the world work to sustainably increase electricity production, grid-level utilities like hydroelectric dams, wind farms, and solar farms have risen to reduce the carbon emissions of fossil fuel electricity generation. Distributed solar energy harvesting systems, such as residential-level PV arrays or standalone EV charging stations, have also seen an exponential increase in implementation in the last decade. The solar panel is poised to become a valuable solution for the ecologically conscious consumer and fill the EV-charging-based electricity demand.
