Integrating EV Charging into a Solar Carport: UK Guide

Why integrate EV at all

Three reasons: (1) Behind-the-meter solar — chargers draw from carport-generated electricity at ~10p/kWh effective cost vs 47p/kWh grid retail; (2) Staff/visitor amenity — workplace EV charging is one of the top-rated workplace benefits in 2025-26 surveys; (3) OZEV grant — £350 per socket up to 40 sockets, recoverable as part of project capex.

Charger type and mix

Three workplace-relevant types: 7 kW (single-phase, all-day staff charging); 22 kW (three-phase, visitor/short-dwell); 50 kW DC rapid (fleet/depot). Typical workplace mix: 75% × 7 kW + 20% × 22 kW + 5% × 50 kW. Retail/hospitality leans more toward 22 kW for shorter dwell.

Dynamic load management

Critical for sites with constrained AC infrastructure. SMA Energy Manager, Solis Energy Manager, or OpenEVSE controllers balance EV charger demand against available solar plus site headroom in real time. Without this, you risk tripping the main breaker when chargers and lifts/HVAC peak simultaneously.

OZEV Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS)

OZEV WCS grants £350 per socket, up to 40 sockets per applicant — £14,000 maximum per WCS application. Eligibility: any UK business with registered workplace and dedicated off-street parking. Our team handles WCS application as part of project delivery. Funds discounted directly from invoice.

Charge billing models

(1) Free to staff — simplest, treated as workplace benefit. (2) Paid by staff — typically 10-15p/kWh delivered, billed monthly via app. (3) Paid by visitors — typically 30-55p/kWh delivered, branded as your concession via OCPP-compliant operator (Osprey, BP Pulse, Mer). Hospitality typically room-billed via PMS integration.

Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) readiness

Bi-directional chargers (Wallbox Quasar, EO Genius 2 V2G) allow fleet vehicles to discharge back to site in evening peak. Useful where you have time-of-use tariffs. Limited V2G-capable EV models today (Nissan LEAF, Kia EV6, Hyundai IONIQ 5/6), but growing fast.