00:00 — When the electrical meters are accessible from the parking spaces, an electric vehicle charge controller is the recommended solution.

00:15 — Located in the electrical room, the charge controller is an energy management system installed on the wire that connects each unit’s electricity meter to its electrical panel.

00:25 — An electrician can install the charge controller at the same time as the charging station and the wire that supplies power to it.

00:33 —The charge controller reads the electricity consumed by the unit’s appliances in real time; If too much energy is being used to power these appliances and the charging station, the power supply to the charging station is temporarily cut off.

00:48 — When the electrical needs of the unit decrease, power to the charging station is automatically restored.

00:55 — During the night, when energy consumption is generally low, the vehicle can therefore be recharged for several hours.

01:02 — Measuring approximately 30 centimetres by 30 centimetres, or 1 square foot, it can be installed on the wall or ceiling. If the available space in the electric room is limited it can also be installed outside the room.

01:18 — And because the charging stations are connected to the private electrical infrastructures of each condo or apartment, the energy consumed when recharging a vehicle is automatically billed to the corresponding unit.

01:31 — Therefore, thanks to an energy management system, it is not necessary to increase the building’s electrical capacity nor modify its existing infrastructure.

01:40 — When powered by an electric vehicle charge controller, each person with access to a dedicated parking space can also have their own private charging station.

Resources

Charge Controller Model

Here is just one example of a charge controller available. This model is CSA approved.

Example Installations

To see examples of complexes that have adopted the charge controller solution, visit our case studies page.

Frequently Asked Questions

01 — What kind of EV charging does the demand charge controller support?

An EV demand charge controller (sometimes referred to as an Electric Vehicle Energy Management System – EVEMS) allows for Level 2 (240V) charging. This is the standard at-home charging speed.

02 — What chargers are compatible with an EV demand charge controller?

An EV demand charge controller is compatible with all types of Level 2, 240V EV chargers and can also be used with the installation of a NEMA outlet.

03 — Is it possible to use a NEMA 14-50 outlet with this kind of solution?

Yes.

04 — How is electricity billed?

As the EV charger will be connected to a designated demand charge controller, which is connected onto the home owner’s electrical meter, all electricity used by the EV will automatically be billed to the accompanying account.

05 — Will we have enough room in the electrical room to install all the charge controllers?

The charge controller can be installed on a wall or ceiling. If the space in the electrical room is limited, it can also be installed outside the room with the extension of certain cables.

06 — Will we have enough room in the electrical room to install all the charge controllers?

In a context where space is an issue, several options are possible:

Adding a Wall
In some electric rooms, space on the walls is limited, but space in the center is available. It is then possible to build a new wall in the center in order to mount the charge controllers.

Installation Outside the Electrical Room
Walls or a ceiling are sometimes available outside the electrical room to install charge controllers. If this is the case, the electrical contractor can simply extend certain cables.

Electrical Room Expansion
If the complex is large, it is possible that once several installations have been made, space will start to become rather scarce. In this case, it is then possible to enlarge the electrical room. If there is no space available for such an expansion, purchasing a nearby parking space may be an attractive option.

Global Installation
It is also possible to opt for a global installation of charge controllers in order to optimize the available space. Here are the different possible scenarios.

07 — Are there other solutions than the charge controller?

When the electricity meters are accessible from the parking spaces the solution to adopt is that of the charge controller. Other solutions can be adopted if the electricity meters are not accessible from the parking spaces.

Before identifying the solution, it is however necessary to conduct energy capacity assessment. It is then necessary to choose an EV charging model and a billing method.

To learn more about the infrastructure additions, see this page. Thereafter, consult the following page to learn about the choice of charging stations and billing.

08 —How does the charge controller work?

The charge controller takes a real-time reading of the electricity that is consumed by the devices in the unit.

If too much energy is used to power both these devices and the charging station, the power supply for the charger will be temporarily cut off. When the demand for electricity from the unit decreases, the charging station is automatically re-energized.

At night, as energy consumption is generally low, the vehicle can be charged for several hours.

09 — Is it possible to pass a large wire to which all the chargers can be connected?

No. When the charge controller solution is adopted, it is necessary to have one cable per parking space to ensure that the electricity consumed by electric vehicle is billed to the correct electricity account. It is however possible, if a unit owner has two parking spaces, to supply two terminals from the same charge controller. An electrical contractor can verify if this option.

10 — Can all unit owners have a charging station?

Thanks to the energy management provided by the charge controller, all unit owners can have a charging station without the need to increase the electrical capacity or modify the existing infrastructure of the building.

11 — Where is the charge controller installed?

The charge controller is installed in the electrical room (or close to it) on the wire which connects the electricity meter and the electrical panel of each unit.

12 — What does a charge controller installation look like?

Here is an individual installation of charge controller:

Here is a grouped installation of charge controller:

13 — We are considering a partial global installation. What do you recommend for the charge controller solution?

Here are the different scenarios for installing charge controllers.

14— We live in a new building and the property developer has already installed a solution for electric vehicles, but this is not the one proposed. What can we do?

It is not uncommon to see well-intentioned property developers providing infrastructure to power electric vehicles. Often, however, they think only of the source of power, and not of future management. In fact, we have seen several projects delivered with additions to the infrastructure. When the board is established later on they are met with the task of selecting an EV charger and also the billing system. It’s also common that the infrastructure installed is not powerful enough to meet the charging needs for all unit owners.
Wanting to adopt a fair solution for all unit owners and not wanting to manage the invoicing, it often happens that the board takes the decision not to use the infrastructures provided by the developer and instead adopts a charging policy to allow the installation of a charge controller.

15— Do we need one demand charge controller per unit?

Yes, in order for billing to be connected directly to the appropriate account it is necessary to have one charge controller per unit.

The Demand Charge Controller