Starting now, EV Rider is powered by sunshine.

In this week’s video you’re going to get a first hand look at a solar installation on the rooftop of the home office where EV Rider is produced.

Synergy Solar, here in Jacksonville, FL, recently installed an 8.4 kW system with a 7.6 kW Tesla inverter, which according to Snyergy’s calculations, should meet roughly 88% of my family’s energy needs. That estimate is based on past energy consumption bills.

I don’t want to do any green washing. So if you’re thinking about solar, there’s a lot to consider before knowing whether it makes economic sense for your particular situation.

For example, if you’re going to be taking out a loan, which many do, you’ve got to figure that in because that’s going to make the pay off considerably longer.

Another big consideration is the age of your roof and how many more years you expect it to last.

Remember to ask the solar company what their best guess is for what it would cost to take down those panels and don’t forget to figure inflation into the estimate since labor rates will likely have risen by the time the panels need to come down and be reinstalled.

Another big question you’re going to have is, “how big a system should I get?” In my case, I decided on an 8.4 kW-size system. I decided on that particular size because Synergy forecast that sizing to result in the quickest payoff as compared to other configurations.

I personally didn’t opt for grid-tied battery storage system because my area doesn’t see many power outages and batteries can easily add more than $5,000 to the cost of even a fairly small system.

Whether battery storage is the best way to go for you depends on your budget, where you live, and what your goals for solar are.

My solar system is primarily powered while the sun is in the eastern sky, which isn’t ideal. In a perfect world, you want to have your panels installed facing the southern sky, but the way my home was constructed that wasn’t an option.

Here in Jacksonville we tend to have a lot of afternoon rain in the summer, which made the eastern sky preferable to the western sky since our mornings tend to be clearer on average than our afternoons.

We’ll come back to some more of the economics of solar in a moment, but first, let’s get a sense of what’s involved to get going.

The details will vary between communities but generally speaking, your solar contractor will need to engineer your plan and submit it to your city’s or county’s permitting department.

Depending on where you live you may also need to have your homeowner’s association approve your installation plan.

Once you’ve got the approvals, the installation for a relatively simple system like mine can be done in less than a day.

Abnel Hernandez and the Synergy team moved quickly. “Today we’re doing a residential job, doing a 20 panel installation. 4 on the top [row], six in the middle, and then ten over there,” Abnel said as he pointed to the roof locations of the panels.

Having someone that can navigate small attic crawl spaces is often a key component of solar installations, which is one of Abnel’s specialties, since he’s a relatively short guy.

“Because of my stature, I’m really in demand. I’m the guy that goes into the attic and does the conduit runs from the [solar] array up into the meter,” he said.

Abnel has gained enough experience along his journey to see first-hand that solar has a strong growth path.

“I started in the solar industry over in Colorado and on the West Coast,” he said. “Put it this way, most of the jobs I was doing towards the end of my stay in Colorado were for homes that were being pre-built with solar in them.”

Abnel has become a big believer in sun-generated energy. “I do think that solar is the future, although Florida hasn’t quite caught up with it yet, but you’ll see a lot of it in the West and really outside of the United States. I’ve seen stuff and I’ve read stuff like India, China has a good amount of solar panels.”

China is the world’s largest solar producer. It had a solar cpacity of 710 GW as of June 2024, according to Ornate Solar.

I certainly agree with Abnel’s assessment, especially for people who work from home and have electric vehicles. Our family is now charging two of our EVs during the day to maximize our return on investment.

Because I produce EV Rider from home I can also take advantage of sunny hours for things like running the appliances and of course, my home office.

One of the questions that I can’t give you a definitive answer for is almost always the first one asked, which is: “how long is it going to take to get my money back, as far as getting into the black”

The payback time is all over the map but as a starting point figure on a bare minimum of at least seven years, and likely more for many people. I’ll share my personal costs in a moment.

Another thing to be aware of when sizing your system, you’ll rarely – if ever – see 100% of the panels’ listed power-generating capacity due to all kinds of factors ranging from roof placement, clouds, temperature and more.

For example, because it’s winter at the time of this recording and I’ve only had the panels a few weeks, the highest peak I’ve seen so far is 6.5kW.

Synergy’s Sonny Flores explains as the panels gather power, the system’s inverter turns it into usable energy. “This is the outside look of the Tesla inverter, with the white glass top, which is pretty slick,” he said.

In my case I’ll occasionally have excess power. “If you’re making excess solar you can always send back to the grid. It all depends on whether it’s a sunny day, cloudy day card. It all works hand in hand,” Flores concluded.

That’s where net metering comes in. Many utilities will reimburse you for solar sent back to the grid. Reimbursement rates vary so depending on where you live it may more make financial sense to avoid sending power back to the grid.

