Solar-Integrated EV Charging for UK Businesses

Workplace EV charging in 2026 is a genuinely useful addition to commercial solar — but only when specified properly. The choices matter: 7 kW vs 22 kW vs 50 kW DC fast, single-phase vs three-phase, RFID-restricted vs open public, locked-in operator software vs OCPP-open hardware, and how the chargers integrate with your PV array. Done well, workplace charging captures the OZEV Workplace Charging Scheme grant, lifts solar self-consumption, and (on retail and hospitality sites) creates a small profit centre. Done badly, you end up with stranded copper and locked-in software fees. Here's how to do it right.

The OZEV Workplace Charging Scheme — the headline grant

The Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS) covers 75% of eligible install cost up to £350 per socket, capped at 40 sockets per company across all sites. So a four-socket 7 kW workplace cluster gets £1,400 off the install. A 40-socket maximum-grant install gets £14,000 off. The grant flows through OZEV-authorised installers — we are, the application is straightforward, and the grant is netted off your invoice rather than chased after the event. Eligibility requires the unit to sit on the OZEV-approved hardware list (most reputable manufacturers are listed), the install to be on commercial premises, and a valid OZEV voucher issued before contract. WCS reform is anticipated through 2026 with possible extensions for high-throughput fleet operators — we monitor the consultation and adjust pricing accordingly.

7 kW vs 22 kW vs 50 kW DC fast — which fits where

Charger choice is dictated by dwell time on site, not headline kW. 7 kW AC chargers use single-phase supply, deliver around 30 miles of range per hour of charging, and suit dwell times above 4 hours — overnight workplace charging, all-day office parking, hotel guest charging, long-stay airport parking. They are by far the cheapest at £1,400–£2,000 per socket installed. 22 kW AC chargers need three-phase supply, deliver around 95 miles per hour, and suit dwell times of 2–4 hours — most retail, hospitality, gym, and dental practice settings. £2,400–£3,500 per socket installed. 50 kW DC fast chargers deliver around 200 miles in 30 minutes and suit short dwell times of 20–60 minutes — forecourts, motorway service areas, supermarkets, fleet depots and quick-serve retail. £18,000–£32,000 per unit installed plus DNO supply upgrade where required. 150 kW+ rapid DC chargers serve premium forecourts and high-throughput sites where 10–15 minute charges are demanded — £55,000+ per unit and almost always require an HV supply or substantial reinforcement. Choose the technology that matches typical user dwell time. Over-specifying creates expensive idle copper.

Solar-integrated charging — making PV and EV work together

This is where commercial PV plus workplace charging becomes genuinely interesting. A 100 kW PV array generates roughly 90,000–95,000 kWh per year. A typical 7 kW workplace charger drawn down by one daily user consumes 8,000–12,000 kWh per year. Without intelligent load management, chargers draw from the grid whenever in use — fine, but it leaves PV surplus exporting at SEG (5–7p/kWh) while the chargers import at 24p+/kWh. With dynamic load management (DLM) — a controller that monitors PV output and prioritises charger demand against available solar — surplus PV gets routed to active chargers in real time, lifting self-consumption from 65–70% to 80–90%. On a 100 kW PV plus 4-socket 7 kW workplace cluster, that uplift typically delivers £2,500–£4,500 per year of additional benefit on top of pure-PV savings. Hardware support for DLM is now standard on most premium AC chargers (EO, Wallbox Commander, Zaptec Pro) and we specify it on every solar-paired install.

Backoffice software — Monta, Char.gy, Pod Point and the OCPP question

The single most important question on any commercial EV charging install is: who controls the backoffice software? You have three options. Open public charging via Monta, Char.gy, Mer or ChargePoint works well for retail, hospitality, gym and forecourt sites where you want to monetise charging as a profit centre. The platform handles tariff setting, billing, RFID and contactless payment, customer support, and reporting; you pay 10–15% of revenue as platform fees and take the rest. Restricted access via Monta Hub, EO Genius or Smappee works well for employee-only or fleet-only sites where access control is the priority. Open-public via Pod Point, BP Pulse or Osprey Networks works as turnkey operations where the operator owns and manages the entire stack — cheaper upfront, less control. The non-negotiable rule: every charger we install is OCPP 1.6+ compliant. OCPP (Open Charge Point Protocol) is the industry-standard interface that lets a charger talk to any backoffice software. If a vendor offers chargers that only work with their proprietary backoffice, walk away. We specify and install hardware that lets you switch operators in 24 hours if Monta puts up its fees or your needs change.

RFID, Plug & Charge and access control

Three access mechanisms cover most commercial use cases. RFID cards remain the most common workplace approach — staff or guests tap a card to start a session, the card identifies the user, and billing flows through the backoffice. RFID cards cost £2–£5 each and are easily reissued. App-based access via Monta, Char.gy, Mer etc. lets users scan a QR code or use a registered phone — works well for public charging where you don't want to hand out RFID cards. Plug & Charge (ISO 15118-compliant) is the emerging standard where the car authenticates directly with the charger via the cable — no RFID, no app — and is becoming standard on new EVs through 2026 and beyond. We specify hardware that supports all three so the install doesn't go obsolete in five years.

