Start by having a licensed electrician assess your existing circuit protection, wiring, switchboard and available supply capacity. Then plan the EV charger and solar installation together, upgrading what is needed to support them safely. A full rewire, replacement switchboard or larger electricity supply is not automatically necessary.
The aim is to understand what your home can already support, what needs attention, and how each addition will fit into a coordinated plan.
Why planning both together matters
An EV charger uses electricity, often for several hours. Solar panels generate electricity when sunlight is available. These are different changes to your home’s electrical foundation, and one does not automatically solve the requirements of the other.
For a Dunedin home, the useful starting question is: Are the circuits properly protected, and can the existing system safely accommodate what we are planning?
1. Start with circuit safety
Before choosing equipment, ask your electrician to review:
The condition of the wiring and earthing.
How the existing circuits are protected.
The suitability of the switchboard for the proposed additions.
Any defects or limitations that affect the new work.
A fixed EV charging installation needs a correctly designed charging circuit with suitable protection. EV charging has particular requirements for protection against electrical leakage, so an existing RCD should not simply be assumed suitable. The protection arrangement needs to meet current New Zealand requirements and suit the equipment being installed. WorkSafe’s EV charging guidance
Also ask which improvements are necessary for the installation and which are recommended for the wider home. That distinction helps you prioritise spending without losing sight of circuit safety.
2. Separate switchboard space from electrical capacity
An empty space in the switchboard tells you there may be physical room for another device. It does not tell you how much additional demand the home can support.
Your electrician needs to consider the incoming supply, cable ratings, switchboard equipment and the appliances likely to operate together.
For example, charging the car while cooking dinner, heating the house and reheating hot water creates a different situation from charging after those demands have reduced.
Solar also adds a source of supply. Its connection must be assessed against the ratings and arrangement of the existing electrical equipment.
The outcome might be targeted improvements, additional switchboard space or a more substantial upgrade. The assessment should determine the scope, not the age or appearance of the switchboard alone.
3. Choose charging around your daily needs
The fastest charger is not necessarily the most useful choice for your home.
Consider how far you usually drive, how long the car is parked, and when it needs to be ready again.
A suitably configured charger with dynamic load management can reduce its charging rate when the rest of the house is using more electricity. This may help accommodate charging within the existing supply capacity. However, load management does not replace sound wiring or correct circuit protection. EECA’s smart charger guidance
Ask whether the proposed installation includes that capability and any monitoring equipment it needs.
4. Make solar and charging work together
Solar planning should consider your electricity use, future demand, roof condition, orientation and shading. Timing matters too: solar generation happens during daylight, so it cannot be relied on to cover an evening charging load directly. EECA’s solar planning guide
If your car is regularly home during the day, a charger with solar-surplus control can adjust charging to use spare generation. This is a specific capability, so confirm it is included rather than assuming every “smart” charger provides it. Example of solar-surplus charging controls
If a battery is a future possibility, discuss compatibility and space now. Backup power also needs deliberate design: ordinary grid-connected solar should not be assumed to keep your home operating during an outage. Aurora Energy’s solar connection guidance
5. Coordinate installation and approvals
Even if EV charging comes first and solar comes later, agree on a shared plan for switchboard space, cable routes, equipment locations and monitoring.
This can reduce the likelihood of reopening finished areas or relocating equipment during the next project.
For properties connected to Aurora Energy’s network, solar installation involves its distributed-generation connection process. Your installer should clarify the application, approved equipment, export conditions, inspection and metering arrangements before the system is connected. Aurora’s small-scale generation process
At handover, ask for the applicable electrical certificates, inspection records, updated circuit labels and a clear explanation of the controls.
When should you get advice?
Before committing to either installation, particularly if your switchboard is crowded, protection is unclear or other electrical upgrades are planned.
Riverline’s Power Integrity Review™ provides a starting point for understanding your existing electrical foundation and identifying the next steps. Detailed installation design or further testing may still be needed.
The takeaway
Supporting EV charging and solar starts with safer circuits and a clear understanding of capacity.
Assess first, address the necessary improvements, and plan both additions together. That gives you a practical pathway to modernise your home without assuming everything needs replacing.