Solutions
Use your own solar power to charge your car, and understand what your inverter and battery can and can't do during load shedding.
A solar system produces most during the middle of the day. If your car is at home then, a solar-ready charger can soak up the surplus instead of exporting it or wasting it. If your car is away during the day, a battery can store some solar energy, but an EV battery is usually much larger than a home battery, so most owners still use the grid for part of their charging.
Before recommending anything, our site assessment looks at your inverter model, battery capacity, solar production and DB board layout.
We won’t promise that you can charge “off-grid” through load shedding. A typical home AC charger draws more than many home inverters can supply on battery. Where your system allows, we can set the charger to a lower rate on backup power, or keep it on the grid side so it never drains your batteries.
Solar and battery installations have their own rules, and requirements differ between municipalities and Eskom. We register your system with your municipality where required, and every new circuit we add is certified with a CoC as part of our installation service.
Read our post on charging an EV during load shedding, or request a quote and tell us about your system.
Why it works
Solar-ready chargers can follow your solar surplus, so more of your car's energy comes from your roof.
Charging in the day from solar means less energy bought from Eskom or your municipality.
We check whether your inverter and battery can run a charger during an outage, and at what power, before you rely on it.
We register your system with your municipality where required and keep your CoC up to date.
What to expect
An EV charger draws far more power than lights and Wi-Fi. Whether you can charge during load shedding depends on your inverter size, battery capacity and how the charger is wired. We tell you what your system can realistically do, and what it would take to do more.
Options
Three common starting points.
A 7 kW charger that can adjust its charging rate to your solar surplus.
For homes with a three-phase supply and a larger solar system.
We check your inverter, battery and DB board before recommending anything.
Our process
One team from first enquiry to a working, certified charger. You always know what happens next.
Tell us about your property, your vehicles and what you want to achieve. Photos of your DB board help.
We check your supply, available load, cable route and mounting position, on site or from photos.
A written, itemised quote: charger, installation, any upgrades and the CoC. No surprises later.
Registered electricians install a dedicated, protected circuit and mount the charger neatly.
We configure the charger, test it with you, hand over the CoC and show you how to use it.
Chargers
![[Brand] [Model] 7.4 kW AC wallbox charger, front view](/_astro/ph-1x1-a.B_y-El6F_Z1uGB7E.jpg)
[Brand]
A compact single-phase wallbox with a tethered Type 2 cable, app scheduling and load management, made for overnight charging at home.
![[Brand] [Model] 22 kW AC wallbox charger, front view](/_astro/ph-1x1-b.D63u70vq_ZaQKi6.jpg)
[Brand]
A three-phase wallbox for homes and small businesses that have the supply to charge quicker, with a universal Type 2 socket and RFID or app access.
Who it's for
Supply planning, EV-ready cabling and charger installation for new residential and mixed-use developments.
Destination charging for hotels, lodges, guesthouses, wine estates and venues.
Shared charging for office parks and commercial buildings, with tenant access, billing and load management.
Services
An on-site or photo-based check of your supply, DB board and cable route that turns a rough estimate into a fixed quote.
Safe, compliant installation of home, commercial and DC chargers by registered electricians, with a CoC issued for the new work.
Configuration and testing of your charger's network, app, OCPP platform, access control and load management, finished with a live charging test.
Only if your backup system is big enough and wired to supply the charger. Many home inverters and batteries are sized for essential loads, not a 7 kW charger. Some owners charge at a reduced rate from backup power; others charge only when the grid is on. We'll assess what your system can do.
Some smart chargers can adjust their charging rate to follow excess solar, if they're paired with a compatible energy meter or inverter. It depends on the charger and your system, so we check compatibility first.
Municipalities and Eskom have their own requirements for small-scale embedded generation, and these differ by area. We register your system with your municipality where required.
[Confirm: we install solar and battery systems / we work with a solar partner]. Either way, we make sure your EV charger is integrated safely.
It depends on your tariff, your solar production and when you drive. Our charging cost calculator helps you compare. We don't promise a payback period without looking at your system.
Talk to StrataCharge
Tell us about your site and the vehicles you need to charge. We reply to messages within one business day.