Solar EV Charger Installation in Perth
Solar can charge your EV at your Perth home. How much reaches the car depends on how much solar is left once your home has used what it needs.
Charging Your EV From Your Own Solar
A common question we hear from Perth homeowners is whether solar on the roof means they can charge their car for free.
Your EV charger is one more appliance in the home, like the air-con or the pool pump. A solar-aware charger, one that measures your solar and adjusts to it, lets the car's charging follow whatever solar is spare.
If you've got a 5kW system, it might help a bit, but don't expect miracles. Charging an EV needs serious solar muscle.
Get Your Solar Charging Quote
How We Install Your Solar EV Charger
The same steps as every home install we do. We look at your solar, inverter and switchboard before we quote, so the charger suits your solar system.
Enquiry
You reach out by phone, form, or referral; we'll have a quick chat to understand what you need and how we can help.
Project Details
We'll ask for a few photos and details:
- Your switchboard
- The proposed installation location
- Any solar or battery setup
- EV make/model
This helps us give you accurate advice from the start.
Consultation
We'll talk through your needs, including:
- Current EV
- Plans to add more EVs
- Solar integration
- Load capacity of your home
We'll also explain what options make sense, and which don't.
Quote
You'll get a proper quote, not just a price. It includes:
- Product recommendation (with options)
- Full install scope
- Any upgrades needed (e.g. switchboard work)
- Optional extras like app control or solar syncing
Installation
The installation day usually takes half to three-quarters of a day. We'll:
- Turn up on time
- Work cleanly and safely
- Commission and test the charger
- Show you how to use it
Ongoing Support
We show you the app (if applicable), check that everything's working, and ensure you're comfortable. And if something goes wrong later? You've got a local number to call us.
- Your charger, live and charging from your solar
Why Choose ChargingWA for Solar Charging?
We set up the charger to work with your solar on the day we install it, and we're close by if anything needs changing later.
Local Support
We're based right here in WA. That means we're close by if anything goes wrong. No call centres. No ghosting.
Experienced Team
Our install team has over 7 years of experience, and we're led by Steve Randall, who's been installing EV chargers across WA for 10+ years.
Future-Proofed Installs
We only recommend products that let you grow: add another charger, connect to solar, or integrate into smart home systems later, without needing to rip everything out.
Straight Advice
We'll tell you what works, and what doesn't. No upselling. No guesswork. Just honest recommendations based on your actual setup.
Our Solar Charging Package
A solar-aware home charger, installed and set up with three charging modes, so you choose how much of each charge comes from your panels.
- Solar Only: Charge only from excess solar.
- Solar Assist: Use solar first, then top up from the grid.
- Fast Mode: Maximum speed using solar and the grid.
Solar Charging
Best for solar households
- Includes Bluetooth App
- Three modes:
- 1. Solar Only: charge only from excess solar
- 2. Solar Assist: use solar first, then top up from grid
- 3. Fast Mode: maximum speed using solar + grid
From$2,589+ GST
Every home is different, so this price is a guide and your quote confirms the final price.
Three Ways to Charge From Solar
Our Solar Charging package has three modes, so you choose how much of each charge comes from your panels.
Solar Only
Charge only from excess solar.
An EV won't charge below about 1.4kW on one phase, meaning one of the supply lines into your home. Turn on the washing machine and the spare solar drops, so the charger may pause until enough comes back. Your home always comes first, so this pausing is normal.
- Suits you if you want
- As much spare solar as possible
Can be slow, or stop and start, when spare solar is low.
Solar Assist
Use solar first, then top up from the grid.
Say only about 0.5kW of solar is spare and the car needs about 1.4kW. The charger takes the 0.5kW from solar and about 0.9kW from the grid. As more solar comes in, the grid's share drops.
- Suits you if you want
- Solar first, but steady charging
Some grid power is used.
Fast Mode
Maximum speed using solar and the grid.
Say the car asks for 7kW and about 4kW of solar is spare after the house. Around 4kW comes from solar and the other 3kW comes from the grid.
