EV charging

Usually yes, though it depends on your existing inverter and consumer unit. Some systems accept a battery directly, others need an additional AC-coupled unit. We can assess a system we did not install and tell you what is possible before you commit to anything.

Yes, where the equipment is specified to do it. A solar-aware charger adjusts its draw to follow what the array is producing, so the car takes surplus that would otherwise be exported. That only works if the charger, inverter and metering are specified to talk to each other, which is the difference between an integrated installation and a charger bolted to the wall beside one. An EV suits solar well because it usually does not matter when the charging happens, as long as the car is ready by morning.

That is the first thing we check, before any hardware is specified: your main fuse rating, board capacity and existing load. Some properties need work there first, and it is far better to know that at survey than on installation day. Where capacity is tight, a load-managed charger throttles itself when the rest of the building is drawing heavily, which often avoids an upgrade you would otherwise need. Earthing arrangements for EV charging are specific too, and are one of the most common things done badly on cheap installations.

Yes, and several points is a different job to one home charger. Total site capacity, dynamic load sharing across the points, access control and per-user usage reporting all have to be designed together rather than installed one at a time. Workplace charging pairs well with a commercial array, because staff cars are parked on site during the daytime hours when the system is producing, so more of the generation gets used on site.

Export payments come from your electricity supplier under the Clean Export Guarantee, not from the government. When we commission your system we notify ESB Networks (the NC6 or NC7 form), which is what registers you as a microgenerator; your supplier then applies its export rate to your account. With a smart meter your actual export is measured; rates vary by supplier, so it is worth comparing. The first €400 a year of export income is exempt from income tax, an exemption currently legislated to the end of 2028.

Solar PV normally improves a BER, because it reduces the calculated primary energy use of the home, and a post-works BER assessment is part of the SEAI grant process anyway. On insurance, tell your insurer you have added solar, as with any alteration to the building. Cover for panels is routine.