Yes. A solar-diverting charger with a CT clamp monitors your solar surplus at the switchboard and directs that excess into your EV instead of sending it to the grid. You need a solar-aware smart charger, not a standard charger, and a licensed electrician to install it.
Most Australian network operators now cap how much solar you can push to the grid, so check your own export limit before you buy a charger. sapowernetworks.com.auView source
The economics work well in Australia. Feed-in tariffs typically pay single-digit cents per kWh. Grid power costs 25 cents or more. Every kWh you send into the EV is worth five to six times what you would earn by exporting it instead. energy.gov.auView source But how much you can divert depends on your system size and the export limit your distributor sets. sapowernetworks.com.auView source
How solar EV charging works, and why a standard charger wastes your panels
A standard EV charger pulls power from the grid. It ignores your solar panels entirely. A solar-diverting charger is different: it clips a CT clamp (a current sensor) to the cable at your switchboard and watches the gap between what your panels make and what your home is using. When that gap goes positive, your panels are making more than the house needs, so the charger sends that extra power into your EV instead of pushing it to the grid. myenergi.comView source
The CT clamp does the job. It works with any solar brand, so you don't need to buy from the same company that made your inverter. A licensed electrician fits it at your switchboard, not at the inverter, because it needs to sit at the point where your home meets the grid. The charger circuit goes in at the same time.
The three charging modes: Fast, Eco, and Eco+
Solar-diverting chargers offer three modes. Eco+ is the one that charges purely from solar surplus and pauses when the sun is not generating enough. Most solar households use Eco+ during the day and Fast for a top-up at night. myenergi.comView source
| Mode | Grid use | Solar use | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fast | Yes (full rated speed) | No | Charges at the charger's rated speed from the grid regardless of solar output |
| Eco | Yes (blend) | Yes | Prioritises solar surplus and supplements with grid; never pauses |
| Eco+ | No | Yes only | Charges only from surplus; pauses when surplus drops below ~1.4 kW and resumes when it rises again |
Mode names per myenergi Zappi AU (the reference solar-diverting charger for the AU market). Other solar-aware charger brands use equivalent modes under different names.
Australian feed-in tariffs are low, so self-consumption beats exporting
Most Australian feed-in tariffs pay single-digit cents per kWh for solar you export. ipart.nsw.gov.auView source Grid power typically costs 25 cents or more. That is a five-to-six times gap. Every kWh you divert into the EV is worth five to six times more than exporting it. energy.gov.auView source
That's the whole case for a solar-diverting charger. You stop exporting cheap solar and start using it to replace expensive grid power. The bigger your system and the more you drive, the stronger the return. For running cost detail and an interactive estimate, see the EV charging cost guide.
If you're on a time-of-use tariff, solar diverting and off-peak scheduling work well together. Charge from solar in Eco+ mode during the day, then let the charger fill up overnight at the off-peak rate if the battery isn't full. See EV electricity plans and off-peak tariffs for state-by-state plan comparisons.
Your distributor's export limit caps how much surplus you can divert
Your solar system can only send so much power to the grid. Your distributor sets that cap. That's your export limit. In most Australian states the standard single-phase limit is 5 kW per phase. In South Australia the fixed limit is just 1.5 kW per phase. The export limit also sets the ceiling for how much your solar-diverting charger can use. sapowernetworks.com.auView source
Here is how it plays out in practice. Your panels make 7 kW, the house uses 2 kW, leaving 5 kW of surplus. If your limit is 5 kW, the charger draws at 5 kW. If you are in SA with a 1.5 kW fixed limit, the most you can send into the EV is 1.5 kW. That is slow. Most distributors offer higher limits, up to 10 kW per phase, with network approval and a control device fitted. sapowernetworks.com.auView source
Check your export limit before you buy a charger. Your licensed electrician can confirm it as part of the site check.
A solar-diverting charger needs a CT clamp and a true solar-only charging mode
Not every charger labelled solar-ready actually diverts surplus. You need three things: a CT clamp input, a solar-only mode, and a minimum surplus level below which the charger pauses. That pause matters. If the charger tries to draw 7 kW but only 1 kW of surplus is available, it pulls 6 kW from the grid. The economics collapse. A true solar-only mode pauses instead. myenergi.comView source
The most widely used solar-diverting charger in Australia is the myenergi Zappi v2. It delivers 7 kW on a single phase, uses a tethered Type 2 cable, is rated IP65 for outdoor use, and comes with a three-year warranty. The CT clamp works with any solar inverter brand. It doesn't support OCPP, so it's managed through the myenergi hub rather than a third-party system. myenergi.comView source
If OCPP matters to you, look at the Fronius Wattpilot or the Ocular IQ Home Solar instead. For a full breakdown of what smart charger features are worth paying for, see the smart vs dumb EV charger guide. Your licensed electrician can advise on the right model once they have looked at your switchboard and solar setup.
