Key takeaways:
- More condo associations are offering EV charging, but electrical upgrades are often needed as more residents ask for chargers.
- Common upgrades include installing a new panel, making utility-side upgrades, and investing in load management solutions.
- EVPlugz can help you anticipate these upgrades and plan for your future EV charging needs.
EV charging is an exciting perk for condos. Demand is growing fast, and condos that offer charging as an amenity are quickly gaining value and attracting more residents.
However, many associations fail to plan ahead and find that their electrical infrastructure falls short of their needs as more residents get EVs. The lack of statewide regulations on EV-ready infrastructures contributes to this issue, but there is also a limited awareness of how EV charging changes energy needs.
Here are some of the most common electrical upgrades that will help you build a scalable EV charging infrastructure.
Increased Panel Capacity
With Level 2 charging, an EV can draw between 16 and 80 amps depending on the model and charger being used. Having several EV charging spots can quickly increase a building’s energy consumption, and the main panel can struggle to keep up.
Before you get to this point, look into replacing the electrical panel for the garage section of the condo building. A high-capacity upgrade, like a 400-amp or 800-amp panel, can handle multiple EVs charging at once and still have some capacity left to add more chargers in the future.
Transformer and Service Upgrade
At EVPlugz, when we plan electrical upgrades for large-scale EV charging projects, we often coordinate with utilities to ensure local infrastructure can handle the increased load from EV charging.
Your building is drawing more power and needs an updated panel, but it might also need a service upgrade on the utility side. If the infrastructure wasn’t designed for EV charging, your utility might need to upgrade the transformer closest to your condo building and replace the current service line with a heavy-duty model.
Load Management Solution
A load management solution gives you control over which circuits get powered first in your condo building. For instance, you can set rules and limit how much electricity EV chargers can draw during peak hours when energy rates are high. You can also limit how many EV chargers can operate at the same time if you’re worried about them overpowering your electrical panel.
Submetering
How will you bill for EV charging? If you plan to have each resident pay for the energy they use, you need a submetering solution that measures how much electricity each charger draws.
Even if you want to offer EV charging as a free perk or charge a flat fee, submetering is worth considering because it provides precise data on energy usage. It can help you anticipate future electrical upgrades and plan as you add more chargers.
Dedicated 240V Circuits for EV-Ready Parking Spaces
Each Level 2 EV charger needs a dedicated 240V circuit that connects it to the panel powered it. These circuits will be installed along with the chargers, but it can be cost-effective to add more circuits than needed:
- Grouping upgrades limits disruptions, and the commercial electrician you hire can complete the work as part of one project.
- You can then advertise EV-ready charging spaces that require very minimal work to add a Level 2 charger.
Adding 240V circuits also allows you to plan the location of these EV chargers and create a parking infrastructure that provides convenient access to chargers and meets all building code requirements.
Bonus Upgrades: Backup Power and Bidirectional Charging
There are a couple more condo electrical upgrades worth considering if you’re thinking about scaling EV charging in the near future: backup power solutions, and bidirectional charging.
With backup power, whether it’s a generator or battery, residents can charge their EV during an outage. If you upgrade your condo building with a battery, you can charge it when rates are low and use that energy to charge EVs when rates spike in the afternoon. You can even use solar panels to charge your condo building’s battery and power EV charging with clean energy.
Bidirectional charging is another interesting upgrade that enhances your building’s resilience. As long as residents have EVs compatible with bidirectional charging and you’ve installed chargers that support this technology, you can draw energy from plugged-in EVs to power essential systems.
For instance, you could keep emergency lighting, central air, and security systems online during a power outage thanks to the energy stored in the EVs parked in your building.
Scale Condo EV Charging With EVPlugz
A commercial EV installer like EVPlugz can help you better understand the upgrades you need to scale EV charging.
Schedule a consultation today and we’ll discuss your current EV charging goals and how to plan for a future where more residents will charge their electric vehicles. We can review different upgrade options and put together a plan that works for your condo association’s goals and budgets.
Give us a call at +1 (321) 549 7002 or contact us online to get started.
FAQ
Why do condo buildings need electrical upgrades for EV charging?
Most condo electrical systems weren’t designed to handle multiple EV chargers operating simultaneously. As more residents adopt EVs, these systems can become overloaded. Upgrades like higher-capacity panels, dedicated circuits, and load management help distribute power safely and efficiently.
How does load management help condos save energy?
Load management systems automatically balance power usage. They can limit the number of active chargers, reduce charging speed during peak hours, or prioritize circuits for essential equipment. This prevents overloading and helps reduce energy costs.
How much power does each EV charger require?
Most Level 2 chargers need a dedicated 240V circuit and draw between 16 and 80 amps, depending on the charger model. A professional installer can determine how many chargers your current system supports and recommend upgrades to increase capacity.
