A significant shift is happening right now across the country. More utility companies are switching to cleaner options for generating power. When you plug in your vehicle, there is a growing chance that the energy traveling through that cable started as a gust of wind or a beam of light.

The Connection Between Solar Panels and Your Commute

Solar farms take light and turn it into a flow of electrons that travel through the wires to the power grid and into your car’s battery pack. Many homeowners are even putting these panels on their own roofs so that they can create their own fuel.

This means your car is running on a renewable source of energy that you can use repeatedly as long as the sun is out. Even if you live in a cloudy area, solar technology has improved so much that panels can still accumulate energy during a gray day. This localized way of making fuel reduces the stress on big power lines and makes our neighborhoods much more independent.

Wind Turbines and the Night Shift

Wind energy is a fascinating partner for electric cars because the wind often blows the hardest at night when most people are sleeping. While you are tucked into bed, giant white turbines are spinning across the plains or out in the ocean to generate a steady stream of clean electricity.

Since most electric vehicle owners plug in their cars overnight, they are perfectly timed to catch this surge of wind energy. Instead of the grid struggling to handle extra energy during the night, your car takes it in and saves it for your drive the next morning.

The Grid Is Getting Smarter and Cleaner

A lot of folks worry that the electric grid cannot handle everyone switching to electric cars. However, the truth is that these vehicles are actually helping the grid become more stable. Smart charging technology allows your car to talk to the power company to find out when the most renewable energy is available on the grid.

For instance, if there is a sudden burst of solar power at noon, the grid can signal thousands of cars to start charging all at once to soak up that green energy. This prevents the utility companies from having to turn on old, dirty backup plants during peak times. As we build more giant batteries to store this wind and sun, the entire system becomes more reliable for everyone – even for people who do not drive electric vehicles.

Switching to an electric vehicle is a big change. It is also normal to have questions about where all that energy is sourced. Every time a coal plant closes, and a wind farm opens, every electric car on the road instantly becomes cleaner without the owner having to turn a single wrench.

This is a huge advantage over gas cars. Fuel-powered vehicles stay just as dirty as the day they were built until they finally stop running. When you choose to drive electric, you are taking part in a massive upgrade to our world that values clean air and quiet streets. If you live in Houston, TX or a surrounding area and need EV charger services, make your first call to Village Plumbing, Air & Electric.