Solar-linked EV charging pairs your solar array with a smart charger so your vehicle draws on generated energy first, and it is suited to Surrey and SW London homeowners who already have, or are planning, both solar and EV charging. The next step is a site assessment covering your array, consumer unit and vehicle charging needs together. A standard OZEV-compliant EV charger draws at a fixed rate from whichever source is cheapest at the time - which without solar diversion is typically the grid, because the charger has no awareness of what your roof is generating. Your solar array is meanwhile exporting its surplus to the grid at 4 to 6p/kWh while you simultaneously import electricity for your Porsche Taycan or Tesla at 28 to 33p/kWh. This systemic inefficiency is invisible, silent, and expensive. A solar-diversion smart charger is designed to substantially reduce it. By communicating directly with your solar inverter, a Zappi or Andersen A2 monitors available surplus in real-time and dynamically adjusts its charge rate to match - diverting available solar surplus into your vehicle instead of exporting it to the grid at a fraction of its value. The result is a vehicle that can charge at very low marginal cost from surplus solar during daylight hours, and transitions to Octopus Intelligent off-peak scheduling overnight, helping achieve a lower blended charging cost - the exact figures depend on tariff, driving patterns and season. If you also have a home battery, see our battery-linked EV charging page for how the two can work together.
The Zappi and Andersen A2 are not ordinary EV chargers. They are solar diversion controllers that monitor your inverter output at two-second intervals. When your array produces surplus generation above your household load, the charger ramps up its output to match precisely - from 1.4kW minimum to 7.4kW maximum - in continuous, automatic response. Surplus that would be exported at 5p/kWh is instead captured and used to charge your vehicle at close to zero marginal cost. For a Surrey household covering 12,000 miles annually, this single mechanism is typically worth in the region of 900 to 1,400 GBP per year in eliminated fuel cost, depending on mileage and tariff.
A Surrey estate or premium SW London townhouse demands more from its electrical infrastructure than a standard installation. Heat pumps, induction hobs, underfloor heating, server rooms, and climate control can collectively pull 18 to 25kW simultaneously. Adding a 7.4kW EV charger at full output to this load profile risks overloading the incoming supply fuse. Our dynamic load balancing system monitors total current draw across the property in real-time and automatically throttles the EV charger output to maintain total demand within safe limits. It operates without any manual management, without timers, and without compromise to charging speed when other loads are off.
When solar generation ends at dusk, the system does not stop working. On Octopus Intelligent, your smart charger connects to the Octopus API and schedules overnight charging automatically during off-peak hours - typically 11pm to 5am at 7 to 9p/kWh - so your vehicle is typically at full charge by morning. If a battery is also installed, stored solar from the afternoon continues to feed the charger through the early evening before the off-peak window opens. The effective blended cost of charging across a full year on this architecture can fall below 5p/kWh, depending on tariff, driving patterns and seasonal solar generation.
We retrieve your half-hourly Smart Meter data, annual vehicle mileage, and daily charge pattern to model your surplus solar availability against your EV demand curve - establishing the exact charger output and array size to maximise solar fuel coverage across the full year.
Solar, EV charger, and any battery storage are designed as one system. A single G98/G99 DNO application covers the combined peak load. Dynamic load balancing parameters are set against your confirmed supply rating and maximum household demand to maintain safe operation at all times.
Qualified engineers install the complete system in one visit. EV charger cabling is routed through the property structure - through loft spaces, internal wall voids, and conduit where necessary - preserving the architectural integrity of your Surrey estate or SW London period property. All electrical work is carried out to BS 7671 standards.
Solar diversion mode, Octopus Intelligent scheduling, and dynamic load balancing are all configured and verified before we leave site. Relevant compliance documentation and all Tier-1 manufacturer warranties are issued on the day of completion. The system is delivered in line with relevant UK electrical and grid-connection requirements, with certification handled by qualified professionals where required.
Every unit of surplus solar diverted to your vehicle is worth five times more than exporting it to the grid.
Zappi and compatible myenergi chargers monitor your incoming supply in real-time, calculating the gap between solar generation and household load. The charger adjusts output every two seconds to capture precisely that surplus - ramping down as clouds pass and back up as generation recovers.
The architectural character of a Surrey estate or Edwardian townhouse must not be compromised by exposed EV cabling.
We treat cabling concealment as an engineering discipline, not an optional upgrade. Before installation begins, our engineers survey every concealed route through roof voids, wall cavities, joist runs, and underfloor channels. The only visible result is the charger unit itself.
A luxury home's electrical environment is dynamic - the EV charger must respond to it automatically, without manual intervention.