Sector use cases — where workplace charging genuinely earns its keep

Five sectors consistently show workplace charging delivering strong economics. Hotels with overnight guests: 7 kW AC chargers in 4–8-socket clusters, charged at premium tariffs (60–80p/kWh) to guests on app-based payment. Typical hotel sees £3,000–£6,000 of net annual revenue per cluster after platform fees, plus the marketing value of "EV-friendly" listing on Booking.com. Retail and food retail: 22 kW AC or 50 kW DC fast in customer car parks, monetised via Monta or Char.gy at 70–85p/kWh — drives footfall and dwell time, particularly powerful at supermarkets, garden centres and DIY. Hospitality and forecourt: 50–150 kW DC fast as primary attractor, often combined with retail offerings on site — operationally complex but high revenue per unit. Office and professional services: 7 kW workplace AC for staff, free or subsidised access as employee benefit, OZEV grant-funded — modest direct economics, strong recruitment and retention case. Fleet depots and last-mile distribution: 22 kW AC overnight, sometimes complemented with 50 kW DC top-up at lunch — heavy load management requirements and frequent need for substantial DNO supply upgrade.

Install timelines and DNO considerations

AC charger installs are fast: 7 kW and 22 kW clusters typically run 1–2 weeks from site survey to commissioning, including civils, cable runs, switchgear and commissioning. The constraint is often electrical headroom — a typical 200 A three-phase commercial supply has enough headroom for around 80 kW of additional EV charger load before requiring upgrade. We model headroom carefully and combine load management with phasing across visits to maximise grant headroom under WCS. DC fast charger installs run longer: 50 kW DC needs a three-phase supply with at least 100 A spare per phase, often combined with switchgear upgrade. DNO G99 application typically applies above 50 kW per phase per location. 6–10 week project timeline is realistic for a single 50 kW unit, longer for multi-unit forecourts.

Worked example — 4-socket workplace cluster on a Manchester office

Real-shape project: 65-staff professional services office on a Manchester business park, three-phase 100 A supply with 30 kVA headroom, existing 100 kW solar PV on the roof. Quoted £8,200 plus VAT for four EO Genius 7 kW chargers with DLM controller, mounted on bollards in the car park, full RFID and Monta backoffice. OZEV WCS grant £1,400 (4 sockets x £350) netted off the bill. Net cost £6,800. Annual usage modelled at 18,000 kWh across the four sockets (typical for 65-staff office with growing EV adoption). With DLM directing PV surplus to active chargers, 12,400 kWh comes from solar (avoiding 24p/kWh import = £2,976) and 5,600 kWh from grid imports (£1,344 cost) versus £4,320 of grid-only operation. Net annual benefit including PV uplift: £2,640. Charger payback against AIA-relieved capex of £5,100 (£6,800 less 25% AIA tax relief): 1.9 years. Full OZEV paperwork handled by us as authorised installer.

Civils, signage and DDA compliance

EV charging install isn't just electrical work — civils, surfacing and accessibility shape both cost and operational success. Charger mounting either uses bollards in car parks (the standard for surface-mounted units) or wall-mounting against the building, with dedicated chargepoint signage. New civils for cable trenching from the consumer unit to the charger run typically cost £80–£140 per metre depending on surfacing — soft ground is cheap, tarmac and concrete are not. White-line surface marking and signage to BS 8300 / DfT EV bay guidelines costs £400–£900 per bay. DDA-compliant accessible bays (1 in every 10 EV bays minimum on commercial premises) need wider parking widths, dropped kerbs where required, and clear circulation space. We design civils to meet PAS 1899:2022 (the British Standard for accessible EV charging) on every commercial install — accessibility compliance is a planning condition on most local authority approvals through 2025–2026. Total civils cost on a 4-socket workplace cluster typically lands at £2,000–£4,500 depending on cable run distance and surfacing.

Future-proofing — Plug & Charge, V2G and smart tariffs

Three emerging technologies need consideration when specifying workplace EV charging in 2026. Plug & Charge (ISO 15118-2 and 15118-20 standards) lets the vehicle authenticate directly with the charger via the cable — no RFID, no app required. Becoming standard on premium EVs from 2024 onwards. We specify ISO 15118-compliant chargers on every install so the hardware doesn't go obsolete. Vehicle-to-grid (V2G) bidirectional charging lets EVs discharge stored battery energy back into the building or grid during peak demand periods. Currently early-stage in commercial deployment but growing fast — V2G-capable chargers cost roughly 20–30% more than conventional units in 2026 but are eligible for enhanced grant support and add a meaningful capex hedge against future grid services revenue. We discuss V2G specification on every install where multi-shift fleet operations or high-cost peak periods make the economics work. Smart import tariffs (Octopus Intelligent Go, EDF GoElectric, Scottish Power EV Solar) provide cheap overnight rates of 7.5–9p/kWh that workplace chargers can exploit through smart scheduling — particularly powerful when workplace charging is restricted to specific overnight charging hours.