One of the most common questions Landmark Electrical receives from homeowners planning solar or an EV charger is whether they need to upgrade their switchboard first. The answer is not a blanket yes or no — it depends on the age and capacity of your existing board. But understanding the relationship between your switchboard, your solar system, and your EV charger saves you from expensive surprises mid-installation.
This guide explains what each technology requires from your electrical panel, when an upgrade is needed before proceeding, and how to plan an upgrade that covers both. It links to our detailed guides on switchboard upgrades in Sydney and EV charger installation.
Landmark Electrical can coordinate switchboard upgrades, solar electrical connections, and EV charger installations in a single visit. Call 0405 091 456 for a free assessment.
What Solar Panels Require from Your Switchboard
A solar PV system connects to your home’s electrical supply at the main switchboard. The inverter — which converts DC power from the panels into AC power for the home — feeds into a dedicated circuit breaker in the board. To accommodate a solar installation, your switchboard must provide:
- A dedicated circuit breaker for the inverter output — typically 16A for a standard 5 kW system, higher for larger systems
- Appropriate labelling — the inverter circuit must be labelled so it can be safely isolated during maintenance
- Compliance with the inverter’s AS/NZS 4777 connection requirements — including anti-islanding protection built into modern inverters
- Sufficient capacity on the mains — the existing consumer mains cable must be able to handle both the home’s peak load and the inverter’s export capacity simultaneously
For most Sydney homes with a modern switchboard (post-2000, MCBs and RCDs already present, spare ways available), a standard solar installation does not require a switchboard upgrade. The solar installer or their nominated electrician connects the inverter to a spare way in the existing board.
A switchboard upgrade is required for solar when:
- The board is a ceramic fuse board (no spare ways compatible with modern inverter connection requirements)
- The board is full with no spare circuit positions
- The mains cable is undersized for the additional export current
- The board lacks the protection devices required under AS/NZS 4777
What an EV Charger Requires from Your Switchboard
A Level 2 EV charger (7.4 kW, the most common residential installation in Sydney) draws a continuous 32A on a dedicated circuit. This is higher than almost any other residential appliance. The switchboard must provide:
- A spare circuit way for a 32A dedicated breaker
- A 32A RCBO or MCB + RCD for the new circuit
- Sufficient mains capacity to handle the home’s peak load plus 32A simultaneously
For a detailed breakdown of when a switchboard upgrade is and is not required before an EV charger, see our guide on EV charger and switchboard upgrades.
Planning Both Solar and EV: The Smart Order of Operations
If you are planning both solar panels and an EV charger — which is an increasingly common combination as Sydney homeowners look to charge their cars from their own generation — there is a logical order to the electrical planning:
- Start with a switchboard assessment — before committing to a solar installer or an EV charger, have an electrician assess your board. They will tell you whether it can accommodate both the solar inverter circuit and the EV charger circuit without modification, or whether an upgrade is required.
- Upgrade the switchboard if required — if the board needs upgrading, do this before the solar installation. The solar installer will work with the upgraded board, and the EV charger can be added either at the same time or later.
- Install solar — the solar electrical connection (inverter to switchboard) is performed by the solar installer’s electrician, covered by their own CCEW.
- Install the EV charger — with the upgraded board and the solar system in place, the EV charger installation is straightforward. For maximum benefit, choose a smart charger with solar integration so it charges preferentially from your surplus generation.
If your board can accommodate both without upgrade, the order is simpler: solar installation, then EV charger installation, either at the same time or in any order that suits your timeline.
The Solar + EV Charger Combination: Why It Works So Well
Charging your EV from solar power is one of the most financially attractive uses of a home PV system. Here is why:
- Feed-in tariffs in NSW are low — typically $0.05–$0.10 per kWh exported to the grid. If you are exporting 5 kW from your solar system while your EV sits idle in the garage, you are earning 5–10 cents per kWh.
