Apartment EV charging case study
Wallaroy 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 = 24, plus 3 visitor parking
- Parking type = one level underground car park
- Charging infrastructure installed = cabling for 11 chargers, installation of 3 x 22kW chargers, Wi-Fi to support load management 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. It investigated the building’s power supply and set out a plan for the infrastructure upgrade.
The second stage was the installation. This included power and data cables throughout the garage, connections to the switchboard, load sharing software and Wi-Fi set up. We had some cable trays in place and added some new ones.
As each unit has two car spaces, we ran power to each pair of car spaces. This enables each unit to install one charging point to be shared between two cars. At this stage, two units have installed chargers for their four parking spaces.
The final step was to test and certify the system for use.
Were any extra upgrades needed to the switchboard or electrical capacity to facilitate this project?
Our block is six years old and has a modern switchboard, so this didn’t need an upgrade. We also had sufficient power supply to the building. 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 the project adds value to the property and provides an easy “plug and play” option to install chargers 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 in a visitor space. 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 have it connected to the power and data termination points that are now in place at their parking bays.
How does the billing work?
The chargers are wired directly back to each apartment owner’s electricity meter, so the power consumption is included on their regular power bills.
The visitor charger has a user pays system via an App and credit card, with BYO cable. The App service provider pays the cost of power back to our Owners Corporation and collects a small surcharge service fee.
How long was the project from inception to finish?
It took about 12 months to complete, from 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 smoke and thermal sensors and a sprinkler system, three exits from garage area, electrical circuit load protection, isolation switches for each charger and regular fire safety 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 and insist they inspect the site before quoting. Go through the quotes carefully to compare the various designs, components and technical specifications being offered by each. We were confident to go with the lowest quote we received and were encouraged that the supplier had previous experience working with apartment EV charging.
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