This article is about getting ready for Electric Vehicles in ACT owners corporations.
UPDATE Dec 2021: A new Electric Vehicle Charging Outlook for the ACT has been released providing guidance for industry to ensure a strategic rollout of public charging stations.
“In particular, the outlook focuses on making sure we meet the charging needs of people living in apartments. While some apartment buildings will be able to accommodate EV charging, others may not. We want to prioritise public charging that provides a convenient solution for people living in apartments, so they can benefit from the transition to electric vehicles too.”
You can read more here: Electric Vehicle Charging Outlook for the ACT.
Question: How will strata managers meet the challenge of many complexes moving totally from petrol to fully electric vehicles in the very near future?
How will strata managers meet the challenge of many complexes moving totally from petrol to fully electric vehicles in the very near future?
What is the process? Is there a supply of capable contractors? Do Strata Managers have the experience/preparedness? What is the ability of older built UP to supply sufficient electricity? Etc
Answer: There are several companies that are available for the Owners Corporation to seek advice from.
As this would be an improvement to the amenities of the complex, the Owners Corporation must first set aside the funds for the installation of the facilities to charge these vehicles.
To ensure the owners corporation has the capacity to carry the additional load of electricity, an Electrical Engineer should be engaged to undertake a review of the power supply for the complex.
There are several companies that are available for the Owners Corporation to seek advice from. One of the longest that has been around is Jet Charge, and they are able to provide further advice on the best options for the Owners Corporations individual needs and wants.
Independent consulting engineers, such as John Raineri & Associates, can also be engaged to provide assessments and recommendations.
Jan Browne
Bridge Strata
E: jan@bridgestrata.com.au
P: 02 6109 7700
This post appears in Strata News #509.
Have a question about Electric Vehicles in ACT owners corporations or something to add to the article? Leave a comment below.
Read next:
- ACT: Q&A Difference Between House Rules, Rules and ByLaws
- ACT: Q&A Can I Sue My Owners Corporation and Strata Manager?
This article is not intended to be personal advice and you should not rely on it as a substitute for any form of advice.
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I am in a strata development in the ACT. I have been driving electric cars since 2009 and I am a member of the ACT branch of the Australian Electric Vehicles Association. We have a paper on retrofitting EV charging in strata developments: https://www.aeva.asn.au/retrofitting-electric-vehicle-charging-in-strata-properties/
There are some key concepts to get across:
-What suits one site might not suit another site.
-People who don’t have EVs yet always think they need faster charging than they really do.
-There are ways to plan a staged rollout.
-There are ways to manage the building’s peak electricity load so that EVs do not increase that peak demand.
-If you can wire back to the meters of individual units, it will make things easier for all concerned, but don’t let people have high power chargers (they don’t need them anyway).
-You can outsource the management of a charging system or you can do it in-house.
-The WattBlock reports linked in my article are a good resource.
-Feel free to get in touch with me via secretary@act.aeva.asn.au. Mention my name and your email will be forwarded. Better to arrange to talk than do lots of typing here.
Having looked at this topic last year (2020) for our apartment building I found several sites that had information about this subject. https://evse.com.au/ being one. Basically you do need an electrical engineer but luckily there are ones recommended by the various company’s that do this. From memory there is about 3 different ways to achieve what you require. Obviously you buildings electrical system and how much the residents are willing to pay will be the determining factor in the direction that you would head. think $10,000 per 30 bays, plus, plus, plus, Best of luck with this, we stalled at the first hurdle, the old chicken V Egg situation.
The WattBlock reports have a range of options suggested to address the chicken and egg problem.
One way is to allow some ordinary 10A or 15A sockets to be used by the first several residents with EVs. A simple kWh counter on each line could enable the relevant people to be billed by the OC for the cost they add to the OC’s electricity account. In the ACT that could be done by ordinary resolution referencing section 23, 29 and 30 of the UTMA. The agreement with those owners could include a provision that it expires when there are some specified larger number of EVs in the building and a more comprehensive solution is required.
NB I have been charging electric cars from an ordinary 10A power point since 2009. It is fast enough. A portable EVSE charge cord, usually supplied with the car, is all that is needed. Dedicated wall-mounted EVSE outlets can be left for later.