Challenge

For EV drivers in Burlington, VT, a city-wide goal of reaching Net-Zero Energy by 2030 helps drive creative solutions for EV charging for multifamily housing, including affordable housing.  Burlington’s municipal electric utility boasts 100% renewable energy and continues to drive solutions toward sustainable electrification. Consistent with the utility’s mission, Burlington Electric Department (BED) has identified a creative solution to address access and affordability of EV charging for drivers living in multifamily housing who do not have access to off-street parking. Indeed, one appreciative customer shared the following thoughts: “I’ve been really happy overall with the pole-mounted chargers – they’ve been super convenient, and I honestly can’t say enough good things.” 

Objectives and solution

BED identifies neighborhoods with high numbers of vehicles parking on the streets. Then, BED prioritizes those neighborhoods for the rollout of affordable EV charging and installs Level 2 EV chargers on curbside utility poles. 

These utility-owned and operated chargers are installed 10 feet up on the poles to save space at street level and prevent damage from snow plows and other sources., Using the ampUp app, an EV driver can either scan a QR code on the pole or select the charger from the ampUp map, to trigger the charging cable to descend for easy charging. Not only is the charging convenient, but it’s also affordable, at $0.13 per kilowatt-hour (midnight to noon) and $0.21 cents per kilowatt-hour (noon to midnight). With these new chargers, all Burlingtonians, whether homeowners with space for a Level 2 charger on their property or multifamily renters with no off-street parking, have the opportunity to take advantage of the lower, off-peak charging rate.

BED is studying how well these chargers work and, if this pilot program is successful, will look to install more in additional neighborhoods where residents live in apartments without access to off-street parking. The program is also designed to include residents who live in affordable housing. BED suggests that utilities interested in exploring this technology test both the user interface with the app and the durability of the charging hardware.

Elements for success

• BED is not only providing access to charging for EV drivers, but is also identifying and providing access in areas where it is most needed. By prioritizing neighborhoods where residents do not have access to off-street parking, they are ensuring that the impact of each pole-mounted charger will be maximized.
• BED selected a unique charger configuration that will deter damage to and vandalism of charging cables and use existing utility infrastructure rather than adding new equipment in the curbside area, resulting in easier and quicker installs with no ground site-work.

References

• How Burlington hopes to make EV chargers more accessible
• Burlington Electric Department introduces new pole-mounted electric vehicle chargers to improve charging access

Recap

Charging cost: $0.21/kWh (noon to midnight) or $0.13/kWh (midnight to noon)
Charging type: Public
Problem addressed: Access, Equipment
Solution type: Utility

The post Burlington Electric Department installs pole-mounted EV chargers for targeted curbside charging appeared first on Plug In America.

Challenge

Residents of multifamily housing are a critically underserved population when it comes to accessible EV charging. These properties have unique challenges, such as the need to serve many residents, limited electrical capacity, and uncertainty about when residents will switch to EVs.

Most EV drivers travel around 40 miles a day and leave their cars parked for at least 12 hours daily. Installing Level 2 charging, which can recharge a full EV battery in about 4 hours, in apartments and condominiums can require expensive panel upgrades. Recouping these costs drives up per-kWh charging rates for multifamily housing residents and often leads to shuffling vehicles between parking spaces since Level 2 charging for daily use often takes an hour or less. Is there an inexpensive, low-power solution that creates a better fit for EV charging schedules and enables property owners to afford larger EV charging projects?

Objectives and solutions

Peninsula Clean Energy (PCE), a community choice aggregator that sources clean energy for residents in California, aims to reduce the cost of charging installations for landlords and the per-kWh cost of charging for residents. PCE’s EV Ready program provides free technical support and incentives to landlords and property managers who add EV charging to their properties. When property owners seek technical assistance, PCE offers three design options– “good, better, and best”–and the “best” option typically includes the least expensive, lowest-level chargers. Many EV drivers and intenders assume that they need a Level 2 charger (typically 7 kW) to charge their EV. However, according to PCE’s self-published report on the results of their managed charging pilot, about ⅓ of residential EV charging already utilizes a typical 120V outlet. 

