Profile: Arlington Solar + EV Co-op Provides Two-In-One Opportunity

The Bridges family joined the Arlington Solar + Electric Vehicle Charger Co-op in 2018 to install solar panels on their roof. Andrew Bridges and his wife already owned an electric vehicle. They purchased it two years prior because they wanted an emissions-free commuter car, primarily for in town trips.

Before joining the co-op, Andrew and his family relied on a combination of Level 1 charging at home and at work. Level 1 chargers plug into a standard 120-volt outlet. They provide four to six miles of charge per hour and are best used for overnight charging. The Bridges found the 120-volt charging to be slower than desirable for their busy lifestyle. Andrew thinks he would have eventually upgraded to a Level 2 charger on his own. So when he saw the Level 2 charger offering as part of the solar co-op, he jumped at the chance to combine two projects into one. He now has a 4.9 kW rooftop solar system and a faster charger to power his EV.

Adding a Level 2 charger at home speeds up the charging process considerably. It was a no-brainer to add the charger while we were already going solar.
– Andrew Bridges, Arlington Solar + EV Charging Co-op Participant

The co-op provided the educational resources and the support of the group throughout the process. Andrew’s co-op installer also presented the option to install the SolarEdge EV charging single phase inverter, a piece of hardware that combines both the solar inverter (required to switch direct current or DC electricity coming from the solar panels into alternating current or AC for use on the grid) and the Level 2 charger in one single product.

Andrew preferred the idea of conserving space by reducing the pieces of equipment installed so he opted for this combined inverter and charger (right).

To learn more about the Arlington Solar + EV Co-op or our other co-ops in Virginia, check out the page below.