Yes, you can charge your electric vehicle from solar — and the Sunshine Coast is one of the best places in Australia to do it. Here is what is involved and what you need to know.
If you have solar panels on your roof and an electric vehicle in the driveway, you can absolutely charge your EV directly from your solar system. The key is using a smart EV charger that communicates with your solar inverter and schedules charging to coincide with peak solar production.
Instead of exporting excess solar energy to the grid at a modest feed-in tariff, you divert that energy into your car. The result is effectively free driving — powered by your own roof.
A standard EV charger draws a fixed amount of power regardless of what your solar system is producing. A smart EV charger is different. It monitors your solar production in real time and adjusts the charging rate to match the available surplus.
When your panels are producing more power than your house is using, the smart charger ramps up. When production drops — a cloud passes over, you turn on the air conditioning — the charger ramps down or pauses. This keeps you from drawing from the grid during peak times and maximises the amount of solar energy going into your vehicle.
Some smart chargers also allow you to set schedules. If you know you will be home during the middle of the day when solar production peaks, you can set the charger to prioritise those hours.
The amount of solar you need depends on how much you drive and how fast you want to charge. As a rough guide:
That means a standard residential solar system produces more than enough energy to cover the average daily driving distance, with plenty left over for the rest of the house. If you drive more than average or want to charge faster, a larger system — 10 kW or above — gives you more headroom.
Most Sunshine Coast homes are single phase. A single-phase EV charger typically charges at up to 7.4 kW, which is adequate for overnight charging and for topping up from solar during the day. For the average daily commute, a few hours of solar charging is all you need.
Three-phase homes can support faster EV chargers — up to 22 kW. This charges the vehicle significantly faster and can take better advantage of larger solar systems. If your home already has three-phase power, or if you are considering upgrading, a three-phase EV charger paired with a larger solar array is the optimal setup.
We assess your home’s supply as part of every EV charger installation and advise on the best configuration for your situation.
Solar charging works best during daylight hours with clear skies. On overcast days, your system still produces power, but less of it. A smart charger adjusts automatically — it will charge slower or pause and resume when conditions improve.
For overnight charging, the EV charger draws from the grid. This is where a time-of-use electricity tariff can help — charging overnight during off-peak rates is still significantly cheaper than petrol. Many EV chargers can be scheduled to charge during the cheapest grid rate automatically.
The practical reality is that most Sunshine Coast EV owners do the majority of their charging from solar during the day and top up from the grid overnight only when needed.
If you want to reduce grid dependence further, a home battery system acts as a bridge. During the day, excess solar charges the battery. In the evening or overnight, the battery discharges to power your EV charger instead of drawing from the grid.
This is the ultimate setup for energy independence: solar panels, home battery, and a smart EV charger working together. The economics of battery storage are improving rapidly, and for households with high electricity usage and an EV, the numbers are starting to make sense.
The Sunshine Coast receives some of the highest solar irradiance in Australia. More sun means more energy production, which means more free kilometres in your EV. The region’s relatively flat terrain and moderate driving distances also mean most daily trips are well within the range of solar-only charging.
Combined with Queensland’s declining feed-in tariffs, the financial case for using your solar energy to charge an EV rather than exporting it to the grid has never been stronger. Every kilowatt-hour you put into your car is one you are not buying from the grid at retail rates.
Installing a solar-integrated EV charger involves:
If your switchboard needs an upgrade or additional circuits, we handle that as part of the installation. The whole process is typically completed in half a day to a full day depending on the complexity.
Every home is different. The best way to find out what setup will work for your situation is a site assessment. Call Joel on 0418 416 481 and we will assess your solar system, switchboard, and home layout to recommend the right EV charger for your needs.
Any EV charger can technically charge from solar-generated electricity, but a smart EV charger is required to actively match charging with solar production. Standard chargers draw a fixed rate regardless of what your panels are producing. Smart chargers communicate with your inverter and adjust in real time to maximise solar usage.
Installation typically ranges from $1,800 to $3,500 depending on the charger model, your switchboard condition, and the cable run distance. We provide a clear, itemised quote after assessing your home — no hidden costs.
Not necessarily. A standard 6.6 kW system produces enough energy to cover the average daily commute with surplus to spare. If you drive significantly more than average or want faster charging, upgrading to a larger system will give you better results. We can assess your current system and advise on whether an upgrade would be worthwhile.
