Installing a charging station for your electric car can be one of the biggest upfront costs for using green technology. Plugging your electric car into a standard electrical outlet is not the way to take advantage of these greater commuter cars. Besides, are you really helping save the environment if you are substituting one type of non-renewable energy (electricity from a coal-fired or nuclear plant) for gasoline?

The best answer is to make your electric car solar powered. In sunny California, solar power is one of the best forms of renewable energy, and installing solar panels to create a charging station for your electric car is very affordable. It also signifies a serious commitment to reducing greenhouse gases from auto emissions and many power plants.

Solar panels installed on your garage will generate enough electricity to keep your car charged up and ready to go. When combined with solar panels for your home energy use, garage solar panels can help reduce your personal dependence on fossil fuels and help keep the lights on when an electricity transmission line is damaged by storms or other disaster.

The upfront cost of installing a solar charging station for your electric car is easily recouped in the savings you receive by using sun-generated electricity instead of paying the power company every month. Additionally, switching to an electric car can help reduce overall pollution levels, while also saving you from the seemingly ever-increasing price at the gas station.  The cost of installing a charging station has kept many people from switching to the more environmentally friendly electric car, but that cost may have been significantly exaggerated, especially if you choose a solar-powered charging station.