A Joondalup family home with the garage wired for overnight EV charging.
Joondalup · 6027

EV charger installation in Joondalup.

The biggest EV postcode in the northern corridor, and the one where we have replaced the most tired 1990s switchboards.

The install

What a Joondalup install actually looks like

Joondalup housing is mostly 1990s and 2000s brick and tile on generous blocks, with a newer band of townhouses and apartments close to the city centre and ECU. The good news is that the garage is nearly always attached and the meter box is nearly always on the same side of the house, so the cable run is short and the labour cost is low.

The catch is the switchboard. A lot of Joondalup boards were built for a house with one aircon and a hot water system, not a house with ducted air, a pool pump, a spa and a car pulling 32A for six hours. We do a load calculation before we quote, and in maybe half of Joondalup jobs we recommend a board upgrade at the same time.

For the apartments and townhouses around Grand Boulevard, the job changes shape. The supply is shared, the parking bay is often on common property, and the strata needs to sign off. We handle that side too, and we prefer OCPP capable chargers so billing can be split fairly later.

A typical Joondalup board after the upgrade. New main switch, RCBOs, and a dedicated EV circuit with room to grow.
A typical Joondalup board after the upgrade. New main switch, RCBOs, and a dedicated EV circuit with room to grow.
Joondalup at dusk. Almost every charge we install here happens between 10pm and 6am, or off the roof at midday.
Joondalup at dusk. Almost every charge we install here happens between 10pm and 6am, or off the roof at midday.

Solar first

Solar is the whole story in 6027

Joondalup roofs are big, north facing and mostly unshaded. Systems of 6.6kW and up are the norm and plenty of homes are running 10kW plus. Midday export credits are worth very little now, so the smartest move is to shift the car charge into the middle of the day when the roof is producing.

A solar diverting charger does this without you thinking about it. Plug in when you get home, let it top up on the cheap window, and the car quietly becomes the most valuable load in the house.

Recent install

A recent Joondalup install

Location
Off Shenton Avenue, Joondalup 6027
The home
Late 1990s brick and tile, 6.6kW solar, single phase, double garage with the meter box on the same wall.
The charger
Zappi GLO 7kW tethered, mounted inside the garage next to the roller door.
Outcome
Board upgraded with new main switch and RCBOs. Four metre cable run. Commissioned on solar priority mode. On site by 8am, handed over before lunch.
Zappi GLO in a Joondalup garage. Solar diverting, quiet, and simple enough that nobody in the house needs an explanation.
Zappi GLO in a Joondalup garage. Solar diverting, quiet, and simple enough that nobody in the house needs an explanation.
Local considerations

What to know before install day in Joondalup

  • Boards from the 1990s here often have no RCD protection on the power circuits at all. That has to be fixed before an EV circuit is added.
  • If your home is in one of the newer estates, check whether three phase is already at the board. Many are, and it costs nothing extra to use it.
  • Apartment and townhouse installs need strata approval in writing. Allow two to four weeks before install day.
FAQ

Joondalup EV charging questions

Is 7kW fast enough for a Joondalup commute?+

Comfortably. A 7kW charger adds around 40km of range per hour, so an hour or two plugged in covers a typical run into the city and back.

Will a charger overload my old switchboard?+

Not if it is done properly. We do a maximum demand calculation first and either add the circuit safely or upgrade the board so the load is managed.

Can I charge from my solar only?+

Yes, with a diverting charger like the Zappi. You can set it to use surplus PV only, or blend solar with a minimum grid top up.

Perth FAQ

EV charger installation in Perth, answered

The questions we get asked most by WA homeowners, answered by the electricians who do the work.

Does Western Power need to be notified about my EV charger?+

For a standard single phase 7kW charger on an existing supply, no separate application is usually needed. Your electrician still lodges the required notice of completion with Building and Energy WA. If the install needs a bigger main switch, a service upgrade, or a move to three phase, that does go to Western Power first and it adds time to the job, so we check it before quoting.

Is single phase or three phase more common in Perth homes?+

Most Perth houses are single phase, which caps a home charger at about 7.4kW. Newer estates in areas like Ellenbrook, Baldivis and Canning Vale are more likely to have three phase already at the board, and a lot of older knock down rebuilds get it too. Lift the switchboard cover and count the incoming actives, or send us a photo and we will tell you.

Which Synergy plan is best once I have a home charger?+

Synergy runs time of use options aimed at EV owners with a cheap overnight window and a cheaper midday window built around WA's solar surplus. Charging in those windows rather than the evening peak is where the real savings sit. Check current rates on Synergy's site before switching, because the windows and prices change.

Should I charge from my solar instead of the grid in Perth?+

Usually yes. WA feed in tariffs are low, so exporting midday solar earns you very little while grid power costs several times more. A solar aware charger such as a myenergi Zappi or Fronius Wattpilot watches your export at the switchboard and pushes surplus into the car instead of sending it out for a few cents.

Do coastal Perth suburbs need a different charger?+

If you are in the salt spray zone near the coast from Mullaloo through Scarborough, Cottesloe and Fremantle, outdoor units cop corrosion. We fit chargers rated IP65 or better, use stainless or marine grade fixings, and where possible mount the unit inside the garage with only the tethered lead exposed.

What about summer heat and charger derating?+

Perth summers regularly sit over 40C, and a charger baking in full afternoon sun can throttle its output to protect itself. West and north facing walls are the worst spots. We site the unit in shade or under eaves where we can, which keeps it charging at full rate and extends the life of the electronics.

Can I get a charger installed in a Perth apartment or strata complex?+

Yes, but it is a different job to a house. You need strata approval, a metering plan so the electricity bills back to your lot rather than common property, and often a load managed charger so the building's supply is not overloaded. We put that documentation together for the strata council as part of the quote.

How does a limestone driveway or brick paving affect the cable run?+

Plenty of Perth homes have the switchboard on one side and the parking on the other, with paving or limestone in between. Where we can, we run the cable through the roof space or along the eaves to avoid lifting anything. When trenching is unavoidable we lift and relay pavers rather than cut them, and that extra work is priced up front, not added later.

Are there WA rebates for home EV chargers?+

WA does not currently run a state rebate on home charger installs. The EV rebate scheme that ran on vehicle purchases has closed. The saving comes from the tariff side instead: charging off peak or straight off your own solar. We will not quote a rebate that does not exist.

Who is legally allowed to install an EV charger in Perth?+

A licensed WA electrical contractor. The circuit has to be dedicated, protected by the correct RCD type for the charger, and wired to AS/NZS 3000 with the EV specific requirements of AS/NZS 3012 and the manufacturer's instructions. Candela is licensed under EC# 15317 and fully insured, and you get the compliance paperwork on completion.

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