EV Charger Connection Guide for MURBs (Multi-Unit Residential Buildings)

Electric vehicle adoption is growing in multi-unit residential buildings (MURBs). Here's what tenants and building managers need to know to facilitate EV charging in your building. 

Steps for Tenants:

Disclaimer:  You may not need to follow all these steps. The process can vary depending on the various unique characteristics of your project. 

• Express Interest:  Communicate your interest in having an EV charger installed to your building management or condo board. 
• Form a Group:  If possible, team up with other tenants who are also interested in EV charging to strengthen your case. It might be helpful to do some research and gather information on the benefits of EV chargers, potential costs, and available incentives or rebates. 
• Proposal:  Prepare a proposal that outlines the benefits, potential costs, and any available incentives. Include information on how the installation can be managed with minimal disruption. 
• Engage with Management:  Present your proposal to the building management or condo board and discuss potential options. 
• Stay Involved:  Once the project is approved, stay involved in the planning and installation process. 

Steps For Building Managers:

Disclaimer:  You may not need to follow all these steps. The process can vary depending on the various unique characteristics of your project. 

• Assess Demand:  Survey tenants to gauge interest in EV charging stations. Consider both current and future demand as more residents may switch to electric vehicles over time. 
• Incentives and Rebates:  Research available incentives, rebates, and grants that can help offset the costs. 
• Choose a Contractor:  Select a reputable EV charging station service provider with experience in installing EV chargers in multi-unit buildings. For the best price, consider reaching out to multiple contractors for a quotation. 
• Contact ATCO Electric:  We will help you understand your electrical consumption, spare capacity as well as potential upgrade costs and timelines. 
• Feasibility Study & Owner’s Engineer (Optional):  Conduct a feasibility study to understand the technical and financial aspects of installing EV chargers. An Owner’s Engineer can provide technical expertise, oversee the project, ensure compliance, and manage costs and timelines. 
• Budgeting:  Develop a budget for the project, considering installation costs, potential upgrades to electrical infrastructure, and ongoing maintenance. 
• Plan the Installation:  Work with the contractor to develop a detailed installation plan, including timelines that minimize disruption to residents. 
• Communication:  Keep tenants informed about the project timeline and potential disruptions. 
• Installation:  Oversee the installation process, ensuring it meets all requirements, safety and regulatory standards. 
• Maintenance Plan:  Establish a maintenance plan to ensure the chargers remain in good working conditions and address any issues promptly. 

Charging Levels: 

• Level 1 Chargers:  Small power output; not recommended for unheated parkades. 
• Level 2 Chargers:  Good power output; most common for MURBs; can fully charge almost any EV overnight in nearly all circumstances. 
• Level 3 Chargers:  High power output; uncommon in MURBs and generally not recommended due to high cost. 

Networked vs. Non-Networked Chargers: 

• Networked Chargers (Smart Chargers):  Built-in Wi-Fi, cellular, or other network capabilities; connect to a larger charging network and communicate with other chargers; enable functions like tracking energy consumption, billing users, remote maintenance, online reservations, mobile app integration, and load-sharing; typically operated by charging service providers who charge a subscription/networking fee; make EV charging easier and more accessible for users. 
• Non-Networked Chargers:  Standalone units that charge EVs; cheaper than networked chargers; lack integrated features like online reservations and remote maintenance, which must be managed separately. 

Managed vs. Unmanaged Charging: 

• Managed charging is often the most cost-effective approach for installations, especially when the number of chargers is more than a few. This method reduces costs by utilizing existing limited electrical capacity and requiring fewer materials, such as expensive copper conductors.  
• There are various ways to implement managed charging, each with its strengths and weaknesses. The optimal solution depends on the unique characteristics of each project, such as the building's electrical system and parking lot size. Managed charging can ensure that the building's maximum electrical capacity is not exceeded, protecting critical electrical loads from risk. 
• Example:  In an unmanaged installation, a 200A electrical panel could only serve six EV chargers if each charger were on a dedicated 30A branch circuit. With managed charging, where chargers are configured to power share, the same panel can support more than twenty chargers. 

Stages of Readiness:

• Building stations one-by-one as tenant requests arise is the least cost-effective method of installing charging stations. Instead, there are a few levels of readiness that can be undertaken with respect to EV charging stations in MURBs: 
  • EV Chargers Installed:  Everything required to charge EVs is fully installed and operational. No further work is required. 
  • EV-Ready:  All necessary infrastructure is in place, including communication infrastructure, branch circuits, and electrical panel. The only missing component is the charging station itself. At the parking space, there is either an electrical outlet or the necessary wiring ready for the installation of the charger. The installation of the charging station is done later 
  • EV-Capable: The electrical panel has physical space and electrical capacity allocated for the addition of branch circuits. Conduit, if required, is laid between the panel and the parking spaces, preparing the site for future installation of EV chargers. The installation of the EV charging stations, electrical conductor and the associated final wiring terminations are done later 
     
• Installing to an EV-Capable stage of readiness is typically 20-30% less expensive than building to an EV-Ready stage of readiness. However, when considering the additional post-work required, EV-Capable can end up being more expensive overall. 
• Building stall-by-stall as requests arise can be up to 10 times more expensive than preparing the infrastructure in advance. 
• Often the EV owner is required to pay for the EV charger and its installation. 

Billing Methods

To recover the costs of charging from users there are several different options:

1. Direct Billing:  Users are billed directly based on their usage. This can be achieved through either a utility meter with a non-networked charger or a networked charger that tracks individual usage and bills the user directly.  
2. Ratio Utility Billing:  The total cost of electricity used by the charging stations is distributed to users based on factors such as their unit size or occupancy. In some cases, this can be simpler than direct billing but is more imprecise.
3. Subscription:  Users pay a fixed monthly fee. This is very simple but may not reflect actual usage.  
4. Prepaid cards or apps:  Users use prepaid cards or mobile apps to pay. This ensures that users only pay for what they use.