Charging your electric car at home: What you need to look out for

Effective refueling: the private charging station

Your own filling station with energy directly from the photovoltaic system on the roof of your home? Sounds tempting, doesn’t it? More and more people are fulfilling this dream and achieving a high degree of energy independence when filling up with electricity. However, there are some important aspects that you should consider when installing your home charging station. We have compiled the most important questions for you here:

Where can an e-charging station be installed at home?

Before you start installing the most important utensils for your private e-charging station, you should consider where you can best charge your e-car. There are usually three different options available to you:

1. In the well-protected garage: The garage is the ideal place for a private charging station. It offers protection from various weather conditions and enables simple and safe installation of the wallbox and cable holder. In addition, the electric car is safely stored during the entire charging process and protected against possible vandalism.
2. In a weatherproof carport: A carport is another good option for setting up a private e-charging station. The carport protects the electric car from rain, hail or snow and offers enough space to install a wallbox on a nearby wall or pillar.
3. On the outside wall of the house: If there is no garage or carport, your own charging station can also be installed on an outside wall of the house that is close to the parking space. However, it is also important here that the chosen location is weatherproof and safe from external influences

Can the electric car be charged at a “normal” socket?

A normal socket for charging an electric car? This is possible in principle, but should not be the preferred charging option. This is because standard household earthed sockets can only handle the maximum current of 16 amps for a short time. You should therefore always opt for a wallbox.

Wallboxes are special charging stations for electric cars thatare usually mounted on the wall, hence the name “wallbox”. Compared to a standard household socket, special wallboxes offer a significantly higher charging capacity, which considerably shortens the vehicle’s charging time. Charging with a wallbox is also safer. Functions such as charge control, monitoring of the energy supply and protection mechanisms against overloading and fault currents make wallboxes safe charging stations. There are also cable-integrated wallbox systems that significantly reduce installation costs. However, a professionally installed safety socket (SCHUKO) with at least 3×16 amps is recommended.  In addition, many wallbox providers already work with their own apps that make it easier to control the e-charging process. We also recommend that you don’t skimp on the wallbox charging power, even if your current electric car can only be charged at 3.6 kW – the charging power of the batteries is constantly changing and with a high wallbox charging power you are well equipped for all eventualities.

Hazard warning: As high voltage current is involved, the installation of a wallbox must be carried out by a certified specialist! Never install a private wallbox yourself.

Can the energy from my own photovoltaic system be used for charging?

The electricity generated by your photovoltaic system on the roof, balcony, garden or terrace can flow into your e-charging station as sustainable energy. Additional control units in wallboxes now even make it possible for the surplus electricity from the PV system to be charged directly into the electric car, hence the term “surplus charging” (smart home unit). If you do not have your own photovoltaic system, but would like to ensure that your electricity is produced in an environmentally friendly way, you should use an energy supplier with pure green electricity.

You can find more information about installing your own photovoltaic system here: https://pvaustria.at/organisatorischer-ablauf/

Can dynamic electricity prices be used to optimize the cost of charging my e-car?

Yes, there are already wallboxes that allow you to charge your electric car depending on the market price. In summer, it often happens that negative market prices at lunchtime even generate money back if the car is charged at this time. But beware: there are also price peaks when electricity can become very expensive. These peaks can be particularly high in the morning and evening. Providers such as awattar, tibber or similar offer this option.

How do I keep my private e-charging station tidy?

The wallbox is installed and the sustainable electricity from your own PV system can already be used – perfect! Now the question arises as to how the e-charging station can be designed to be convenient, safe and, above all, user-friendly in the long term. The challenge in terms of tidiness in the private charging station is often the e-charging cable. We recommend our practical Cable-Sherpa cable management system to store it safely and prevent it from being accidentally run over or tripped over. Watch our product video to find out more about the innovative cable holder:

How much does it cost to set up a private e-charging station?

The exact costs for your own e-charging station depend on various factors such as the type of wallbox, installation costs of the wallbox, extra smart home costs, etc. Below is a rough list of the costs you may incur:

• Wallbox: available from approx. 300 euros to 2,000 euros
• Installation of the wallbox: from 500 euros to 2,000 euros, depending on the cost
• Cable-Sherpa cable organization system: 399 euros

Note: In many countries, including Austria, various subsidies for electric mobility can already be applied for: https://www.umweltfoerderung.at/e-mobilitaetsfoerderungen-2024

Conclusion: The advantages of an environmentally friendly home e-charging station

It pays to set up your own charging station. Because the advantages of having your own station are obvious.

We have summarized them again for you:

• Your new electric car can be charged in a safe environment.
• Charging at home is generally the most cost-effective charging option.
• Charging with 11 kW over a longer period of time – as is usual at private e-charging stations – is easy on your vehicle’s battery.
• Electricity for charging can be used from your own PV system. Other electricity resources are billed directly via household electricity.
• Modern smart home systems enable optimized charging of your electric car. Dynamic electricity tariffs with hourly adjustment can also be used.
• With smart cable management systems such as Cable-Sherpa, charging can be done safely with just one hand and the e-charging cable is protected in the long term.