EV Charger Installation Ireland — Technical Glossary

Plain-English glossary of 15 home EV charger, Safe Electric, load management and SEAI grant terms in Ireland.

15 key terms explained

7.4 kW Single-Phase Wallbox (32A)

The standard Irish home EV charger rating on a single-phase 230V domestic ESB supply, adding roughly 40 km to 50 km of range per hour of charging.

Type 2 Connector (IEC 62196)

The seven-pin European standard AC charging plug used by every new electric and plug-in hybrid car sold in Ireland.

Tethered vs Untethered Charger

A tethered unit comes with a captive Type 2 lead attached to the wallbox, whereas an untethered unit has a locking Type 2 socket.

Dynamic Load Management (CT Clamp)

A sensor clipped around the incoming ESB meter tail that monitors whole-house current draw and lowers charger output whenever an electric shower or cooker turns on.

Priority / Non-Priority Shower Unit

An automatic contactor fitted at the fuse board when a house has both a high-load instant electric shower (9 kW+) and a 7.4 kW EV charger.

PEN Fault Protection (Open-PEN Detection)

Built-in safety circuit inside modern EV chargers that disconnects the vehicle earth immediately if a fault occurs on the street supply neutral-earth conductor.

RCBO (Residual Current Breaker with Overcurrent)

Combined safety breaker fitted in a dedicated EV mini-consumer unit to protect the charger cable against both earth leakage and overload.

Surge Protection Device (SPD)

A protective module fitted in the consumer unit under Irish National Rules for Electrical Installations (I.S. 10101) to guard the EV and charger against voltage spikes.

Safe Electric Certificate No. 3

The statutory electrical completion certificate issued by a Registered Electrical Contractor, required by SEAI before paying the €300 grant.

SEAI Letter of Offer

The formal grant approval email from the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, which must be issued before any physical installation work begins.

MPRN (Meter Point Reference Number)

The 11-digit ESB Networks meter number on your electricity bill used to apply for the SEAI €300 Home Charger Grant.

Solar PV Diversion (Eco / Eco+ Mode)

Smart charging mode on solar-compatible chargers (such as the Zappi) that matches charging speed to surplus rooftop solar generation instead of exporting to the grid.

Smart EV Night Tariff (2am–5am Window)

Time-of-use smart-meter electricity plan offering ultra-low night rates for scheduling automatic overnight EV charging.

SWA (Steel Wire Armoured) Cable

Mechanical-protection power cable used when routing an EV charger feed underground across a garden, driveway or external wall.

Main Protective Bonding (10mm² Earth)

The green-and-yellow earthing cable linking the main earth terminal at the fuse board to incoming metal water, gas or oil pipes, verified during every EV install.