Solar + EV Charging FAQs

SME scale: 50kW rooftop solar plus four dual-socket 22kW chargers runs £55,000–£70,000 installed in 2026, before the WCS grant and tax relief. Fleet depot scale: £150,000–£500,000+ depending on vehicle count, solar size and grid position. Combining the projects saves 10–20% against procuring them separately.

Up to £350 per socket, capped at 40 sockets per applicant (£14,000 maximum). Registered businesses, charities and public bodies with dedicated off-street parking qualify, installation must be by an OZEV-authorised installer using approved hardware. The voucher discounts your invoice directly — no retrospective claim.

Yes, through the site's electrical distribution rather than a direct cable. Generation flows to whatever load exists — chargers prioritised by smart scheduling — and the grid covers shortfalls. Daytime-parked fleets achieve 30–60% solar-powered vehicle energy across a year; the rest comes from grid at your commercial rate.

A van doing 18,000 miles a year uses roughly 5,100kWh. At UK yields (~870kWh per kWp) that is about 6kWp — 13 panels at 460W — of dedicated array. A 100kW roof therefore carries the annual energy of roughly 16–17 such vans, schedule permitting. Instantaneous charging still mixes solar and grid; the annual energy balance is what the sizing targets.

Almost certainly further than the nameplate arithmetic suggests. Dynamic load management fits charging inside measured headroom by modulating socket power against real-time site demand — routinely supporting three to five times more sockets than naïve calculations allow. Genuine supply upgrades are the last resort, not the first quote.

Rooftop solar on commercial buildings generally proceeds under permitted development (conditions apply; listed buildings and some designations excepted). Wall and post-mounted workplace chargers are likewise usually permitted. Solar canopies are the exception — new structures that normally need a planning application, typically well received on existing car parks.

Speed and supply demand. 7kW adds 25–30 miles of van range per parked hour and is gentle on capacity — ideal for all-day or overnight dwell. 22kW triples the rate where the vehicle's on-board charger accepts it (many vans cap below 22kW AC — check per model). Most sites mix: 7kW spine, a few 22kW turnaround bays.

Only where the operation needs mid-shift turnarounds — a 50–150kW DC unit costs £25,000–£60,000 installed and draws more than most arrays generate at any instant. Depots running staggered shifts often justify one DC unit alongside an AC estate; pure 9-to-5 workplaces almost never do.

Four to six years on typical combined projects, net of the WCS grant and year-one tax relief — and faster for high-mileage fleets, where avoided public charging (60–85p/kWh in 2026) does the heavy lifting. Every kWh moved from public rapid to on-site solar saves 55p or more.

The Annual Investment Allowance gives a 100% first-year deduction on qualifying plant up to £1m — covering both solar and charging equipment on most projects. Solar also qualifies for the 50% special-rate first-year allowance where AIA is exhausted. Commercial installations carry 20% VAT (recoverable for VAT-registered businesses); the 0% solar VAT rate is domestic-only until March 2027.

The Electric Vehicles (Smart Charge Points) Regulations 2021 impose smart functionality at the point of sale for relevant chargepoints — domestic and workplace units in scope. Practical effect for buyers: reputable 2026 commercial hardware ships compliant, and your installer should evidence it. Specify OCPP on top, which the regulations don't require but vendor-independence does.

Only when the data says so. Storage at £350–£550/kWh installed earns its keep where overnight charging is large, tariff spreads are wide, or supply capacity is hard-constrained. Many sites get better returns from more panels or smarter scheduling. Model first, buy second.

Promising, proven in trials, not yet a default specification. Vehicle compatibility is model-specific, discharge hardware carries a DC price premium, and revenue depends on aggregator contracts. Build V2G-ready (OCPP, duct capacity, bidirectional-roadmap platforms) on today's economics — the V2G page covers the full position.

Yes — free, subsidised or per-kWh billing are all configurable, with policies differing by user group. Solar-equipped sites often price staff charging between solar cost and grid rate: staff still halve their public-charging cost, the business recovers its energy. Back-office platforms handle billing, receipts and VAT.

Three inputs: 12 months of half-hourly meter data, your fleet or staff-charging expectations (vehicle counts, schedules, mileages), and the site address. That produces a combined desk feasibility — array size, socket plan, load management approach, grid position, WCS eligibility and cash flow — in writing, within 7 working days.