EV CHARGING FACILITY INSTALLATION ISSUES (1)

Editor’s Note: These series are selected from manual Electric Vehicle Community Market Launch Manual: A Guide to Prepare Your Community for Electric Vehicles which was prepared by the Electric Transportation Coalition (ETC) and the Electric Vehicle Association of the Americas (EVAA) in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT).

The electric utility industry has taken the lead in planning for and installing EV charging facilities. However, the automotive industry has been an active partner in working to design, test, and implement processes for the timely installation of EV charging facilities.

This section outlines some of the EV charging installation issues that implementors should consider. Specifically, this section addresses:

  • EV charging facility installation process
  • Helping consumers with EV charging installation

EV charging facility installation process

An EV installation process that satisfies the building permit regulations and EV customers will have to take into account the following:

  • EV Readiness and Load Evaluation
    - Calculate the existing electrical load connected to electrical panel
    - Determine if electric service panel requires upgrade
    - Determine materials required for the installation of the dedicated electric circuit, off-board charger or interface devices (for on-board charger), and load management device, if required
    - Estimate the total cost of the circuit installation and panel upgrade, if required
    - Determine best billing rate for customer
    - Evaluate the added EV load impact to utility system
  • EV Charger/Interconnection Device Sales Process
    - Customer purchases necessary equipment from the dealer of his/her choice
  • Electric Circuit Installation
    - Obtain any necessary electrical, mechanical, or other installation permits
    - Install the electric circuit and connect equipment using licensed, experienced electricians
    - Control quality
    - Have installation inspected by local enforcement agency
  • Aftermarket Service and Warranty Support
    - Ensure that the organizations that provided the above-listed products and services provide seamless service and warranty to the customer

Applying for a building permit for installing a charging facility sets in motion a sequence of events that can vary from one jurisdiction to the next. The public works or building department will most likely issue the permits. Officials in this department will likely not be familiar with EV charging equipment or installation requirements as the first installations are made. Consequently, these officials may be reluctant, resistant, or skeptical about issuing permits for such work.

EV implementors should therefore plan to spend time educating local officials and inspectors on EV technology, charging facilities, and applicable building codes. Local officials may also request information on lighting of the parking/charging area, buffers to protect the charging equipment from damage by the vehicle, and signage in public locations to designate the parking space as an EV charging station. To address these information needs, implementors could work with an engineer/consultant to develop a set of ‘‘boilerplate’’ drawings—including one line diagram, detailed views, and signage—for EV charging facilities. Developing boilerplate electrical specifications could also be useful. These could include the following items:

  • Foundations for pedestal-type charging equipment
  • Excavation and backfill for installing the electrical conduit and/or foundations
  • Requirements for conduit materials and installation
  • Trenching in paved areas for the installation of electrical conduit
  • Types of wiring to be installed
  • Wiring techniques permitted and not permitted
  • Bonding and grounding requirements
  • Panel board markings and ratings
  • Field and functional tests to be conducted

This case study discusses the value of such drawings:

Sacramento Municipal Utility District

Boilerplate drawings and specifications greatly aided SMUD in its successful pioneering efforts to become EV-Ready. SMUD and its consulting firm, Electric Vehicle Infrastructure, Inc., were able to gain the trust and cooperation of local public works officials by involving all interested parties in the formulation of the drawings and specifications. SMUD found that the EV charging installation permit application and approval process became familiar, routine, and time efficient. A copy of the drawings and specifications are included in Volume III of this Manual.

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March 6, 2008 · Filed Under Electric Car Conversion Blog

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