Apartment EV charging case study
Wollaroy Crescent, Woollahra
Local resident Malcolm shares his apartment block's experience with installing EV charging.
About your block and the infrastructure installed
- Number of units = 11
- Year block built = 2018
- Number of parking spaces = 22, plus guest parking
- Parking type = one level underground car park
- Charging infrastructure installed = cabling to enable 11 chargers, 3 x 22kW chargers, Wi-Fi to enable charging and load sharing software.
- Installed = December 2024
What motivated you to install EV chargers in your block?
We had some residents with EVs and we had previously attended an information session through Woollahra Council so had a basic idea of what was involved. Then we saw there were some NSW government grants available so we decided to apply. (Note: these grants are now closed).
Tell us more about the process you went through to get the system installed?
The first stage was a scoping study that investigated the building’s electrical capacity and the infrastructure needed.
The second stage was to install the cabling, electrical components, load sharing software and Wi-Fi set up. We had some cable trays and ducting in place already to run cables along. As each unit has two car spaces we then ran extra power between each pair of car spaces. This enables every unit to install a charging point that they can share between two cars.
The final stage was to connect the three charging points for the parking spaces where we already have EVs and ensure all components were working correctly.
Were any extra upgrades needed to the switchboard or electrical capacity to facilitate this project?
Our block already had a modern switchboard in place so this didn’t need any upgrades. We also had sufficient electrical capacity. The project was relatively straightforward because of this.
Who were the key people involved in the project?
I was the key person driving the project internally and I worked with the chair of our Strata Committee who owns an EV. Everyone in the block was supportive of the project. Even people without EVs were positive as project adds to their property value and provides easy options for charging in the future.
We held two extraordinary general meetings to ensure everything was approved along the way including adding a clause about the chargers to our strata by-laws.
How are the chargers being used?
We have three cars regularly charging from two chargers and the third charger is set up to enable visitors to charge. Everyone using the system is happy with the set up. Anyone who buys an EV in the future simply has to purchase a charger and attach it to the cabling in place at their parking bays.
How does the billing work?
The chargers link directly back to the apartment owner’s electricity meter so this simply feeds into their regular individual power bill.
The charger in the visitor parking has a user pays system via an App and credit card. The company operating this pays an agreed portion of the fees back to our Owners Corporation.
How long was the project process from inception to finish?
It took us about 12 months to complete from the time we did the scoping study through to the final installation and commissioning of the chargers.
Were there any challenges with your project?
When the project was proposed some people asked questions about fire safety. We addressed these questions in part through education that the majority of battery-related fires are from poor quality e-bike chargers rather than cars.
We had a fire rating check as part of the project. The things in place to address our risk include existing fire sensors and sprinkler systems, three exits from garage area, electric circuit protections, isolation switches for the chargers and regular fire risk compliance inspections.
What advice would you give to others interested in installing chargers in their block?
Do some background reading to understand what’s involved. Make sure you get two or three quotes with people visiting the site. Go through the quotes carefully to consider the different designs, components and technical specifications being offered by each. We were confident to go with the lowest quote we received and were pleased that the supplier had previous experience working with apartment EV charging.
More information
Electric vehicle ready apartments guide
Apartment sustainability project ideas
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