Some utilities reimburse you at the retail price (what you pay), while others, like my utility, only reimburse you for the wholesale cost. You’ll want to be sure you fully understand your utility’s solar policy since it will play a big role in determining whether solar makes economic sense for you.

Once the system is installed the next step will be inspections. In my case, the city inspected the work, followed by my utility.

Next, my utility installed a solar meter and the system was switched on. It’s been working flawlessly ever since. I’m using my Tesla app and my utility’s app to track how much powering I’m generating.

For my 8.4 kW system, Synergy predicts I’ll generate roughly 11,000 kWh of electricity a year.  My best production day so far in February as been 37.2 kWh. To put that in perspective, that’s enough to fully charge our Mini Cooper SE EV, with power left over.

Daily production averages will increase as the days start getting longer again.

The value of that power is going to depend on where you live. Your home may generate more or less power with the same-sized system, depending on a variety of factors.  

Here in Jacksonville, based on today’s rates, Synergy’s production estimate works out to a bit over $1,200 a year. I’ll also get a 30% tax credit worth $6,511 on my taxes. My total cost was $21,705.

I expect to get a faster payback than those numbers indicate due to inflation raising the price of grid power over the years and owning EVs.

That’s because in most places home electricity is cheaper than gas and EV motors are more efficient than gasoline engines.

Based on my utility’s electric rate at the time of this recording, it costs me $10.01 to fill up my Mustang Mach-E at home, thereby multiplying the value of solar as compared to paying for gas.

For a more direct omparison, here are the estimated fueling costs for a gas-powered and EV-powered 2024 MINI Cooper, according to the EPA.

For EV Rider viewers that live in Northeast Florida, I can personally recommend Synergy Solar. They did a thorough job and after spending time with their crew, I came away impressed.

Synergy Solar sponsored this EV Rider advertorial. If you found this post or video useful, please consider sharing it with a friend.

The post Rooftop Solar Install: How To Power Your EV With Sunshine appeared first on EV Rider.

Congratulations to @techguyMD of Palm Coast, FL. He’s our winner! This contest has now ended.

Original post: If you’re a motorcyclist and have been wishing for a free Android Auto or Apple CarPlay solution with front and rear 1080p cameras, this week’s episode is for you. 

Welcome to EV Rider’s first giveaway. Podofo sent EV Rider the 5-and-half inch wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay unit featured in the video. EV Rider is giving it away for free, including shipping. 

Keep reading or watch the video for details on how to enter, which takes less than 10 seconds. Here’s a look at the winner will get. 

Having an infotainment system on your bike, complete with Siri and Google Assistant for voice commands opens up a world of opportunities. 

Podofo’s system one-ups a lot of its competitors by including front-and-rear 1080p high-definition cameras that can be seen on the display screen and includes a handlebar remote control for basic functions. 

It also syncs with helmet bluetooth systems like Senas and Cardos so you’ll have seamless navigation, music and hands-free voice controls right from your helmet. 

It ships with a 64GB MicroSD Card so you can use the unit as a DVR, recording everything in front and behind you, which can be useful for fellow YouTubers or motorcyclists that just want a record of their ride.  

It’s got an IPX7 water resistance rating so it should still be fine when you get stuck in an occasional downpour. 

The Podofo is compatible with most motorcycles. If you’re going to install it yourself be aware that the system requires a positive and negative connection to a 12-volt power supply, such as your bike’s battery, in addition to connecting to or splicing into an accessory line. It is not a plug-n-play USB, SAE or 12-volt outlet unit.

The wiring harness is nicely constructed. All needed mounts are included. From all appearances it looks like an excellent all-in-one solution that should supply years of use and enjoyment. 

Entering the contest is easy. Here’s how: Subscribe to the EV Rider YouTube channel and leave a comment with the word “enter” in the comments section of this video on YouTube. By entering you are agreeing to the full contest rules listed at the bottom of this post. Only viewers with U.S. addresses are eligible to win.  Viewers that are already subscribed can jump right to leaving the “enter” comment.

Enter Here

EV Rider will not ship the unit outside of the U.S. to avoid running into any customs issues or potentially violating the sweepstakes laws of another country. The contest is limited to viewers with U.S. addresses.

The winner will be picked randomly with an automated YouTube comment picker so it’s really important to include the word “enter,” and don’t forget to subscribe to the channel.

The odds of winning will depend on the number of comments. Multiple comments from the same viewer will not increase the odds of winning so don’t spam the comments. Just enter once. 

The winner will be chosen on June 1 at 9am EDT. I will leave a comment reply to the winner. 

