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Apartment charger installation
- Thread starter samywamy10
- Start date
I’d be massively shocked if a new building doesnt have a vertical riser through the basements. Have you gotten hold of the original electrical plans? They will show the cable path. The fire drawings should also show it.
It's the lowest form of politics...and up until recently, you were chair of the "lowest form of politics". Its leader, in other words.
You start lobbying. You calculate the numbers you need and then you aim to achieve a number slightly higher than that, as contingency. You spend time working out the right narrative which is going to persuade people to your point of view. Being in strata is just like being in politics.
Alternatively talking to them about say putting the Ocular (or similar) charger in a Visitor's spot or other temporary spot in addition/alternative to your personal charger.
Convince them that it will be a big selling point to many potential buyers and renters in the future.
Even if they won't use it themselves, something that can increase the value of their assets might convince some to spend OC money.
(Running similar argument in my 200+ apartment block, but we have 15% of units without parking which complicates things even more, and some power concerns)
Convince them that it will be a big selling point to many potential buyers and renters in the future.
Even if they won't use it themselves, something that can increase the value of their assets might convince some to spend OC money.
(Running similar argument in my 200+ apartment block, but we have 15% of units without parking which complicates things even more, and some power concerns)
I went through this process some time back (2009) before companies like ChargFox existed.
I won’t complicate the advice you have already received and will only say that i found the ‘pitch’ that worked best with my owners corporation was that you are only the first of many EV owners that will approach the OC wanting to install a charger and you are there to help them develop a process to allow this for your installation but also for the inevitable future requests.
I wrote a thread about my NSW experience back in 2014, although it’s somewhat out of date now.
teslamotorsclub.com
I won’t complicate the advice you have already received and will only say that i found the ‘pitch’ that worked best with my owners corporation was that you are only the first of many EV owners that will approach the OC wanting to install a charger and you are there to help them develop a process to allow this for your installation but also for the inevitable future requests.
I wrote a thread about my NSW experience back in 2014, although it’s somewhat out of date now.
My Charging Story (Long)
Since I mentioned that I have successfully installed a plug point in my apartment garage to Tesla and on this forum I have been asked to outline how I was able to do this as many people have met with resistance from Owners Corporations. This is a summary of my experience, apologies if it’s a bit...
teslamotorsclub.com
I mean execute a deed that transfers the ownership of the conduit to the OC after it's installed, so that instead of having to lease a section of roof to attach a conduit, the conduit itself becomes part of the common property (like the other risers and conduits etc that already exist in the building presumably are).
This is the exact thing I want to suggest. I'm happy for them to own it (similar to other utilities) even if I pay to install it.
It does, but the electrical one doesn't end up in the basement. The comms one does and ends up where I want, but I don't think they'd want power run through there. Plus even if there was a straight run I believe we'd need it to be certified as fire-safe as it's going between floors and firewalls. Running off power already in the basement begins to seem like the far easier option.
It’s my understanding, in NSW anyway, that by default any changes approved by the Owners Corporation to common property become the responsibility of the Owners Corporation unless a specific by law is written stating otherwise. I would contact your building’s Managing Agency for some advice regarding this point.
I'm not sure if the OC would want to own it though, lest they be responsible for future maintenance..
Same with a new build, technically OC typically owns the waterproof membrane, but do a bathroom renovation and that will typically be pushed back to you.
Now a shared central conduit that others can easily tap into (as described in that video) is another matter.
Same with a new build, technically OC typically owns the waterproof membrane, but do a bathroom renovation and that will typically be pushed back to you.
Now a shared central conduit that others can easily tap into (as described in that video) is another matter.
There is a big difference between easiest option for installation and easiest option for approval. Its likley you need to do the easiest option for approval and once you have that, go back with an idea that is easiest option for installation. As for fire wall and floor penetrations, they are not difficult. You will need either fire rated pillows (through existing peno’s) or fire rated caulking. Its unlikely your conduit peno is large enough for a fire collar. The existing conduit to the basement will guide you on the best method.
Regardless I think @moa999 is on the right path as well - make it about their future benefit, not yours. Use the NSW available stats to show the percentage of EV’s in NSW in say 10 years, and extrapolate that to your building. Show that the issue cannot be ignored.
Had this problem when I bought my Model 3, but managed to persuade the Body Corporate that as EVs become more common, owners could risk losing a unit sale if there's not at least permission to install an EV charger in its parking space. To find out what's involved, they agreed to let me install one, and the BC could then draft a new By-law for future requests. As this "test" install was entirely at my expense, it was authorised by the BC on its own authority, as no BC funds were involved and thus no owner vote was needed.
The main problem then was coordinating the EV charger vendor (EVIAM), AGL and Energex. EV chargers are deemed a Controlled Load by Energex, so you'll need a CL relay (which used to be part of the meter, but now has to be seperately wired in) and possibly a new meter with a 2nd register (circuit) for the EV, such as the EDMI Mk7A. Your energy company can then switch you to a new electricty plan with an off-peak tariff for the EV charger.
The main problem then was coordinating the EV charger vendor (EVIAM), AGL and Energex. EV chargers are deemed a Controlled Load by Energex, so you'll need a CL relay (which used to be part of the meter, but now has to be seperately wired in) and possibly a new meter with a 2nd register (circuit) for the EV, such as the EDMI Mk7A. Your energy company can then switch you to a new electricty plan with an off-peak tariff for the EV charger.
It's a more complex question, and also one of fairness and future proofing.
Eg. The simplest solution - let people connect to their own meter through a riser, or direct to a shared board - might work for the first five or ten cars, but then you run out of space in the riser, or ways in the board.
Who pays for a new board then, or core drilling a new riser (if you even have space)?
Eg. The simplest solution - let people connect to their own meter through a riser, or direct to a shared board - might work for the first five or ten cars, but then you run out of space in the riser, or ways in the board.
Who pays for a new board then, or core drilling a new riser (if you even have space)?
If it's basically a given that all cars are going electric in the medium future, probably fair that any building electrical upgrade cost is shared amongst all apartment owners and then everyone can install a charger when they need to. Saying that, I live in a house so probably unfair for me to comment.
Yes, they do, but the building power objection is a red herring. Upgrades are absurdly expensive and usually not required. For example, my building has a capacity of 200kW and 96 parking spaces, so in theory only 27 home chargers of 7,5kW could use all its power. This won't happen though, for 2 reasons:
- not all the EVs will be parked, battery empty and charging at the full rate, and
- long before then, the demand for EV chargers will be clear, so the BC can install a 3-phase Load Management System, which dynamically shares the available power. A good LMS can even prioritise the emptiest EVs.
Eventually, of course, a garage full of EVs would charge too slowly for some owners, but they can always use public chargers if they're in a hurry. For average kms/day, overnight charging using an LMS would be good enough for most.
More info: Residential Car Charging Solutions - EVIAM
Its where you need an integrated approach with smart devices that talk to each other thereby limiting the total draw. I think the tesla connector does this? Alternatively, body corporates could limit charging devices to no more draw than a household appliance (10amp power point)
Indeed. Another problem with this solution is that it more or less permanently associates a parking space with a particular physical unit, making it more difficult for the OC to reorganise parking allocations in the future (which could happen if units were amalgamated or subdivided, or an owner wanted to sell their space to another unit owner).
Individual metering of each space is I think a more flexible solution - surely this is not a new problem that no-one has solved.
I am pretty lucky to have bought a unit with just the 12 garages on the one floor, they mentioned they will need to use Wattblock and the cost will fall on me to upgrade the board but I convinced them to let me install my own charger just off my units breaker for the meantime. Not really relevant to a proper highrise apartments situation.
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