Every day more and more Electric Vehicles are hitting the road. Property managers need to start thinking about how they’re going to accommodate residents with EVs. Canada has no regulations in the national building code that requires existing MURBs to have EV Charging, however, we could see that change in the near future. Based on current projections, it’s evident the direction we’re moving towards. By 2035 all new passenger car sales will be zero emission vehicles, Canada is aiming towards becoming the global powerhouse in EV production. Ontario alone is looking to maintain and grow its auto sector by manufacturing at least 400,000 Electric and Hybrid vehicles by 2030. With all these plans in motion, the demand for EV Charging is inevitable.
Why EV Charging?
According to a report by Natural Resources Canada and Dunsky Energy + Climate Advisors between 2-15% of MURBs will have home charging capabilities by 2025, making EV charging a strong marketing point, especially as the country heads towards its goal of net-zero carbon emissions. Along with that, Transport Canada predicts that there could be about 12.4 million zero emission vehicles on the road by 2035, or about 40% of all light-duty vehicles.
MURBs and other buildings with multiple chargers face the unique challenges of load management and figuring out just how many chargers they can install. Just as EV technology has advanced so have EV chargers, however navigating between your residents’ needs, your building’s limits, and what kinds of chargers are available can be a challenge in itself.
Many of the property managers we talk to recognize the eventual need for EV charging in their buildings, but either don’t know where to start or if now is even a good time to get started. Although most buildings do not have much immediate charging demand, it is important to get started planning for the future.
Let’s Get Started
With up to 50% of project funding available through Natural Resource Canada’s Zero Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Program (ZEVIP) in the new year, now is the perfect time to get plan for an EV charging system (EVCS). However, installing an EVCS is more involved than plugging a bunch of chargers into the wall.
In garages without any existing charging equipment, a lot of electrical distribution infrastructure will need to be laid out. This may involve conduits, additional panels, overhead wire runs, and even coring. Condos in particular will need to notify residents at least 60 days ahead of the planned work to adhere to the Condominium Act Section 97 (Changes to Common Elements and Assets), this does not apply in cases where you own the entire building, however it is still good to notify your building users ahead of time especially if the construction will affect them or their services.
Most buildings will already have a considerable electrical load, limiting the number of chargers that can be installed, so a networked charging solution is necessary to maximize the number of chargers without requiring a utility upgrade. Networked charging systems allow the chargers to communicate with each other and/or the building for dynamic load management and scalability for future charging demand.
A building load study and EVCS feasibility study will identify your building’s load profile, different EVCS configurations including financial analysis and are the first steps needed to apply for the aforementioned ZEVIP.
How We Can Help
Mann Energy Solutions (MES) is a professional consulting engineering company that specializes in electrical and energy solutions, including engineering and implementation. Our experienced engineers can help work with your building’s unique profile to identify spare electrical capacity, energy saving opportunities, and design the best system for you. We have extensive experience with energy retrofits that make the most of your existing electrical capacity by optimizing building processes and equipment such as lighting, mechanical systems, electrical loads, and building envelope to reduce your energy use.
Our firm has hundreds of installed electrical and power projects and we have been in business since 1983. Some of our services include:
Free site walk-through by our experienced engineers and technicians to provide an initial site assessment
Engineering feasibility studies
Incentive study and application
Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) for a turnkey project
Coordination with utilities for distribution system upgrades, service size expansions, and microgeneration through solar PV and cogeneration
For more information or a complimentary assessment contact us through the main site, info@mannenergysolutions.com, or call (905) 597-5855.