Depending on your electrical setup, you can add an IQ EV Charger that plugs into a utility outlet or one that hardwires into your home. Either way, check with your Enphase-certified installer or a licensed electrician to make sure you’re getting the right Enphase charger for your system, and whether you need a main electrical panel upgrade to accommodate the added power draw from the charger. You may also be able to avoid the main panel upgrade with Enphase Power Control software and a consumption meter. Power Control can manage the power flow of your main panel to keep you from overloading breakers, which is important for safely running energy-intensive appliances like EV chargers.
During the charger installation process, your installer may recommend adding more panels to generate more power to help cover the energy needed to charge your car. They'll help you determine if a system expansion would be helpful and how to add more panels, especially if you live in a state like California with net energy metering.
Speaking of NEM, if have it and you want to charge your car using solar, the same considerations of timing and electricity rates apply to when you charge. If you’re on a time-of-use (TOU) rate plan (more and more utilities, especially out west, are implementing these), it may actually be cheaper to charge your car overnight during off-peak power rates, and then let your system put excess energy back into the grid during higher afternoon rates, even though your system may be at peak production for direct solar charging. The smart features of the Enphase IQ EV Charger and Enphase App can help you optimize charging times to save the most money possible.
Regardless of what type of charger you choose and how you want to charge, be sure to ask your installer about available incentives for installing an EV charger. In addition to federal tax incentives, there may also be state, local, and utility incentives that help cover most or all of the cost of purchasing and installing a Wi-Fi-enabled Level 2 charger.
