Clean Energy Question of the Week

Updating municipal codes to accelerate EV readiness can help remove barriers and encourage the adoption of electric vehicles. By updating codes to allow for the installation of EV charging infrastructure, for example, cities can make it easier for residents and businesses to own and use electric vehicles. Similarly, by updating building codes to require new construction to include provisions for EV charging, cities can ensure that new developments are “EV ready,” which can make it easier for future electric vehicle owners to charge their vehicles at home or at work. Updating codes can also help to ensure that electric vehicle infrastructure is built to a high standard and is compatible with the needs of electric vehicle owners.

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Learn more about how cities can advance EV adoption by lowering barriers through this report from Forth: Pulling the Right Levers: How Cities Can Advance EV Adoption by Lowering Barriers.

To meet transportation electrification goals and the increasing demand for EV charging options, states, utilities, and local governments will need to adopt policies that can streamline the process for connecting EV charging infrastructure to the grid. Delays at different stages of the process currently create uncertainty for project developers and slow down the transition to electrified transportation. The main factors that contribute to these delays include 1) interconnection process delays, 2) difficulties obtaining easements (which grant utilities the right to install, access, and service electrical equipment on a property), and 3) slow permitting processes.

States and local governments across the country are implementing best practices to help streamline the interconnection process. A few of these include 1) utilities ensuring that any staff working on EV infrastructure projects have charger-specific knowledge, 2) state legislatures requiring utilities to implement programs that allow for more cost- and time-efficient charger interconnections like “make-ready” programs, and 3) AHJs ensuring that information about the permitting process, including a list of any materials required to be submitted along with a permit request, is online and easy to find.

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These best practices and more can be read about in this IREC report, Paving the Way: Emerging Best Practices for Electric Vehicle Charger Interconnection, which can be used as guidance for jurisdictions looking to enable the rapid deployment of EV chargers.

While the electric vehicle (EV) market is still at a relatively early stage of development, EVs are fast gaining popularity and market share. Car manufacturers have plans in place for fleet rollout over the coming years, and federal governments the world over are putting in place policies to make the EV adoption path more attainable. The electric vehicle story is most certainly going to accelerate, and like any disruptive technology there is no shortage of exciting challenges that everyone involved in the ecosystem will get to solve. It will take everyone from policymakers, to utilities, to building owners, to code and safety officials, to the consumers themselves to ensure a successful transition. 

Making the decision to provide access to EV charging infrastructure at your commercial building is one of those challenges that requires a sound strategy for positive deployment. First, you should recognize that installing EV chargers can bring a number of benefits, including attracting and retaining EV driving tenants; supporting residents in purchasing or leasing EVs through greater awareness and access to charging infrastructure; increasing your property values; and more. Before installing commercial EV charging stations, it’s imperative that you consider several factors, including charger type, station location, and your long-term business goals.

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If you want to learn more about these factors and other topics like funding options and case studies of successful EV charging infrastructure, check out this 60-minute IREC webinar on The Possibilities of EV Charging.

Are you interested in installing electric vehicle charging equipment at your building? If you are a building owner, you have almost certainly been asked about installing a charger for electric vehicles (EVs). These quiet, reliable, and efficient vehicles are growing in number and popularity. The interactive resource linked below is designed to introduce building owners of multi-unit dwellings (MUDs) to the basic requirements associated with installing electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE). You can get started today by learning more about the costs and benefits of installing an electric vehicle charging station at your site.

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• This resource for building owners covers the basic requirements associated with installing electric vehicle chargers.
• Toolkit for Vehicle Charging at Multi-Unit Dwellings (Forth Mobility)

Given the increased frequency of natural disasters, many have wondered about temporary ways to power their home while waiting for utility grid power to be restored. Some car manufacturers describe this capability. A little background: Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) is the broader term used to describe the storage of energy within an EV and its ability to supply power for particular end uses, including buildings (V2B), homes (V2H), load (V2L), and the grid (V2G). Vehicle to grid (V2G) is not yet in use throughout the U.S., but the technology, equipment, and related codes and standards recognize the possibility.

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• This short course that summarizes the key points of V2H, V2G, and V2X.
• Interested in the comprehensive technical details? Read the report produced by IREC in January 2022: Paving the Way: Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) Standards for Electric Vehicles.
• Look at pilot projects happening to test bi-directional charging: General Motors and Pacific Gas Electric are planning to test the use of electric vehicles as a backup power source for homes in 2022 (NPR, March 2022)

With more than 25 million electric vehicles expected to be on U.S. roads by 2020, questions about charging are common. EV charging is completely safe when the installation is in conformance with the relevant installation codes, U.S. product safety standards, and manufacturer’s installation instructions.

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• Check out this short course if you’re interested in learning the facts about the codes and standards that govern the safe installation of electric vehicle supply equipment.