Heat pumps, induction hobs, underfloor heating, and climate control create fluctuating demand throughout the day. A current transformer on the main tails measures total property draw continuously, and the charger adjusts output in real-time to protect your incoming supply fuse.
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Installing solar and EV charging together can deliver capital savings and reduces the duplication costs of separate projects.
Some residential solar, battery storage and qualifying energy-saving installations may be eligible for 0% VAT, subject to current HMRC rules and confirmation at quotation - where eligible, this could represent an indicative saving in the region of 2,400 GBP on a 12,000 GBP project. One DNO submission, one scaffolding mobilisation, and one engineer programme covers both systems.
"We have two EVs on the estate and the Zappi integration with our 8kWp array means both vehicles charge on surplus solar for the majority of the year. The pre-installation model estimated 78% solar fuel coverage across 12 months - actual monitored performance has come in at 81%. The dynamic load balancing has not tripped the supply once and we have not noticed it operating."
"The Andersen A2 looks exactly right on our Edwardian facade. The cabling is completely hidden and the engineers treated the concealment route through the utility room as carefully as the electrical work itself. Our Porsche Taycan now charges on surplus solar during the day and Octopus Intelligent overnight - the effective blended cost over 14 months has been under 4p/kWh. The DNO application and all paperwork was handled without any involvement from us."
A standard 7.4kW OZEV-compliant charger connected to a property with solar panels exports surplus generation at 5p/kWh and simultaneously imports electricity for the vehicle at 28p/kWh. On an 8kWp Surrey array generating 7,000 kWh per year with 30% daytime surplus, this inefficiency costs approximately 1,600 GBP per year in avoidable grid purchases. A Zappi installed alongside the same array is designed to recover the majority of that margin automatically.
Solar diversion charges the vehicle during daylight hours when surplus exists. But what about the evening commute charge, or morning departure before the sun is active? A battery storage system captures the afternoon generation surplus the vehicle could not absorb in real time and holds it for evening discharge directly to the charger - extending solar fuel coverage to 75 to 90% of annual mileage on a correctly sized combined system.
The EV chargers we install meet the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) technical standard for safety, metering accuracy, and smart functionality. OZEV-compliant smart functionality is a prerequisite for integration with the Octopus Intelligent smart charging API. Without an OZEV-compliant charger, the automatic off-peak scheduling that delivers sub-10p/kWh overnight charging is not available to you.
For a Surrey or SW London household with one EV covering 10,000 miles per year, a solar diversion charger can eliminate the cost of approximately 2,850 kWh of grid electricity annually. At 28 to 33p/kWh, this represents an indicative 800 to 940 GBP per year in fuel savings from the solar diversion mechanism alone, before accounting for Octopus Intelligent off-peak scheduling, which reduces the overnight top-up cost to 7 to 9p/kWh. On a properly integrated system, the combined annual fuel cost for 10,000 miles of driving is typically in the region of 200 GBP. Actual savings depend on driving patterns, tariff and system sizing, and are confirmed through your property-specific model.
For most Surrey and SW London luxury homes it is essential rather than optional. A property with a heat pump, induction hob, underfloor heating, and climate control can draw 18 to 25kW during peak usage periods. Adding a 7.4kW EV charger at full output to this load risks overloading the main service fuse. Dynamic load balancing monitors total current draw in real-time and reduces the charger output automatically to maintain safe operation. It adds minimal cost to the installation and reduces the risk of nuisance tripping or supply fuse failure.
The Zappi is the optimal choice for maximum solar diversion intelligence and myenergi ecosystem integration, particularly where a battery is also installed. The Andersen A2 is specified for properties where aesthetics take priority alongside solar compatibility - its hardwood front panel options, precision-machined casing, and compact footprint make it suited to Victorian, Edwardian, and contemporary luxury properties where standard charger aesthetics would be architecturally inappropriate. We advise on the specification at the initial site assessment based on your property, vehicle, and system configuration.
Octopus Intelligent provides a fixed off-peak rate of 7 to 9p/kWh during a six-hour overnight window, typically 11pm to 5am. Your smart charger connects directly to the Octopus API and schedules charging automatically within this window - no manual timers required. During the day, the charger operates in solar diversion mode, drawing from your array. In the evening before the off-peak window, if a battery is installed, stored solar continues to feed the charger. The tariff and solar diversion modes switch automatically based on time and available generation. We configure the full integration at commissioning.
A solar EV charging system supports both your transport running costs and your wider energy strategy. The case for it rests on substantially reducing one of the more expensive forms of energy consumption in the household - vehicle charging at peak grid rates.
Our premium engineering delivers:
"We engineer systems to reduce the cost of transport as well as the cost of energy - two of the largest utility outgoings for a luxury household."