A licensed electrician does the wiring and CT clamp fit; this is not a DIY job
Think of this as a standard EV charger install with one extra step. A licensed electrician runs a dedicated circuit from your switchboard to the charger, mounts the unit, and wires it in. Then they fit the CT clamp on the main cable inside the switchboard and test that the solar-divert function works.
You can't do the CT clamp step yourself. Opening the switchboard is licensed electrical work. Your electrician will also check your export limit with your distributor and tell you if a switchboard upgrade is needed first.
One detail worth asking about: the CT clamp must go on the service cable between the meter and the main switch, not on a smaller branch circuit. Get your electrician to confirm the placement during the quote.
What does a solar EV charger install cost?
A solar-diverting charger installation covers the charger, a dedicated circuit, and the CT clamp at your switchboard. The cost depends on your switchboard distance and whether any upgrades are needed.
Common questions
Yes. A solar-diverting charger with a CT clamp monitors how much power your panels are making versus how much the house is using at that moment, and when there is a surplus it sends that extra power straight into the EV instead of letting it flow out to the grid. You need a solar-aware smart charger with a CT clamp for this to work, not a standard one.
Yes. A basic (dumb) charger draws power at a fixed rate from the grid regardless of what your panels are doing. Only a smart charger with a CT clamp and a solar-only mode can monitor surplus and modulate its charge rate to match. Without that function, your solar and EV system operate completely independently.
For most Australian solar households, yes. Feed-in tariffs typically pay four to eight cents per kWh for exported solar, while grid power costs 25 cents or more, so using that surplus to charge an EV rather than exporting it is worth five to six times more per kWh. The stronger your solar output and the more you drive, the faster you see a return. Get a licensed electrician to quote the install, then work out your own payback based on how far you drive each day.
It depends on how far you drive each day and what time of day you charge. As a rough guide, a 6.6 kW solar system in a sunny Australian location can produce 25 to 30 kWh on a good day, and most EVs use around 15 to 20 kWh per 100 km, so if you drive 50 km a day you need roughly 7 to 10 kWh of surplus, which a 6.6 kW system can usually provide. Your licensed electrician or solar installer can model this against your actual usage patterns.
Not effectively. You can plug a portable Mode 2 cable (a granny charger) into a standard 10A powerpoint that happens to be on a solar circuit, but that is not solar diverting and the charge rate is very slow (around 2 kW). A dedicated solar-diverting charger is the only way to actively match charge speed to solar output.
Eco+ is the Zappi's solar-only charging mode. It pauses charging when solar surplus drops below roughly 1.4 kW and resumes when surplus rises again. This means the EV only ever charges from solar you generated, never drawing from the grid. It is the most economical mode for households with daytime solar surplus and no urgency to fully charge by a specific time.
Yes, it sets the ceiling on how much solar surplus you can divert, because a solar-diverting charger can only use the power your inverter is allowed to export. Most states cap single-phase export at 5 kW per phase, but South Australia's fixed limit is 1.5 kW per phase. Higher limits, up to 10 kW per phase, are available with network approval and a control device fitted. Ask your licensed electrician to check your limit at the site visit.
A smart EV charger has scheduling, app control, and load management but does not necessarily divert solar surplus. A solar EV charger is a smart charger that also includes a CT clamp and a solar-only mode, allowing it to match charge rate to your panels' output. All solar EV chargers are smart chargers, but not all smart chargers have solar divert. For a full comparison, see the smart vs dumb EV charger guide.
The maths on solar EV charging almost always works out. The real question is whether your system can do it. Your export limit and switchboard tell you that before you buy anything. Get a licensed electrician to check both first, and the rest of the decision takes care of itself.
This article is general information, not a substitute for advice from a licensed electrician for your specific home and situation.
Get a licensed EV charger installer to quote your solar setup
A solar-diverting charger installation is straightforward for an experienced electrician. To get accurate quotes for your home, including CT clamp placement and switchboard assessment, connect with a licensed EV charger installer through SureQuote.
Sources
General information only. This guide does not replace advice from a licensed electrician. Consult a CEC-accredited installer before purchasing or installing a solar EV charger.
- myenergi.comView source
- energy.gov.auView source
- sapowernetworks.com.auView source
- ipart.nsw.gov.auView source