If you drive an EV in LA in 2026, you're paying $0.32–$0.55 per kWh to charge at home depending on your time-of-use plan. Charging from your own solar drops that to roughly $0.07–$0.10 per kWh fully-loaded - saving the average EV driver $1,200–$2,000 a year. Here's how to set it up.
The Math: Solar + EV vs. Grid Charging
A typical EV driver covers 12,000 miles/year and uses about 3,500 kWh. At LADWP's tier-2 evening rate of ~$0.36/kWh, that's $1,260 in charging cost. The same 3,500 kWh produced by your own solar costs roughly $245 at the system's lifetime levelized cost. Annual savings: $1,015 - and you've insulated yourself from future rate hikes.
Size Your Solar for Both House and Car
Add 2.5–3.5 kW of solar capacity per EV in your household on top of your existing house usage. A two-EV family in a 2,000 sq ft LA home typically needs 11–14 kW of solar. We size systems based on your last 12 months of LADWP usage plus projected EV miles.
Smart Charging That Follows the Sun
Wallbox Pulsar Plus, Tesla Wall Connector with Powerwall integration, and Enphase IQ EV Charger all support "solar-aware" charging modes - pulling charge only when your solar output exceeds house load. This maximizes self-consumption and is especially valuable under the IOUs' Net Billing Tariff (NEM 3.0), where exported solar is poorly compensated.
Pair With Battery Storage for Resilience
A 13–15 kWh battery gives you 30–40 miles of EV range during a grid outage, plus runs critical loads in the house. With LA's Public Safety Power Shutoff events and aging grid infrastructure, this combination has become standard on the projects we design.
Federal Incentives Stack
- 30% federal credit on solar + battery (25D)
- 30% federal credit on EV charger installation up to $1,000 (30C)
- $7,500 EV purchase credit for qualifying vehicles
- LADWP EV charger rebates up to $1,500
- SGIP battery rebates for qualifying customers
Build an EV-Ready Home
Green Home Remodeling designs integrated solar + battery + EV systems that maximize self-consumption and minimize utility dependence. Free consultation at (800) 650-9055.
