Charging with Sunshine: EV’s + PV= Home Happiness

My first experience with solar energy came as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Senegal, West Africa. Little did I know that it would be a transformative encounter, one that would create a spark of enthusiasm for clean energy that has grown every day since.

After my time with the Peace Corps, my intrest in solar energy and the EV industry grew exponentially, leading to many eye opening conversations about the potential of solar and EV’s! Before long, my growing passion for renewable energy and a growing apprehension about the escalating climate crisis lead me head first into the solar industry.

My personal journey started In 2021 when I was looking to replace an older hybrid car with our first family EV and potentially adding solar as well. There was a lot of new language to figure out, but after driving a few vehicles and talking to some local solar companies, we bought a Nissan Leaf and started the process of installing solar.

We loved our EV right away and quickly realized we did not want to drive our mini-van anymore!  Not having to go the gas station was a nice perk and I loved the feel of how the new car drove.  

At first, we would plug it into an exterior outlet on our house and supplement that with charging at a local fast charger. Life was great but little did I know it was about to get better!

When the solar came on-line, I was excited to plug my car in during the day and know that power from the sun was going into my car. Something that seemed like a distant technology throughout my life was real!

Walking outside to plug my car in is still a thrill after 3 years, I feel like it’s a wonderful little happiness boost in my day. It is similar to the feeling I get when my air conditioning is running on a hot summer day and I know that at the same time my solar panels are up on the roof helping to offset a portion of the energy that I am using.

I have never been a vehicle enthusiast or a car person. I have always looked at cars as a way to get from point A to point B! Driving on sunshine changed that for me - suddenly I found myself getting excited for each new EV release! Fast forward to today, I am a active member of the Blue Ridge EV Club, a self proclaimed EV enthusiast and a Solar Consultant for a regional solar company - clean energy transformed my life!

If you are thinking about buying your first electric vehicle and have any questions please feel free to reach out to me! I love talking about EV’s and would be happy to help you through the process.

Driving on sunshine has changed my perspective on owning a car and made it a much more joyful experience - one that lead me to this exciting new season with ESL! I am so happy to be part of the team here at Eagle Solar & Light and look forward to leading the residential solar charge in Western NC.