How to Choose the Best EV Chargers for Solar Surplus Charging in 2026?

If you drive an EV and have solar panels at home, you might be making this mistake: selling your excess solar energy for pennies and then buying electricity back at a premium to charge your car. The fun thing is that this very energy could be flowing straight into your EV battery instead of disappearing into the grid.

But simply plugging in isn’t enough. Solar production fluctuates, and household consumption changes. Without a smart charger, your car may still draw grid power or waste valuable solar surplus.

In this article, we reveal the best wallboxes for solar surplus charging and break down what truly matters, so you can stop overpaying and start charging more efficiently.

Solar surplus charging enables you to use your own free solar energy instead of feeding it into the grid for very little return. When it comes to efficiency, the wallbox makes the difference. Not every EV charger marked as “PV-compatible” can intelligently adjust charging to actually maximise your savings — that is something only truly smart chargers can do.

PV surplus charging only works efficiently when the wallbox is integrated into an overall energy management setup. These typically include: 

• PV system

• Energy Management System (EMS)

• energy meter (can be integrated into the EMS)

The EMS is usually installed separately and serves as the central control unit. It continuously receives data on household consumption and grid flow, and, depending on the system setup, may also receive information on solar production. This allows the charging power to adapt dynamically, ensuring the vehicle is charged with excess solar energy rather than expensive grid electricity.

When choosing the best EV charger for excess solar charging, make sure it has automatic phase switching, the ability to combine PV surplus with flexible energy tariffs, open interfaces, and is compatible with your PV system (ideally, it should be compatible with every PV system on the market). 

Not every wallbox that claims to support solar charging actually uses PV energy efficiently. The real difference lies in smart features like EMS integration and intelligent control. 

Chances are that your electric car, like most others, requires a minimum of 6 A to start charging. When you charge with 3 phases, this equals roughly 4.2 kW. Accordingly, when your solar system produces only 2 or 3 kW of surplus power, charging won’t start unless you switch to 1-phase charging. This should be done automatically unless you want to monitor your solar output every minute. 

A smart wallbox like our go-e Charger working in combination with an EMS (e.g. go-e Controller) can switch down to 1-phase operation on its own, so that charging can start even if only 1.4 kW of solar energy is available. The charging power is adjusted precisely to the available surplus, helping to avoid unnecessary grid consumption.

This is especially useful:

• On cloudy days

• When household appliances consume most PV energy

• If your PV system is relatively small

A truly intelligent EV wallbox like our go-e Charger doesn’t just react to surplus once. It responds instantly to changes in your energy system. When clouds reduce PV output or household devices like heat pumps, ovens, or washing machines suddenly draw power, the charger should automatically adapt.

Instead of interrupting charging whenever conditions change, the wallbox fine-tunes the charging current up or down. Fast reaction times and precise control ensure that charging power closely matches the actual PV surplus. This helps:

• When using energy-intensive appliances like heat pumps or ovens

• In households with highly variable electricity consumption

• On days with fast-changing weather conditions

• If you want zero manual intervention

Some might say that the best wallbox feature is flexible energy tariffs, while others might argue that nothing can beat charging with excess solar power. In reality, combining both is important because it allows you to:

• always charge with the cheapest available energy

• make use of solar power even when production fluctuates

• reduce reliance on expensive grid electricity

• avoid manual switching or constant monitoring

So, it works like this: 

• Your smart wallbox connects to your energy provider (with go-e, for example, it is literally just a few clicks in the app) and starts tracking electricity prices per kWh for the next 24 hours. To manage this intelligently, go-e offers a dedicated charging mode called ECO mode. In this mode, you can set a price limit per kWh. As soon as the electricity price falls below that limit, the wallbox automatically starts charging.

• ECO mode can be used with dynamic tariffs, PV surplus charging, or both. If PV surplus charging is activated, the wallbox prioritises charging with your own solar power. Only when the available PV surplus is not sufficient does it use cheap grid electricity (according to the price limit you have set) to ensure your car is charged reliably and cost-effectively.

• For everyday driving, go-e also offers Daily Trip mode. Here, you define when your car needs to be ready and how much energy (kWh) you need, without setting a price limit. The wallbox then automatically selects the cheapest available charging hours according to your electricity tariff to reach that target within the specified time. PV surplus charging can also be activated in Daily Trip mode, allowing solar energy to be used whenever it is available.