For daily driving, Level 1 chargers are completely adequate and cost very little to install. They also complement typical parking behaviors in which drivers park their cars in the evening and don’t move them until they head out the following day. When program participants reach out to PCE to get a quote on costs and incentives for installing Level 2 chargers, PCE will provide that information, but will often recommend more chargers that work at a lower power level as their “best” option. Instead of the upsell costing more, the recommendation provides more chargers for less money. Not only can the cost savings from these projects ultimately reduce the cost of charging in multifamily housing, but they can also serve more drivers, make charging more convenient, and reduce the impact of charging on the grid. 

A recent EV Ready Success Story shared by PCE highlights the fact that an increasing number of prospective renters are asking about EV charging. In response to this demand, Tyrone Properties installed 13 Level 1 and low-power Level 2 chargers for their tenants. With the help of incentives from the EV Ready program, total out-of-pocket costs were less than $150 per charger. Additionally, when possible, the chargers are wired directly to the resident’s apartment’s electric meter. This allows customers to take advantage of utility-offered EV rates and time-of-use residential rates that make the grid cleaner and more efficient and reduce the cost of electricity. PCE has installed more than 1,600 chargers so far and has 3,000 more in progress. About three-quarters of these support people living in multifamily housing.

Elements for Success

• Peninsula Clean Energy is uniquely positioned as a special-purpose public agency and a non-profit to meet the charging needs of residents.
• PCE offers cheaper rates than the investor-owned utility whose territory in which it resides. Because there are no shareholders, everything they make from selling power is invested in electrification programs.
• Savings from the increased efficiency of the system put downward pressure on rates.
• PCE’s focus on “right sized” EV charging is allowing for larger sized projects at affordable costs for property owners.

References

• PCE EV Managed Charging Pilot Results
• Access to slow EV chargers could speed up EV adoption among renters
• Peninsula Clean Energy EV Ready Program
• EV READY SUCCESS STORY Tyrone Properties adds EV charging  at low to no cost

Recap:

Charger type: Level 1 and Level 2 charging
Charging type: Public or private
Problem addressed: Access, Cost
Solution Type: Utility

The post Peninsula Clean Energy prioritizes widespread low-level charging for increased cost savings and access. appeared first on Plug In America.

Challenge

While electric vehicles don’t emit carbon dioxide, the energy that powers them may come from non-renewable sources. Single-family homeowners can install solar panels and power EVs with 100% renewable energy, but most residents of multifamily housing don’t have this option. How can multifamily housing residents access public EV charging powered by renewable energy?

Objectives and solutions

Ava Community Energy is a community choice aggregator in California, a nonprofit community government agency. It builds–and buys from–clean power plants to provide electricity to Pacific Gas & Electric, an investor-owned utility company that delivers the electricity to customers. Ava Community Energy returns excess revenue to the communities it serves, including Alameda County and the City of Tracy. 

Ava Community Energy decided to build public EV chargers because a large percentage of greenhouse gas emissions come from transportation in their service territory. They also realized that access to fast and reliable charging is a critical barrier to EV adoption, especially for residents of multifamily housing. Their first 31 public charging stations are located at City Center West Garage in downtown Oakland, an area with lots of multifamily housing and businesses nearby. Drivers can see current charging prices on the PlugShare or EV Connect apps and pay for charging with a credit or debit card, mobile wallet, or through the EV Connect app. Parking fees are waived at the garage for the first hour of charging. Ava Community Energy is also collecting customer feedback surveys from their current charging location to better inform future charging projects. This solution allows multifamily housing residents to charge with renewable energy in a convenient and affordable way. 

Elements for Success

• DC fast charging is provided directly from the electric utility, which makes the installation process smoother and ensures the cost of charging is affordable.
• The public chargers are powered by renewable energy, giving all drivers more choices for how they charge.
• The 31 public chargers range from 100 to 280 kW, allowing drivers to charge quickly and minimize parking fees. 

References

• EV Fast Charging Network – Ava Community Energy
• What We Do | Ava Community Energy 

Recap:

Charger type: DC fast charging
Charging type: Public
Problem addressed: Access, Equipment
Solution type: Utility

The post Ava Community Energy expands charging access with public fast charging network powered by renewable energy appeared first on Plug In America.