EV chargers and solar panels — complete guide
Surplus-PV charging is a product feature, not a grant checkbox. A wallbox marked solar in our catalogue can use surplus generation when the installer fits the clamps and you ask for Eco / surplus modes. That flag is not a promise of a payback, a share of annual generation, or an export-tariff payment.
MyEnergi Zappi, Zappi Glow, and Hypervolt Home 3 are three solar-marked rows. They are not the whole solar list. On the current catalogue snapshot, 30 of 41 current rows are marked solar. Filter Solar diversion on the catalogue rather than treating those three names as the whole list.
Get a quote. We pass the enquiry to opted-in OZEV-authorised electricians. We do not promise a number of quotes, a reply time, or a public installer list.
Other solar rows beside those three
The original three rows are still marked solar: MyEnergi Zappi (catalogue From £999), Zappi Glow (catalogue From £1,099), and Hypervolt Home 3 (catalogue From £899). Head-to-head on those three: Zappi vs Hypervolt.
The same snapshot also marks solar on, among others:
- Hypervolt Home 3 Pro — catalogue From £619, 7.4 kW, tethered, load balancing. Not OCPP in our data.
- Ohme ePod — catalogue From £499. Ohme Home Pro stays not marked solar. Head-to-head on Home Pro vs Zappi: Ohme Home Pro vs MyEnergi Zappi.
- Andersen A3 — catalogue From £995. Andersen A2 stays not marked solar and is not marked OZEV residential-eligible. Head-to-head on that grant flag: Andersen A2 and the eligible model list.
- GivEnergy EV Charger — catalogue From £549, 7.0 kW.
- Fox ESS EV Charger — catalogue From £385, 7.0 kW.
- SolaX Smart EV Charger G2 — catalogue From £290, 7.2 kW.
- Wallbox Pulsar Max — catalogue From £505, 7.4 kW, tethered-or-socket, load balancing, OCPP. Pulsar Plus stays not marked solar. Head-to-head: Wallbox vs Easee.
Those From figures are hardware RRP, not a fitted total. CT-clamp extra, a “solar package” band, or a payback in years are not quoted here.
What the solar flag actually means
A solar mark in our catalogue is a product feature: surplus-PV / Eco modes when the installer fits the hardware and sets the app. It is not a grant checkbox, not an MCS certificate, and not an export-tariff product. Export payments sit with your supplier. See smart energy tariffs for off-peak scheduling, which is a different flag.
New private wallboxes sold in Great Britain still have to be smart. That is separate from surplus-PV — see smart vs dumb.
We do not print a “% of your generation that goes into the car” as if it were lab data for every roof.
Rows that are still not marked solar
These current rows stay not marked solar on the same snapshot: Ohme Home Pro, Pod Point Solo 3, Wallbox Pulsar Plus, Easee One, Easee Charge, and Andersen A2. They can still schedule in their own app. They are not the surplus-PV rows.
A unit that is not marked solar is not automatically a bad driveway charger. It is the wrong pick if the job you asked for is Eco / surplus diversion.
What should be on the quote
If you want surplus-PV charging, say so. Ask the electrician to name:
- the exact catalogue model (not “a solar unit”)
- whether CT clamps, inverter links, or Eco / surplus app setup are included
- the cable run from the consumer unit to the parking place
- whether consumer-unit work is included or excluded
CT clamps and app settings add time on site if you asked for those modes. That should be a line, not a surprise.
How it works is the matching path. You book and pay the electrician. Compare itemised lines if more than one opted-in installer replies. There is no ChargerFit SLA that you will get three quotes.
Grants are a separate check
A solar-marked wallbox is not automatically grant-eligible, and a grant is not a solar grant. From 1 April 2026 the live GOV.UK chargepoint schemes pay up to £500 per socket (75% of the cost, capped at £500). Funding is confirmed until 31 March 2027. See current GOV.UK rules and who still qualifies.
Do not have the charger installed until OZEV has confirmed you are eligible. A row in our catalogue is not automatically grant-eligible.