Charging with solar surplus means that your wallbox should be able to receive information from PV devices as soon as extra energy becomes available. That’s exactly what triggers it to go into action. Since not every wallbox works with every solar setup, checking compatibility before buying is essential because it means:

• One less thing to worry about after installation

• Simpler setup and future upgrades 

To make this easier for you, we’ve ensured that the go-e Charger works with all kinds of PV inverters and AC storage solutions, independently of the manufacturer. In addition, it does not require direct inverter measurement for PV optimisation.

Being able to enable and disable various features via an app is the difference between comfortable EV charging and… well… just charging and hoping it works. 

Must-haves in the app: 

• Display and export of charging data

• Selection and switching of charging modes 

• Push notifications

• Control and monitoring of both the Charger and the EMS

• Network and energy settings, including the selection of an energy provider for flexible or dynamic tariffs

For instance, the go-e app gives you a transparent overview of the energy flows in your home. If you use the go-e Charger together with the go-e Controller, simply add both devices to the app and activate ECO mode with a single toggle — after that, charging works automatically in the background.

Why the app matters for PV charging

• Activate PV surplus charging

• You're able to monitor the energy flows of your building *

• Easily switch between charging modes

• Fine-tune settings and system connections without extra hardware

* Requires PV inverter measurement

You can manage PV surplus charging through integrations with third-party energy management platforms such as Clever-PV or Monta, which actively coordinate your solar production and charging.

Wallboxes like the go-e Charger already connect directly to these systems, which speeds up setup and reduces manual configuration. Once connected, the platform automatically activates charging when your solar panels produce excess energy.

This is useful:

• If you already use an energy management platform

• When you want centralised control of your energy system

• If you prefer minimal configuration effort

• When scaling your smart home setup

If you’re technically experienced, you can take full control of surplus solar charging by choosing a wallbox with an open API. The go-e Charger is one of them. An open API lets you actively connect your inverter, energy management system (EMS), and charger so they communicate directly with each other.

This setup allows you to build a custom charging logic. For example, starting charging only when a certain amount of solar surplus is available or adjusting charging power based on real-time production. 

You will enjoy the benefits to the fullest in these cases:

• If you want custom charging logic

• When integrating your own EMS or smart home system

• If you like full control over automation rules

• When future-proofing your setup

The top three wallboxes for PV surplus charging are the go-e Charger Gemini flex 2.0, KEBA PV EDITION and myenergi Zappi. They all enable reliable, smart charging of your electric car using surplus energy, even if you don’t have battery storage.

Price*: 

• go-e Charger Gemini flex 2.0: ~€829 

• go-e Controller: ~€249

Estimated total price: ~€1,078

How PV surplus charging works:

The go-e Charger works together with an EMS such as the go-e Controller, systems from go-e integration partners, or any other compatible one. Installed in the fuse box, the Controller continuously monitors energy flows and communicates with the charger via Wi-Fi or LAN. As soon as surplus solar power is available, charging starts automatically.

Your benefits:

• Very high cost savings through precise PV surplus charging (with EMS of your choice)

• Freedom of choice: works with go-e Controller and many third-party energy systems

• Maximum flexibility thanks to the mobile version (charge at home, friends, parents, campsites)

• PV surplus and flexible energy tariffs combo for higher savings

• Future-proof setup via open API (REST, MQTT) 

• Control, monitoring and data export via app and web portal

• Access protection through RFID

Limitations:

• No built-in display on the charger

• PV surplus charging requires an external EMS (not “plug-and-play” on its own)

The go-e has very good open interfaces (including MQTT and REST API). This means that, provided you have the relevant knowledge, you can implement surplus charging as you wish. Reddit user

Price*: 

• myenergi Zappi charger: ~€1,397

• harvi energy monitoring sensor: ~€69

Estimated total price: ~€1,466

How PV surplus charging works:

To enable PV surplus charging with the myenergi Zappi, an EMS like harvi is required. This system directs surplus solar power to the wallbox for charging instead of feeding it into the grid.

