Charging an Electric Vehicle with Solar or Off-Grid Power
Plan EV charging around available solar, battery capacity and the power limits of your MyEnergy system.
An EV charger can become one of the largest loads at your property. Before adding one, ask MyEnergy to check that the energy system can support the charger, vehicle and your normal household loads.
Before you plug in
- Have a licensed electrician confirm the outlet or dedicated charger is suitable.
- Follow the vehicle and charger instructions. Do not use power boards or extension leads for charging.
- Confirm the approved charging rate and whether the circuit is backed up during an outage.
- Do not assume a large solar array means the inverter can supply the same power at every moment.
Use available solar
Where practical, schedule charging when solar production exceeds the property's other loads. Check the monitoring app after charging starts. If the home battery begins discharging or grid imports rise, the charger is using more than the available solar.
Use the normal customer charging controls to reduce or pause charging within the limits agreed at handover. A timer alone does not follow passing clouds. A solar-surplus mode only works when compatible equipment and its energy measurements have been installed and configured.
For off-grid properties
- Allow enough energy for overnight essentials before charging the vehicle.
- Avoid charging alongside ovens, air conditioning, pumps or workshop equipment.
- Pause charging during extended poor weather or when the home battery approaches its configured reserve.
- EV charging may trigger the generator and increase fuel use. Confirm your intended arrangement with MyEnergy.
A charger drawing 3 kW for two hours uses about 6 kWh from the supply, before other property loads are counted. This example illustrates the energy demand; it is not a recommended charging rate.
If charging causes alarms or a shutdown
Stop the charging session using its normal controls and record the alarm, charging rate and other loads running. Do not increase inverter limits or repeatedly reset the system. Contact MyEnergy before trying again.
Related: Managing Large Electrical Loads. Further guidance: Australian Government EV charging guide.
Need help?
Submit a MyEnergy support request, email support@myenergysolar.com.au or call 1300 706 870, option 3. Include your site address, the time of the issue, battery percentage and any alarm photos.