Remember when an EV charger was basically a fancy socket on the wall? Things have moved on. Modern EV charging is becoming part of a much bigger energy system, particularly as more homes and businesses across Stockport, Greater Manchester, Cheshire and the wider North West combine electric vehicles with solar PV, battery storage and smart electricity tariffs.
At home: charge smarter, not harder
Most cars spend a surprising amount of time parked. That makes home EV charging ideal for taking advantage of cheaper overnight electricity tariffs. A properly configured smart charger can schedule charging for lower-cost periods rather than simply charging the vehicle as soon as you arrive home.
Add Solar PV and Battery Storage and things get more interesting again. Depending on the equipment and configuration, electricity generated on your roof can contribute towards charging the car sitting on your drive.
Roof → battery → car.
But energy doesn’t necessarily have to travel in only one direction.
Could your car actually power your home?
Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) and Vehicle-to-Home (V2H) technology allow compatible electric vehicles to discharge electricity from their batteries rather than simply receiving it.
In a suitable system, that means the sizeable battery sitting in your EV could potentially become another part of your home’s energy storage system. Imagine charging your vehicle when electricity is cheap or when your solar panels are generating surplus energy, then using some of that stored electricity later to help power your home.
It’s an exciting development, but there’s an important caveat: not every EV, charger or electrical installation currently supports bidirectional charging. Compatibility needs to be checked across the vehicle, charging equipment and wider electrical system, so this isn’t something we would assume simply because a property has an EV.
For us, it reinforces a bigger point: when designing an EV charging installation today, it’s worth considering what you might want your energy system to do tomorrow.
EV charging for businesses: think bigger than the charger
For commercial EV charging, simply asking “How many chargers do we need?” is rarely enough. A business considering workplace EV charging in Manchester, Stockport, Cheshire or elsewhere in the North West needs to think about the electrical infrastructure behind those chargers too.
We consider factors including:
- available electrical capacity and maximum demand
- incoming supply and distribution equipment
- the number of vehicles that could charge simultaneously
- staff, visitor and fleet charging requirements
- future expansion
- dynamic load management
- payment, access and monitoring requirements
- integration with solar PV and battery storage
Dynamic load management can be particularly useful because chargers can intelligently share the available electrical capacity rather than every charger demanding maximum power simultaneously.
For some sites, intelligent design can reduce or defer the need for costly upgrades to the incoming electrical supply. That’s why we see EV charging as an electrical infrastructure project, not simply a charger installation.]
Can businesses still get help towards EV charger installation?
Yes, and the support available is worth knowing about. The Workplace Charging Scheme currently provides eligible businesses, charities and public-sector organisations with support of up to 75% of the purchase and installation costs of EV charge points, capped at £500 per socket and up to 40 sockets across an applicant’s sites. The maximum contribution increased from £350 to £500 per socket in April 2026.
There are eligibility criteria, and qualifying installations must use approved equipment and be completed by an OZEV-authorised installer. If you’re a business considering EV charging, it’s worth investigating eligibility before installation starts.
Don’t just install for today’s car
This is particularly important for businesses. If you’re installing two EV chargers today but could need ten in five years, tell us. We can consider the future requirement when looking at distribution, containment, cabling routes, electrical capacity and load management.
The same applies at home. You might only want an EV charger today, but what happens if you later add solar panels, battery storage, a heat pump or a second electric vehicle?
Good electrical design should consider what comes next. Installing infrastructure once is usually considerably nicer than digging the car park or driveway up twice.
Why choose Solarus for your EV charging project?
Solarus isn’t simply an EV charger installer. We’re renewable energy systems specialists and electrical contractors, which means we can look at the complete electrical and energy infrastructure behind an EV charging project.
Our accreditations include:
- NICEIC Approved Contractor
- MCS Certified
- TrustMark
- RECC
- CHAS
- QANW
- Which? Trusted Trader
- Octopus Trusted Partner
This matters because an EV charger doesn’t operate in isolation. Our team can assess the existing electrical installation, distribution equipment, available capacity, load management requirements and how EV charging could integrate with renewable technologies.
For qualifying government EV charging grants, the installer must also hold the appropriate OZEV authorisation. OZEV requires authorised installers to meet defined electrical competency requirements, comply with BS 7671 and relevant EV charging standards, issue the appropriate electrical certification and notify the Distribution Network Operator where required.
EV charging installation in Stockport, Manchester, Cheshire and the North West
Solarus designs and installs domestic and commercial EV charging systems throughout Stockport, Greater Manchester, Cheshire and surrounding areas of the North West.
Whether you’re a homeowner looking for a smart home EV charger, a business installing workplace charging, or you’re planning a larger charging infrastructure project, we can design the system around both your current requirements and where your energy use is heading.
Speak to Solarus about EV charger installation for your home, workplace or commercial property across Greater Manchester, Stockport, Cheshire and the North West.
We’ll happily install you a charger, and design you an EV charging system that’s ready for what comes next.