Smart solar charging with evcc and Plugchoice
Evcc is a free, open source energy manager that charges cars on solar power and the cheapest grid hours. Connect it to Plugchoice and it works with every charger brand you have onboarded.
What evcc does and why it pairs with Plugchoice
Evcc is an open source energy management system built by a community of EV and solar owners. It watches your site's power flow in real time and decides when to charge. It soaks up solar surplus during the day, shifts to the cheapest hours on dynamic tariffs, and respects departure times so the car is ready when you need it.
Plugchoice gives evcc one consistent connection to your chargers. Every charger you onboard with Plugchoice speaks the same API, regardless of brand, so evcc can read and steer all of them without a separate driver for each manufacturer.
What you get when evcc and Plugchoice work together
Solar surplus charging
Evcc follows your PV production minute by minute and charges the car only with the power your site is not already using.
Dynamic tariff charging
On spot price contracts, evcc moves charging into the cheapest hours of the day and pauses when power is expensive.
Any charger brand
Because Plugchoice normalizes every OCPP charger, evcc treats a mixed fleet of brands as one. No per-brand setup.
Departure times and targets
Set when the car needs to be ready and how full. Evcc plans backward from there and still favors solar and cheap power.
How to connect evcc to Plugchoice
Onboard your chargers
Add your chargers to Plugchoice. Any OCPP charger connects, and an existing backoffice keeps running through the OCPP Proxy.
Create an API token
In the Plugchoice portal, generate a REST API token for evcc to use.
Add Plugchoice in evcc
In evcc, add Plugchoice as your charger source and paste the token. Evcc discovers the chargers on your account.
Let evcc optimize
Pick solar, price or a departure plan per charger. Evcc takes over the charging power while Plugchoice keeps the connection and your data.
Popular ways to use evcc with Plugchoice
Maximize solar self-consumption
Send daytime solar straight into the car instead of exporting it to the grid for a low feed-in price.
Charge on the cheapest hours
Pair evcc with a dynamic energy contract and let it hunt for the lowest prices overnight.
Run a mixed charger fleet
Installers and small operators manage different charger brands in Plugchoice and still give every site one evcc setup.
Coordinate with a home battery
Evcc balances the car, the home battery and the building so each kilowatt goes where it is worth most.
Frequently asked questions
Is evcc free?
Yes. Evcc is open source and free to run. You host it yourself on a small computer or server at the site. Plugchoice is also free to use for charger management.
Which chargers work with evcc through Plugchoice?
Any OCPP charger you have connected to Plugchoice. Evcc sees them through one API, so the brand does not matter.
Does evcc replace Plugchoice?
No. They do different jobs. Plugchoice connects, configures and monitors the charger. Evcc decides when and how fast to charge based on solar and price. They run side by side.
How does evcc connect to Plugchoice?
Through the Plugchoice REST API. You create a token in the portal and add it to evcc. No extra hardware is needed.
Can I use solar charging on a charger with no built-in smart charging?
Yes. The intelligence lives in evcc, not the charger. As long as the charger speaks OCPP and is connected to Plugchoice, evcc can modulate its power.
Do I need Plugchoice Smart Charging as well?
Not for evcc. Evcc handles the solar and price logic itself. Plugchoice Smart Charging is a separate option for load balancing and tariffs managed inside Plugchoice.
Put evcc to work on your chargers
Connect your chargers to Plugchoice for free, then point evcc at them.