Your benefits:

• Immediate visual feedback via built-in display

• Very intuitive understanding of PV import/export flows

• Simple PV surplus charging within the myenergi ecosystem

• The possibility to combine PV surplus and flexible energy tariffs to save more

• Good remote control via app

Limitations:

• Requires an external EMS for excess solar charging

• Less flexibility outside the myenergi ecosystem

• No mobile option — fixed installation only

• Fewer advanced charging features than competitors

Price*: 

• KEBA PV Edition charger: ~€849

• KEBA energy meter: ~€209

• KEBA phase switch: ~€279

Estimated total price: ~€1,337

How PV surplus charging works:

In addition to the wallbox, a KeContact E10 Smart Energy Meter must be installed. For wallboxes under €1,000, a KeContact S10 Phase Switching Device is also required to optimise PV surplus charging.

Your benefits:

• Simple PV surplus charging without many software features

• Direct configuration via USB, no app dependency

• Control and monitoring via app

• Flexibility of having multiple charging modes

Limitations:

• No mobile option 

• Limited smart features and automation

• Requires EMS for PV surplus charging

* Prices sourced from mobilityhouse.com, as of January, 2026.

The go-e Charger is one of the best wallboxes for solar surplus charging because it makes the process simple and transparent. Clear setup guides and practical tips help users get started quickly.

The Controller continuously monitors household energy consumption and available excess power. When surplus energy is detected, it sends a signal to the Charger, which then handles vehicle charging safely and reliably.

A key advantage of this setup is transparency: PV surplus charging data is visible in the app, the go-e Portal, and directly on the Controller display.

Other benefits include: 

• excellent technical support

• open API

• high compatibility with existing PV systems, regardless of inverter brand

• automatic phase switching

• optional portability as a bonus

• flexible energy tariffs that can be combined with PV surplus

• clear instructions for PV surplus charging, including YouTube videos

• full transparency and control via the app

• thousands of satisfied customers

The most common mistakes with PV surplus charging are using a wallbox without automatic phase switching, ignoring the need for an energy management system, and choosing components that aren’t compatible.

If your wallbox cannot automatically switch between 1-phase and 3-phase charging, it needs a lot of solar power before it can even start. That means on many days, your “free solar charging” never actually happens.

How to avoid it:

Choose a wallbox that supports automatic phase switching. This allows charging with both small and large amounts of solar power

A wallbox can only charge with PV surplus if an energy management system is part of the setup. It needs to know:

• how much electricity the household is currently using

• whether there is extra power available

Without this information, the wallbox is basically guessing. As a result, it can’t reliably decide when to start or stop charging with solar power.

How to avoid it:

Before choosing a wallbox, check exactly what is required for PV surplus charging and whether an energy management system is needed.

For PV surplus charging to work, the energy management system must be able to communicate with your PV system. If they’re not compatible, important data never gets exchanged. Best case: you end up controlling charging manually. Worst case: surplus charging doesn’t work at all.

How to avoid it:

Make sure the EMS is explicitly listed as compatible with your PV inverter or supports common communication standards used by PV systems. This is unnecessary when using the Controller as it operates independently of the PV inverter manufacturer.

Surplus PV charging benefits EV owners with home charging and solar panels who want lower costs, higher self-consumption, and a more sustainable way to charge.

1. Private EV owners with PV systems who charge mainly at home 

If your car is parked at home during daylight hours (even just sometimes), you’re in luck. Every sunny hour is an opportunity to turn unused solar power directly into driving range.

Why private owners benefit: It transforms your driveway into a private, zero-cost fuel station. You are basically maximising the utility of the hardware you already own.

2. People who want their solar panels to pay off faster

Selling surplus energy to the grid for a few cents and buying it back later for much more feels… wrong. Using that same energy to charge your car simply makes financial sense and speeds up your PV return on investment.

3. Environmentally conscious drivers

Charging with your own solar power reduces CO₂ far beyond just driving electric. It’s proof that EVs can be genuinely green not only on the road, but also at the socket.

Why eco-conscious drivers benefit: It guarantees that at least part of your fuel is 100% renewable. This eliminates the "hidden" emissions of charging from a coal- or gas-heavy power grid.

4. Tech-savvy users 

Tweaking PV surplus charging settings to make it fit your daily routine perfectly can be a lot of fun. If you enjoy dashboards more than sunsets, surplus PV charging is your playground.

Why tech-savvy users benefit: It offers granular control and data visualisation. Integrating your car into your smart home ecosystem provides a satisfying level of optimisation and automation.