An expert guide to EV charging with solar in Sydney Pairing an electric vehicle (EV) with a rooftop solar system is one of the most effective ways to reduce your household running costs and carbon footprint. By charging your car with free energy from the sun, you can virtually eliminate fuel costs. However, to make it work effectively, you must size your solar system correctly.

This guide provides a data-driven approach to help Sydney homeowners determine the right-sized solar system to meet both their home and EV charging needs, ensuring a smart, long-term investment.

Step 1: Understand your daily driving energy needs

The first step is to calculate how much extra energy your EV will require each day. This depends on two factors: how far you drive and how efficient your vehicle is.

• Average daily driving distance in Sydney: While individual habits vary, data suggests the average car in Sydney travels between 35 and 55 km per day. We recommend using a figure from the higher end of this range to create a buffer.

• EV energy consumption: Different EV models have different efficiency ratings, measured in kilowatt-hours per 100 kilometres (kWh/100km). More efficient cars use less energy to travel the same distance.

Here’s a look at the approximate energy consumption of some popular EV models in Australia:

As the table shows, a typical Sydney driver will need an extra 7-9 kWh of energy per day to charge their vehicle.

Step 2: Calculate the required solar generation for your EV

Once you know your daily energy requirement, you can determine how much solar capacity is needed to generate it. In Sydney, the amount of energy a solar system produces varies by season.

On average, a well-positioned 1 kW solar system in Sydney will generate about 3.9 kWh of electricity per day over the year. However, this can be higher in summer (up to 6.7 kWh) and lower in winter (around 3.4 kWh). Using the conservative year-round average is the safest approach for sizing.

Calculation:

• Daily EV Energy Need / Daily Solar Generation per kW = Required Solar Capacity for EV

• Using our example: 8 kWh / 3.9 kWh/kW = 2.05 kW

This means you need just over 2 kW of dedicated solar panels to cover the daily charging needs of a typical EV. To be safe and account for cloudy days, we recommend sizing this to at least 3 kW.

Step 3: Combine home and EV needs for your total system size

The 3 kW calculated above is in addition to the solar capacity needed to power your home. A typical Australian household uses around 20-25 kWh of electricity per day, which is best served by a 6.6 kW solar system.

• Home System Size + EV System Size = Total Recommended System Size

• 6.6 kW + 3 kW = 9.6 kW

For most Sydney households adding an EV, a 10 kW solar system is the ideal target. This size provides ample power for both the home and the vehicle, maximises the federal rebate, and offers a strong return on investment. A 10kW system in Sydney costs between $8,000 and $13,000 after the federal rebate is applied.

Case Study: A Parramatta Family’s Smart Energy Upgrade The Sharma family in Parramatta were paying over $700 per quarter for electricity and running two petrol cars. They installed a 10 kW solar system with Trina panels and a Fronius inverter, along with a Zappi smart EV charger, for a total cost of $12,500. After the federal STC rebate reduced the cost to around $9,300, their savings were immediate. By charging their new Tesla Model Y almost exclusively from solar, they are now saving over $2,400 annually on electricity and fuel combined. Their system is on track to pay for itself in under six years, and their last power bill was just the daily grid connection fee.

Matching solar panel output to EV charging needs with a smart charger

Simply having solar panels isn’t enough. Solar energy is generated during the day, but many people charge their EVs overnight. A smart EV charger is the critical link that solves this problem.

Unlike a basic charger that just draws power from the grid, a smart charger can monitor your solar output and automatically divert only excess solar energy to your car. This ensures you are using 100% free, self-generated power.

AU Solar Panels’s Pro Tip: When selecting a smart charger, check its compatibility with your solar inverter. While most are brand-agnostic, some, like the SolarEdge Home EV Charger, are designed to integrate seamlessly with their own inverter ecosystem for enhanced performance data.

Here is a comparison of popular solar-compatible smart EV chargers available in Australia:

Integrating battery storage for ultimate energy independence

For those who want to charge their EV with solar at any time, including overnight or on rainy days, adding a home battery is the ultimate solution.

A solar and battery system allows you to store your excess solar energy generated during the day and use it to charge your car whenever it’s convenient. This creates a truly self-sufficient system, reduces your reliance on the grid to almost zero, and protects you from evening peak electricity tariffs. Brands like the Tesla Powerwall or Sungrow SBR are popular choices for integration with solar and EV charging setups.

Sydney solar and EV charger rebates and incentives

While some past NSW-specific incentives have closed, Sydney residents can still access significant financial support:

• Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES): This federal scheme provides a point-of-sale discount on the upfront cost of a new solar system. For a 10 kW system in Sydney installed in 2025, this can reduce the price by around $3,200. The value of this incentive reduces each year, so acting sooner provides a larger discount.

• Federal Cheaper Home Batteries Program: As of mid-2025, a new federal program offers a significant discount (around 30%) on the cost of an eligible home battery, making the addition of storage more affordable.

• EV Charger Incentives: Currently, there are no NSW government rebates for residential EV charger installations. The value comes from using the charger to avoid paying for grid electricity or public charging.

Is your home ready for solar and EV charging?

Sizing your solar system to accommodate an EV is a straightforward process when you use real-world data. For a typical Sydney driver, adding around 3-4 kW of solar capacity to your home’s existing needs—landing on a total system size of around 10 kW—is a powerful investment in your energy future. Paired with a smart charger, it will drastically reduce your household running costs for years to come.

If you are ready to explore your options, we can connect you with trusted local professionals who can provide a detailed assessment and a tailored quote for your home.