- Using that power to charge your EV instead avoids a purchase at $0.28–$0.35 per kWh — the equivalent of buying fuel for approximately $3–4 per 100 km travelled, compared to $4–5 per 100 km if charging at off-peak grid rates.
- Pairing a smart charger with solar monitoring software effectively gives you free petrol for your car during daylight hours.
For this to work, you need a smart EV charger that can communicate with your solar inverter’s monitoring system (or with a dedicated home energy management system). Models like the Ocular OC10 and the Wallbox Pulsar Plus offer this integration natively.
Three-Phase Supply: When It Changes the Equation
If your property has three-phase supply — which some Sydney homes do, particularly those with ducted air conditioning, large solar systems, or home workshops — a three-phase EV charger (11 kW or 22 kW) becomes an option. Three-phase charging can add 75–150 km of range per hour, which is transformative for high-mileage drivers.
However, if your property does not currently have three-phase supply, adding it specifically for EV charging is expensive: a three-phase connection upgrade involves the network operator (Ausgrid or Endeavour Energy), is Level 2 ASP work, and typically costs $3,000–$6,000 before any board or charger costs. This is rarely economical for the charging speed benefit alone.
If you are in the process of planning a major electrical upgrade for multiple reasons — large solar system, battery storage, EV charging — a combined assessment to determine whether three-phase makes sense in your specific situation is worth doing. Call Landmark on 0405 091 456 and we can advise.
What to Tell Your Solar Installer
If you are getting quotes for solar and you also own or plan to buy an EV, tell your solar installer upfront. This allows them to:
- Size the solar system appropriately to cover both household load and EV charging (typically adding 2–3 kW to the recommended system size)
- Select an inverter with EV charging integration support if you want to use solar-aware smart charging
- Ensure the switchboard assessment accounts for the EV circuit as well as the solar inverter circuit
Doing this upfront prevents the scenario where you install a 6.6 kW solar system sized for your household, then add an EV charger 12 months later and find you are constantly drawing from the grid to charge — because the solar system is not large enough to cover both.
Landmark Electrical: Coordinated Switchboard, Solar, and EV Installations
Landmark Electrical performs the electrical work across all three components of this combination:
Coordinating all three through a single licensed contractor simplifies scheduling, reduces total cost, and means a single point of contact for any questions about compliance or future upgrades.
Call 0405 091 456 for a free combined assessment. NSW licence REC 377159C. $0 call-out fee. 24/7 availability across Greater Sydney.
Frequently Asked Questions
My solar installer said I don’t need a switchboard upgrade. Should I still get a second opinion?
A reputable solar installer will only make this assessment if their electrician has physically inspected your switchboard. If the statement was made on the phone or online before a site visit, treat it as provisional — the actual assessment depends on what the electrician finds when they open the board. It is reasonable to ask your installer to confirm in writing that the board does not require modification before the solar installation proceeds.
Can I install solar now and add an EV charger later?
Yes. Many homeowners install solar first and add an EV charger when they acquire an electric vehicle. As long as your switchboard has a spare way at the time of the EV installation, and the mains capacity is sufficient for both loads, the order does not matter electrically. The only consideration is whether solar sizing — discussed above — accounts for future EV charging demand.
Does combining solar and EV charging require a bigger battery?
Not necessarily. If you charge your EV during the day (while solar is generating), you can do so directly from the panels without a battery. A battery becomes useful if you want to charge the EV in the evening using stored solar energy rather than grid power. Battery storage adds significant cost — speak to a solar designer about whether it makes sense for your usage pattern before committing.
What happens to my EV charger if there is a power outage?
In a standard grid-connected system, your EV charger (and solar inverter) will stop working during a grid outage due to anti-islanding requirements. If you have a battery backup system with backup-capable inverter (such as the Tesla Powerwall or SolarEdge Energy Bank), your charger may continue to operate at reduced power during an outage, depending on the system configuration.