- Suits you if you want
- Fast, predictable charging
Solar helps when it is there, and the grid covers the rest.
You Don't Need a Solar Charger to Use Your Solar
This is one of the biggest myths we hear. A standard home charger still uses your solar, because your solar is already powering everything in the home. A solar-aware charger adds control over how much.
Your Solar Was Probably Sized for Your Home, Not Your EV
Many rooftop systems went in before the household had an EV. A common setup is 6.6kW of panels on a 5kW inverter, the box that turns the panels' power into the power your home uses.
A 5kW inverter can't run a 7kW charger from solar alone, even on a perfect day. If the inverter is making 5kW and the house is using 2kW, about 3kW is left for the car, and the grid supplies the rest.
Work Out What Your Solar Leaves for the Car
Enter your inverter size and what the house uses during the day to see what is left for the car, and how each charging mode would use it.
How Much Solar Is Left for Your Car?
Set your inverter size and what the house is using during the day. The results update as you go.
It is on the inverter's label or your solar quote. A common older setup is 6.6kW of panels on a 5kW inverter.
Your solar app or meter shows it. Air-con, a pool pump and hot water push it up.
Spare solar at best
3kW
Your 5kW inverter, minus the 2kW the house is using.
How each charging mode uses it
- Solar only3kW from solar
- Solar with grid assist3kW from solar
- Standard 7kW charging3kW from solar + 4kW from the grid
Over 4 hours, solar could put about 12 kWh into the car at most. A kWh, or kilowatt-hour, is 1kW of power for an hour.
This is a best-case snapshot for a clear day with the inverter at full output, not advice for your home. Real output drops with cloud, shade, heat and the time of day, and your car, charger, phases and export settings all change the result. A licensed electrician should set up and check any solar-aware charger.
How a Solar-Aware Charger Knows What Is Spare
Most solar-aware chargers use CT clamps, small sensors clipped around the main cables where your home connects to the grid, or a compatible meter.
They show whether the home is drawing power from the grid or sending spare solar out to it, and the charger speeds up or slows down to match.
We can install solar-aware chargers like:
- Ocular IQ Home Solar
- Zappi
Single-Phase and Three-Phase Homes
Single-phase
One supply line into the home. Solar charging is fairly simple to follow.
Three-phase
Three supply lines that share the load. A car charging on three phases needs at least about 1.4kW spare on each phase before it starts, so we look at the car, inverter, charger and phases together before we quote.
An export limit caps how much spare solar your home can send out to the grid. Western Power currently sets export limits for the whole property, not per phase, and the limit can depend on your site's approval, your retailer and your system's settings.
Is Incorporating Solar Into EV Charging Worth It?
For the right household, yes.
Solar charging works well for a car parked at home through the day, and much less well for one that is out during the sunniest hours.
Six questions to ask yourself:
- Is the car home and plugged in during the sunny hours?
- What size are your panels and your inverter?
- How much power does the house use during the day?
- Is the home single-phase or three-phase?
- Can your car charge on one phase, three phases or both?
- Do you want strict solar-only charging, or solar first with help from the grid?
Solar Charging FAQs
Read More About Solar Charging
Can I charge my EV with solar panels?
Yes. Your solar powers the home, and the EV charger is one more thing it powers. How much reaches the car depends on the solar that is spare after the house has had its share.
Do I need a solar charger to charge from solar?
No. A standard charger still uses your solar when it is spare. A solar-aware charger lets you control how much of the charge comes from solar.
Why does my charger keep stopping in solar-only mode?
On one phase, the car needs about 1.4kW of spare solar before it will charge. When another appliance turns on, spare solar can drop below that and the charger pauses. Solar Assist mode tops it up from the grid so it keeps charging.
Can a 5kW inverter charge my car at 7kW from solar?
No. The inverter can't put out more than about 5kW, and the house takes its share first. With the house using 2kW, about 3kW is left for the car, and a 7kW charger takes the rest from the grid.
Ready to Charge From Your Solar?
Talk to us about charging from your solar and we can help match the charger and mode to the way your home and car really run. All installation and set-up is done by licensed electricians.