How to Assess EV Charging for Your Strata Building

Electric vehicle (EV) usage is on the rise, and with it, the need for convenient and reliable EV charging infrastructure. If you’re a strata building owner or manager, you might be wondering where to start with EV charging installation in your strata building. Don’t worry; we’ve got you covered. In this post, we’ll go over the key steps you need to take to assess and install EV charging in strata buildings.

1. Assess Your Building’s Electrical Capability and Load Management

Before installing EV charging in strata buildings, you need to determine your building’s electrical capability for power load management. You’ll also want to assess the appetite for future EV usage in your building. This will help you make informed decisions about the number and type of chargers to install.

2. Get Expert Advice on Design

When it comes to EV charger installation, you don’t want to DIY it. It’s best to hire experts who can assess your building’s unique needs and advise on the most efficient and suitable design. This will save you time and money in the long run.

3. Minimize Network Upgrades

Dealing with the network is time-consuming and costly. To avoid unnecessary work, consider minimizing the upgrades that need to be done outside your building envelope when determining the EV charging for strata buildings.

4. Be Clear in Your Specifications

When tendering for EV charging equipment and ongoing services, be clear in your specifications. This will help you avoid potential pitfalls and ensure you get the best possible response to your tender. This is especially for EV charging in strata buildings where owners need to share capex.

5. Optimize Your EV Bays

Think about whether you need to install EV chargers in all of your parking bays or if a booking system with smart automated bollards might be a better fit. This will help you make the most efficient use of your space.

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6. Operations and Maintenance

Finally, consider what’s involved in operating and maintaining your EV charging infrastructure and what it’s going to cost. This will help you make informed decisions about the quality of tender responses.

In conclusion, with the right preparation, installing EV chargers in your strata building can be a straightforward process. By following these key steps and seeking expert advice, you can ensure your building is equipped with reliable and efficient EV charging infrastructure.

Key Steps to Successful Installation of EV Charging in Strata Buildings

Assess Capacity

When it comes to EV charging infrastructure, it’s crucial to think long-term. As a significant investment for any building, planning for future growth is essential. Here are some key considerations to keep in mind:

Calculate Capacity

Determine the number of EV chargers you’ll need in the future, as well as the electrical power required to support them. This step will help you avoid costly and time-consuming network upgrades down the road.

Create a Detailed Plan

If network upgrades are necessary, provide the network operator with a detailed plan outlining how your installation will grow over time. By doing so, you can ensure a smooth installation process and prevent any surprises.

Share Your Strategy

Inform the network operator of your goals and any potential upgrades required. This step will help you achieve a successful installation and reduce the likelihood of unexpected issues.

Consider whether network upgrades are required

If you do happen to be in the situation where public network upgrades are required, there will be a specific process around that. You’ll need to work closely with the network operator to scope out a plan of how your installation will grow over time.

Safety Management

To ensure safety, we recommend creating a detailed site-specific safety management plan for your EV charging installation. Incorporating this plan into your installation’s design will guarantee that it reflects the necessary safety precautions. You should consider potential hazards associated with EV charging, such as electrical and fire risks, to ensure the safety of users and the building. You can minimise risk of accidents and ensure a safe and successful installation, by implementing a comprehensive safety management plan.

Post Installation Inspections

After installation, make sure an independent qualified professional reviews everything separately – basically to double check that the actual deployment follows the original design. Verify that the load management and payment systems are working properly.

Ongoing Operation and Maintenance of EV Chargers

We’ve covered a lot of new information in this blog post!

We’ll cover some tips around for ongoing operation and maintenance of your EV chargers once you’ve installed them in our next blog.

But in the meantime, download our simple guide and infographic here. ⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️