If you don’t win, don’t worry. You can still buy the Podofo wireless navigator. A link is in the description field.  A big thanks goes to Podofo for providing the prize.  

OFFICIAL CONTEST GIVEAWAY RULES 

• Contest giveaway opens at 6:30 a.m. EDT on April 10, 2024 and closes at 9:00 a.m. on June 1, 2024.  
• To enter: Subscribe to the EV Rider YouTube channel and write “enter” in the comments section of this YouTube video. The contest is free to enter. 
• EV Rider will reach out to the winner via the winning comment on June 1. The winner must contact EV Rider within 5 days, or another winner will be chosen. A contact form will be provided to the winner to protect the winner’s privacy. Any other participant that attempts to use the form will not receive a response. 
• The winner will be chosen randomly with a YouTube comment picker. Duplicate comments from the same account will not increase the odds of winning. 
• Participants must have a valid Gmail/YouTube account to comment on the video for contest entry and for winner validation.  
• The winner’s address will be used to mail out the prize but will not be shared by EV Rider or used for marketing purposes. 
• The winner will receive one Podofo 5.5-inch Wireless CarPlay/Android Auto for Motorcycle Navigator MP5 Portable Smart Player with Front & Back Camera With Steering Wheel Control DVR, Bluetooth headset. Product page: https://www.podofo.com/products/podofo-5-5-inch-wireless-carplay-for-motorcycle-navigator-mp5-portable-smart-player-supports-carplay-android-auto-with-front-back-camera-with-steering-wheel-control-dvr-bluetooth-headset 
• Retail value of unit at time of posting: $319  
• By entering, participants agree that EV Rider will not be held responsible in any way should the product not perform as expected, be installed incorrectly or be damaged during shipping. 
• The original product seal of the prize has been removed for video production purposes. It has not been installed or tested and EV Rider in no way warrants its performance or function.   
• By entering, participants agree to release EV Rider from any liability or injury that might result from use of the unit. 
• Entries that do not comply with YouTube’s Community Guides and Terms of Service will be disqualified.  
• YouTube Community Guidelines: http://www.youtube.com/t/community_guidelines 
• YouTube Terms of Service: http://www.youtube.com/static?gl=US&template=terms 
• By entering, participants agree to release YouTube from any liability and understand that YouTube is not a sponsor of the contest. 
• This giveaway originates within the state of Florida. Florida’s Game Promotions and Sweepstakes rules are available here: https://www.fdacs.gov/Business-Services/Game-Promotions-Sweepstakes 
• By accepting the prize, the winner agrees to all applicable U.S. federal, state and local laws, rules and regulations, including U.S. sanctions. 

The post Apple CarPlay, Android Auto Motorcycle Unit Winner Announced appeared first on EV Rider.

Did you know there’s a free, easy, automated way to help out the grid while often saving money when charging your EV at home? Depending on where you live you might also qualify for a cash rebate. 

Many utilities in the U.S. have entered into agreements with an energy tracking and savings company named Opitwatt to share data about charging habits and how those habits will impact the grid as the nation transitions to EVs. 

Optiwatt has come up with an umbrella app that allows users and utilities to track energy use, while saving utility customers money at the same time.  For example, here in Jacksonville, FL my local utility, JEA, is recruiting 400 EV owners to take part in a one-year study. If they qualify the EV owners earn a credit of $7 a month, per EV. That comes out to $84 over the course of a year. 

If you have two EVs that qualify that one year total jumps to $168.

Signing up is easy. All you have to do is download the Optiwatt app, select your EV and your utility, then apply for whatever incentive program your utility is offering. 

Even if your utility isn’t offering any direct incentives you’ll still want to take Optiwatt for a spin since it provides a strong, visual snapshot into your energy usage. If a rebate program becomes available in your community Optiwatt can automatically enroll you. 

Some utilities have different rates for different time periods, which is commonly referred to as off-peak charging. You could save up to 70% of your EV’s home fueling cost per month by following Optiwatt’s charging recommendations, depending on where you live. 

If you’ve got a smart thermostat you can also track your electric heat and air conditioning energy usage along with getting helpful suggestions on how to set up your thermostat right from the app to save on energy costs. 

The other nice thing about Optiwatt is it can cut down on app clutter. If your EV and thermostat are supported you can use just one app as opposed to two or more to program charging times and home temperatures. 

You can download Optiwatt from Google Play or the Apple App Store or scan the QR in this post if you’re reading this on a tablet or home computer. 

Optiwatt supports the majority of EV models sold in the U.S. and many smart thermostats. This EV Rider advertorial has been sponsored by Optiwatt.

The post Save Energy, Money With Optiwatt Energy Monitoring App appeared first on EV Rider.