Charger Pilot Project and NRCAN / Hydro Funding Update

The Cielo Electric team recently completed a very interesting installation at a strata property in North Vancouver. This pilot project was a collaboration between BC Hydro, Natural Resources Canada (NRCAN) and a number of other stakeholders, with the purpose to develop a new type of EV charger designed for Multi-Unit Residences. The first phase of the charger pilot will be available for selected MURBs in the Lower Mainland and our team will be conducting a number of installations with this system.

Our team installed 5 Dual Head Units at designated parking stalls with 150 feet of surface mounted conduit, dedicated disconnects and junction boxes that allowed for future expansion.

The product that has been developed by SMPC Technologies, is a duel head 14.4kW Level 2 charger. The Charger is unique compared to a normal Level 2 charger because it has an internal transformer that allows it to be connected to a 347v service, eliminating the need for the new external transformer upgrade or electrical vault upgrades that are very costly.

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The specific charger system features are as follows:

Direct connection to 347/600V service – This eliminates the need for external transformer and electrical vault upgrades which in many cases can be cost prohibitive to building residents.

Utility Connected Means Direct Billing – The connection straight to BC Hydro allows for direct billing and amalgamation for the energy consumption to be factored into the customer bill, no new/additional accounts or smart meter is necessary.

Restricted Access – RFID tags allows charging stations to be configured for restricted use by residents or visitors.

Point-of-Sale – Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP) support, enabling selection of point-of-sale service providers. This provides ultimate flexibility in choosing an OCPP platform for billing and also allows for Stratas to change network providers in future years.

Demand Response – this enables customers to participate in demand response programs to manage load when needed. This is a great function that BC Hydro is exploring as an option to regulate localized demands on the grid during peak load periods. Essentially they will be able to remotely reduce the EV charging load related to the demands of the local grid, and increase charging load at lower demand times.

Offsite Management – Remote management and reporting tool available through the cloud, this means that the chargers are connected through wireless or LAN cable internet.

We documented this installation and will be posting a video on social media to give you a breakdown of the installation.

UPDATE on NRCAN ZEVIP Program and BC Hydro Application

In a previous blog post we outlined some information about the Natural Resources Canada’s (NRCan) Zero Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Program (ZEVIP). This program offers up to $5k per L2 charging connector installed in Multi Unit Residences and workplaces. Applicants for NRCan’s ZEVIP must commit to installing a minimum of 20 charging connectors, which may be too many for a single MURB or workplace to install. To make this program more accessible, BC Hydro is submitting a joint application for ZEVIP on behalf of interested parties in BC.

To join in on BC Hydro’s application, interested parties are asked to commit to installing a minimum of two Level 2 charging connectors (one dual head or two single head stations). These stations need to be installed for charging in multi-unit residential buildings, workplaces, or for light-duty vehicle fleets.

This is a great opportunity to access additional funding for EV Charging your building or workplace. As you may know, Cielo Electric specializes in EV Charging installations in Multi Unit Residences. We have worked with hundreds of Strata Corporations, Property Management Companies and Property developers to create the best solutions for residents throughout the Lower Mainland.

If you are interested in installing EV charging infrastructure in in your Multi Unit Residential Building, workplace or single family home, call Cielo Electric for a fully comprehensive site assessment. Ph: 778-862-4109 or visit www.cieloelectric.ca for more information.

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