On this page you’ll find advice, tools, and answers to frequently asked questions regarding electric vehicle home charging for multi-unit residential buildings.
How to Get Electric Vehicle Charging Installed in a Multi-Unit Residential Building
Identify the power source and connection point
To install a charging station in a multi-residential building you must first identify the power source and determine how the electricity consumed will be billed. With this information, it will be easier to make a request to the managing board.
Submit a Request
Once the installation context is known and understood, the next step is to ask for approval from the building’s managing board. If your building has already implemented a charging policy the procedure may previously outlined.
Source an electrician and proceed to installation
Ask if your building has a preferred electrician, if not search for options with local authoritative bodies.
Identify Your Context
Resources and Tools
Authorization Request for the Managing Board
Here is an example request that can be used when requesting approval from the managing board if the use of a demand charge controller is the appropriate solution.
Here is also an example of a request for information in the context of inaccessible meters and an example of a request for information in the context of a single counter.
Quote request from an electrical contractor
Once authorization from the board has been obtained, you can then request a quote from an electrical contractor. Here is an example of a quote request to install a charging station with a charge controller for electric vehicles.
Sourcing an Electrician
Here are a handful of ressources when searching for an electrician specialized in electric vehicle charging installations.
All the entrepreneurs listed here specialize in the installation of charging stations for electric vehicles.
Quebec
Guide to Multi-Residential Electric Vehicle Charging by Hydro Quebec (French Only)
List from the Electric Vehicle Association of Quebec (AVEQ)
List from the Master Electrician Association of Quebec (CMEQ)
British Columbia
Tesla Owners
Rebates
Quebec Multi-Unit Building Electric Vehicle Charging Rebate Program
If you have purchased an electric vehicle, have installed a charger, and also reside in a multi-unit building, you may be eligible for this program. Find all the details here.
British Columbia, Canada
Santa Monica, California
Frequently Asked Questions
01 — How do I install a charging station in my parking stall?
To have a charger at your parking space, you must first identify how it can be powered. Answer these few questions to identify your power source.
02 — What information should be included when submitting a request to the managing board?
If your solution involves the addition of an EV demand charge controller you may want to include details like:
• A short overview of the installation
• Unit and parking stall number(s)
• Links like details of the desired charger
• Links to the appropriate EV demand charge controller
If your solution is to upgrade certain electrical components you may want to include details like:
• A short description of the buildings installation context and situation
• Unit and parking stall number(s)
• Link to https://murbly.com/en/learn/boards
03 — How do I convince my board or condo association?
When making the request, it’s important to highlight that the addition of an electric vehicle charger will bring added value to the property and should not be seen as a privilege or an expense. Real estate developers are increasingly including basic EV charging infrastructure in new developments.
Existing multi-residential buildings should therefore establish a plan for the installation of EV charging stations if they want to preserve and maximize their property value.
Understanding your buildings appetite for electric vehicle charging is incredibly valuable. What if more than 50 percent of the tenants are also thinking that their next car is electric, or plan to own one in the next five years? On the flip side, what if only one person is interested in an EV? How does a single request still get approved?
Circulating a survey will also start the kick-start the conversation and accelerate the process.
04 — My board has asked me to collect information on the installation of charging stations in our complex. What should I provide them with?
It is not uncommon for boards to ask the first person who requests a charging station to gather information on the subject. In this situation, the board generally expects to receive information that will allow them to make an informed decision for the entire complex, and not only for the first applicant.
In order to provide them with the tools necessary to set up an EV Readiness Plan in the complex, start by identifying the appropriate charging solution by answering these few questions. Then share with your board the webpage that explains in detail the solution, along with our page dedicated to Managing Boards that explains, step by step, how to prepare a building for the installation of charging stations for electric vehicles.
05 — There is pavement between my parking space and electricity meter. What do I do?
In complexes where there are outdoor parking spaces, it sometimes happens that pavement is between the parking space and the electrical room. In such a context, excavation may be necessary. Ask your board if they would be interested in doing excavation work for all of the parking spaces that are in the same situation as yours. The costs related to the excavation could thus be divided among several units.
06 — There is no surface near my parking space to mount the EV charger. What do I do?
If no surface is nearby to mount the EV charger it’s possible to have a pedestal installed. An electrical contractor can present the options available to you.
07 — Are there other solutions than the one proposed to power my charging station?
Do you think that the solution proposed may not be suitable for your complex? On our Resources page you will find all the solutions that can be adopted across different contexts.
08 — My boards wants to hold at the next general assembly before authorizing the installation of my EV charger. How can I speed up the process?
Once the board is aware of how to power the EV chargers and it has a good understanding of the present and future resident interests in EV charging, a Charging Policy can then be voted in at a general meeting. Share with the board the following examples and tools to create their policy: