Introduction
When a Hamilton Hill homeowner was preparing for their new BYD electric vehicle, they wanted something much faster than charging from a standard power point, while also having the option to make use of excess solar power from their home.
ChargingWA installed an Ocular IQ Home Solar 22 kW EV charger, with the system configured to suit the home's three-phase electrical supply and the charging capability of the vehicle.
The installation itself was relatively straightforward, but there was one issue inside the switchboard: there wasn't enough available space for the new three-phase EV charger circuit.
Rather than treating the switchboard as an afterthought, we reorganised and condensed the existing protection equipment to create the required space and deliver a clean, compliant installation.
The Challenge
The homeowner wanted to move away from slow charging through a standard household power point.
Their key requirements were:
- Faster home EV charging
- Solar-compatible charging
- A reliable charger that was simple to use day to day
- A solution suited to the home's three-phase supply
- Sensible future-proofing without paying for features they didn't need
There was also a practical electrical challenge.
A three-phase EV charger requires three adjacent positions in the switchboard for its circuit protection. In this home, the existing breakers were already occupying the available space.
Simply mounting the charger on the wall wasn't enough. The switchboard needed to be addressed first.
The Solution
ChargingWA installed an Ocular IQ Home Solar 22 kW charger and condensed the existing switchboard to make room for the new three-phase EV charging circuit.
Switchboard condensing can involve rearranging existing breakers and replacing older combinations of circuit breakers and separate safety switches with more space-efficient protection.
This freed the three adjacent positions required for the EV charger without unnecessarily replacing the entire switchboard.
The charger was then connected back to the home's electrical system and set up to provide the charging capacity supported by the vehicle.
From Around 1.6 kW to 11 kW Charging
Before the installation, charging from a standard power point provided roughly 1.6 kW.
With the dedicated home charger, the vehicle can charge at approximately 11 kW.
That means the homeowner can charge roughly five to six times faster than they could using their previous standard power-point setup.
Instead of thinking about where and when to charge the vehicle, they effectively have their own petrol bowser at home, plug the car in when they get home and have it ready again when they need it.
Why We Recommended the Ocular IQ Home Solar
Choosing an EV charger isn't simply about buying the charger with the longest feature list.
We look at what the home, vehicle and owner actually need.
In this case, the homeowner wanted solar capability, but there wasn't a strong reason to pay the additional premium for a more advanced charger with load control.
The Ocular IQ Home Solar sat in the middle.
It provided solar-compatible charging and the future flexibility the homeowner wanted without paying hundreds more for functionality that wasn't necessary for this particular installation.
That's an important part of how we approach residential EV charging.
If a more expensive feature is unlikely to provide a real benefit at your property, we'll explain that before you spend the money.
Solar EV Charging: Having Solar Doesn't Automatically Mean Free Charging
One of the most common misunderstandings we see is that installing a solar-compatible EV charger means the car will automatically charge from solar whenever the sun is shining.
It isn't quite that simple.
For solar-only charging to activate, the home needs enough excess solar generation after the household's own electricity consumption has been taken into account.
In a three-phase installation, a solar charger may require around 6 amps of excess power per phase before solar-only charging can begin.
For example, a smaller 6.6 kW solar system may be producing power, but if the house is consuming most of that electricity at the same time, there may not be enough excess generation available for the EV charger to enter its solar-only charging mode.
That's why we talk through the solar system, household consumption and expected charging behaviour before recommending that somebody spend extra on a solar-compatible charger.
Solar charging can be excellent when the conditions are right. But we don't sell it simply because there's solar on the roof.
(08) 6275 6510Why This Solution Worked
This installation was about finding the right balance.
The homeowner didn't need the cheapest possible charger, but they also didn't need the most expensive solar charging system available.
The Ocular IQ Home Solar provided the solar functionality they wanted while keeping the additional cost reasonable.
At the same time, addressing the switchboard properly meant the new three-phase charging circuit could be installed without taking shortcuts.
That's the difference between simply putting a charger on the wall and designing the installation around the property.
We install with the end in mind.
The Outcome
The Hamilton Hill homeowner now has:
- Dedicated home EV charging
- Approximately 11 kW charging capability for their vehicle
- Charging around five to six times faster than their previous standard power-point setup
- Solar-compatible charging functionality
- A properly configured three-phase EV charging circuit
- A switchboard reorganised to accommodate the new installation
- A simple system they can plug into when they arrive home
For most residential customers, that's ultimately what matters.
They don't want to spend every night thinking about charging modes and electrical infrastructure. They want to get home, plug the car in and know it will be charged when they need it.
That's what this system was designed to do.
(08) 6275 6510Planning a Home EV Charger Installation in Perth?
Every property is slightly different.
Your switchboard, solar system, electrical supply, vehicle and future plans all affect which charger makes sense.
ChargingWA specialises in residential EV charger installations across Perth and Western Australia. We'll look at the whole setup first, explain the options in plain English and recommend the solution that actually suits your home, rather than simply selling you the most expensive charger available.
