Quick Help Needed - Aeroenvironment requirements

Hey guys, I need some quick help. I was supposed to get my charger installed today after I bought it on a cash and carry, but my contractor is saying he contacted AE and they said that my house had to have at least a 200 amp panel (I have 125), which is something that I've never heard here or from AE when they did my assessment. Is AE being excessive with their requirements or has anyone else also heard that?

Thanks,

Kevin

By AE I assune you mean AeroVironment (AV).

No, a 200-amp panel is not "required" just for AV's EVSE.

However, your breaker panel might be overloaded already?

But, a proper electrical contractor should know that.

The AV EVSE is potentially a 30-amp "continuous" load on a 240v 40-amp breaker.

Yes, AV...thanks. That was my thinking as well but apparently it's in the AV manual that a 200amp service panel is required. How can they require that without knowing the current load on the home? They also require that one of their guys inspect it. I think they're just putting in excessive requirements to force consultation directly by them.

raptor6677 said:

Hey guys, I need some quick help. I was supposed to get my charger installed today after I bought it on a cash and carry, but my contractor is saying he contacted AE and they said that my house had to have at least a 200 amp panel (I have 125), which is something that I've never heard here or from AE when they did my assessment. Is AE being excessive with their requirements or has anyone else also heard that?

Thanks,

Kevin

Click to expand...

My 125A panel would have been fine without the PV. This is something your electrician really should be able to work out!

Just slip your electrician an extra $100 and tell him to ignore the manual.

Hi Raptor,
Not sure where you're located, but in San Diego here is the rough process...Note that I am part of the ECOtality project, but I think the process would be the same for any homeowner...

* You need to apply for or "pull" a permit from the local authority since you're adding at least a new branch circuit and perhaps a second meter (depending).
- This can be done by a licensed contractor or a homeowner
* Accompanying the application for the permit, you need to submit a design which tells them what you're installing and what certain existing loads are.
* This design was done for me by ECOtality, but can certainly be done by the contractor / homeowner.
* There are certain load calculations or notations that are on the design that correspond to the loading on your existing panel.
- This will include HVAC load, spa load, swimming pool load, etc.
- These loads will determine whether your existing panel will work or if you need to upgrade.
- Do you have open space in your panel for the EVSE branch circuit?
* Your contractor should be very familiar with these type of submittals or your local authority can help as well if the homeowner is doing it

Have you done any or all of this process yet? Otherwise you won't be able to install the EVSE and get it in-service...

I'm sure other forum members can fill in more details, but that's the general process...

Randy

I do have the permit and it doesn't require a separate meter. I am having my panel switched out because I didn't have any more room for circuits in my current one, by my electrician hasn't done a load calculation yet. But if he does that calculation and finds that I have enough amps to handle the unit, there's nothing specific about the unit that should require 200 amps right?

While the manual says 200 amps, my electrician supplied by AV did a lold calculation as required by the city and added the EVSE to my 100 amp panel. Note tha I do not have air conditioning.

raptor6677 said:

there's nothing specific about the unit that should require 200 amps right?

Click to expand...

Exactly. Many houses around here have appliances that can pull far more current than the EVSE while on 100A service panels. Electric stoves, water heaters are the primary loads. Electric stoves in particular usually require a 50A breaker.

Running the load calc is the proper way to determine if you need to upgrade your service/main panel or not.

I had a 125 amp panel which AV approved but when my contractor went to pull the permit, the city was the one that required a 200 amp main panel....we tried to get around it, but unfortunately I had to do the upgrade in order to get the city to sign-off on the installation.

Okay, so I called AV myself and found out that it is more of a "recommendation" then a requirement and that wording is something they're going to be changing in the next version of the booklet. So I'm going to have my electrician do the load calcs and hopefully we'll have enough room. Fingers crossed.

Thanks everyone,

Kevin

Glad it may work out and it wasn't a permit issue like mine.

Yeah, San Jose was crazy easy for the permit. I went down there and told them I was installing an EV charging unit and they said "here's your permit." I said, wait don't you need to know any details about what I'm doing and they said, "nope, just have your single line diagram and your load calculations for when the inspector comes.

I decided to upgrade my panel as part of this process... the quote I got was reasonable, so it seemed wise.

Ready2...,
What City?

raptor6677 said:

apparently it's in the AV manual that a 200amp service panel is required.

Click to expand...

That's bull. My old panel was 100 Amps, all of the breaker positions were full, and I have a solar PV system. AV told me, and I mean AV manager level staff told me, "You don't need a panel upgrade."

Their plan was to try to add a sub-panel or "load center", which they would use to offload some breakers from the main panel to accommodate the new 40 A breaker for the EVSE. They did, however, say that this design might or might not pass the city inspector based on a load calculation. If it didn't pass, I would need a main panel upgrade.

For background, I have electric cooking, but gas space heating, water heater, and clothes dryer and no A/C. I have separate 240 Volt lines for an electric oven and a stove top.

garygid said:

Ready2...,
What City?

Click to expand...

Pleasanton

Your load description seems to be of a "small" load (no A/C, pool, spa, e-water, or e-heat), IMO.

Most likely OK, just need room for the double-size breaker in your panel.

thimel said:

While the manual says 200 amps, my electrician supplied by AV did a lold calculation as required by the city and added the EVSE to my 100 amp panel. Note tha I do not have air conditioning.

Click to expand...

Yep ... Panel size/need is based off how many breakers are already installed, and what size they all are ... and if you are the smallest bit proactive you'll consider any likely add-ons you may do down the road. Fortunately for us, we'd just upgraded our main to a 225 amp service 2 years ago, for our roof top 7.2kWh PV system. Now we still have enough room to spare to do future things, despite the EVSE we added into the mix, months ago.