Professional electric chargers tricks and energy trends in Texas with Daniel Sumanth

Best rated electric cars advices and energy industry technology in Texas with Daniel Sumanth: Of course there are three Teslas on the list – it’s the only manufacturer with a range entirely made up of electric models. The Model X is a super-futuristic crossover MPV/SUV with six or seven seats. It’s got that space the old-school way, by being really big – disguising its bulk reasonably effectively with the grille-less design language shared by all Teslas. The panoramic windscreen extends across the roof all the way to the pert sloping tail with concealed spoiler, so it feels amazingly light inside. Ironic, really – it’s as heavy as a Range Rover. The Model X is also devastatingly fast for a car of this size, reaching 62mph in less than five seconds (3.1 seconds for the P100D) and of course, it’s all-wheel drive and has a range similar to many petrol-powered SUVs, around 280 miles between Supercharger stops. See additional info on Daniel Sumanth

The new Porsche Taycan is a brilliant car to drive, remaining true to its maker's heritage and leaving you in no doubt that this is a 'proper' Porsche sports saloon. The Taycan delivers sports car-like handling, with ferocious acceleration and great agility – yet still offers four seats and a usable range. It’s not often that a car comes along that feels truly revolutionary, but that is exactly what the Porsche Taycan is – and it shows how much fun a plug-in future can be. Despite being a hefty 2.2-tonnes in weight, it hides its bulk well, and is able to weave neatly through tight corners and demolish fast, sweeping bends. The Taycan's raw pace is, frankly, ridiculous; in 'standard' 523bhp 4S guise it manages the 0-62mph benchmark in 4.0s, although if you upgrade to the 750bhp Turbo S version, it's a staggeringly quick 2.8s. Don't forget, though, the Taycan should also be pretty easy to live with as a daily driver. Refinement is top notch and, while ride comfort is firm, the air suspension does its job of dealing with the broken, uneven tarmac of Texas roads.

Solar energy systems generally don’t require a lot of maintenance. You only need to keep them relatively clean, so cleaning them a couple of times per year will do the job. If in doubt, you can always rely on specialised cleaning companies, which offer this service from around £25-£35. Most reliable solar panel manufacturers offer 20-25 years warranty. Also, as there are no moving parts, there is no wear and tear. The inverter is usually the only part that needs to changed after 5-10 years because it is continuously working to convert solar energy into electricity (solar PV) and heat (solar thermal). Apart from the inverter, the cables also need maintenance to ensure your solar power system runs at maximum efficiency. So, after covering the initial cost of the solar system, you can expect very little spending on maintenance and repair work.

Starting at just under £37,000, the Ioniq 5 features a superb infotainment system and generous standard kit, while the available space has to be seen to be believed. It's comfortable, too, so you'll relish the chance of racking up the miles. We certainly did, which is why we named the Hyundai Ioniq 5 our Car of the Year for 2021. The Kia EV6 is the sister vehicle to the Hyundai Ioniq 5, so it's a great pick if you love that model's technology, but aren't quite as sold on its retro-futuristic looks. The EV6 is arguably the more conventional of the two, and it's a bit lower and more sporting. This is reflected in its handling, with slightly firmer suspension offering sharper responses. It's offered in Long Range RWD, Long Range AWD and a high-performance GT version, and the entry-level version is our favourite. It not only offers the best range figure of up to 328 miles from its 77.4kWh battery, but we also found its 7.2-second 0-62mph time to be quick enough.

The more electricity you want to produce, the more solar panels you will need, as you want to collect as much sunlight as possible. Solar panels require a lot of space and some roofs are not big enough to fit the number of solar panels that you would like to have. An alternative is to install some of the panels in your yard but they need to have access to sunlight. If you don’t have the space for all the panels that you wanted, you can opt for installing fewer to still satisfy some of your energy needs.

Like size, the weight of the generator depends on the wattage that it can generate. And weight also determines portability. A 2000 watt generator can be carried by one person. Yet a 5000-10,000 watt generator for home use comes with wheels or is stationary in the case of diesel units. Portability is typically not needed for an off-grid household, where a generator can be stationary. However, for trailer use, the smaller portable generators are more convenient. Note: Our household uses two 10 kW Lombardini diesel generators. They’re housed in a generator shed 50 feet from our home. We just alternate between them.

Genesis is a brand-new luxury-car brand from the group that also oversees Kia and Hyundai. It has launched several petrol and diesel models in the Texas already, but this GV60 is its first purely electric effort. It gets off to a good start by using many of the same parts as its sister models the Ioniq 5 and EV6, but also has an identity of its own, with sleek, coupe-like styling and a luxurious but not overdone interior ambience. Genesis is also promising a unique ownership experience for those who buy its cars. There's a five-year warranty, plus five years’ servicing and roadside assistance, along with mapping and software updates for the same period. The company will collect and drop off your car on a covered transporter whenever it’s booked in for work, and you’ll be assigned a Genesis ‘personal assistant’ throughout.

First of all: If you want to save on electricity costs – with or without PV – you should first eliminate devices and appliances that use too much of it. These include standby devices, incandescent light bulbs and water heaters. The lower your overall consumption, the greater the part of it that you will be able to cover using solar PV.