Plan the installation of charging stations for electric vehicles in a multiple dwelling

Adapting a rental building or a condominium to install charging stations can be a significant project.  Learn how to plan such a project—from analyzing existing electrical infrastructure to assessing the proposed charging solutions—while estimating residents’ needs and considering the building’s legal context.

Gathering information on the building’s characteristics will help plan and minimize the costs of a project to install infrastructure for electric vehicle charging.

You will need to know, among other things:

• The configuration and capacity of the electrical infrastructure in order to determine installation possibilities and the components that will need to be replaced or added;
• The layout of the parking spaces in order to develop a realistic and safe installation plan;
• The professional and financial resources available, and the expenses that will need to be incurred to prepare your budget.

The type of building (rental building or condominium) will also influence the administrative procedures, decision-making processes, and financing possibilities.

Although no legal or regulatory obligation requires it at this time, installing charging stations in a multiple dwelling can be seen as a strategic investment, by providing more services to occupants while offering a competitive advantage to attract new residents.  

Different charging solutions for electric vehicles can be considered in a multiple dwelling. Depending on the specific characteristics and the electrical infrastructure of the multiple dwelling, and on the project’s objectives, several choices will need to be made:  

• Install private or shared charging stations;
• Equip some or all parking spaces;
• Hire a project manager specialized in electric vehicle charging or coordinate the work;
• Determine the rates and billing method for the use of charging stations, in the case of a shared installation;
• Use an energy management system or not.

Condominium syndicates, property managers and property owners may seek the consulting services of experts to choose a solution suited to their needs and budget.

An energy management system can prove essential for the efficiency and sustainability of charging in a multiple dwelling.

An energy management system for electric vehicles is composed of hardware and software equipment that optimize energy use and protect a building’s electrical infrastructure. 

Here are some examples of components and how the system works for a charging solution:

• A load controller connected to a dwelling’s electrical panel analyzes electricity consumption and temporarily reduces the power supplied to the charging station to avoid an overload during a period of high electricity demand;  
• If several charging stations are installed on the same electrical supply, smart panels can monitor and adjust in real time the consumption of the charging stations. Power can be shared equally among the charging stations to avoid an overload.

Implementing an energy management system allows:

• to avoid upsizing the electrical infrastructure to meet the future charging needs of residents;
• to reduce the initial project costs;
• to optimize the use of electrical components;
• to optimize the consumption of the energy available to the building;
• to ensure the long-term safety of the building’s electrical installations.

A guide (PDF 2.34 Mb) (in French only) is made available to managers and owners to help them successfully carry out a charging station project in a multiple dwelling.

This guide:

• provides tools to assess the current state of the building and the charging needs of its residents;
• helps users learn about charging solutions, energy management systems and billing methods;
• helps users be better prepared to understand and analyze the bids received from contractors;
• helps determine the need for support from an external consultant to successfully carry out the project;
• contains lists of work to be carried out.

Since October 1, 2018, residential buildings with four dwelling units or fewer must be built with the basic electrical infrastructure to enable the supply of power to charging stations in their parking spaces.

This regulation (in French only) is expected to soon be extended to new residential buildings with five or more dwelling units. Building construction standards are expected to require the installation of basic electrical infrastructure to supply charging stations for all parking spaces in new buildings with five or more dwelling units.

Québec’s Electric Vehicle Charging Strategy aims to adapt approximately 600,000 parking spaces in multiple dwellings by 2030.

The Strategy provides for a new financial assistance program intended for owners and managers of existing multiple dwellings who wish to upgrade the electrical infrastructure to enable the installation of charging stations.

Currently, the Roulez vert program offers financial assistance for the purchase and installation of charging stations in multiple dwellings.  

The amount of financial assistance is calculated based on eligible expenses (purchase and installation costs for the charging stations and electrical supply infrastructure).

Costs related to the upsizing of the electrical supply and distribution infrastructure for the future installation of additional charging stations and costs related to the purchase of an energy management system are eligible expenses. The amount of financial assistance offered for these costs is calculated based on the number of charging stations installed.

Check the eligibility requirements of the Roulez vert program.