Installing Charger at Condo

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Stoaty said:
This sounds concerning to me, since in my condo, my circuit breaker box is in my unit. The meters for the individual units are in the parking garage, but I don't see a breaker box there. How can I get a charger installed with a breaker if there aren't any breakers in the garage? Does one have to be installed at additional cost?
Breaker boxes aren't all that expensive, and it shouldn't cost very much to install one close to your meter. I would think it could just be wired in parallel to your main breaker box, but if not, it could certainly be put in series, making your existing box a sub-breaker box.
 
The least expensive way to get up to 4 extra 2-pole breaker is to install one of these, called a "CSED", it has "Main lugs" that feed the existing wiring, and this would just replace the existing meter...

http://www.lowes.com/pd_79498-296-RC816F200C_0_?zipCode=02368&ddkey=http%3ASearchCatalogDisplay&newSearch=true&firstReferURL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.lowes.com%2Fpd_79498-296-RC816F200C_0_%3FnewSearch%3Dtrue%26catalogId%3D10051%26productId%3D1196613%26Ntt%3Drc816f200c%2B%26N%3D0%26langId%3D-1%26Ns%3Dp_product_price%257C0%26storeId%3D10151%26Ntk%3Di_products%26ddkey%3Dhttp%3ASearchCatalogDisplay&catalogId=10051&productId=1196613&findStoreErrorURL=StoreLocatorDisplayView&selectedLocalStoreBeanArray=%5Bcom.lowes.commerce.storelocator.beans.LocatorStoreBean%4034f6e67d%2C+com.lowes.commerce.storelocator.beans.LocatorStoreBean%403427267d%2C+com.lowes.commerce.storelocator.beans.LocatorStoreBean%4034c6a67d%2C+com.lowes.commerce.storelocator.beans.LocatorStoreBean%4030afa67d%2C+com.lowes.commerce.storelocator.beans.LocatorStoreBean%402b6e67d%5D&Ntt=rc816f200c+&N=0&langId=-1&URL=TopCategoriesDisplayView&Ns=p_product_price%7C0&storeId=10151&Ntk=i_products

$140 from Lowes, plus installation of course...
 
We are in a 165 unit condo complex with retail in the front. We have an underground parking garage with retail parking spaces as well. I have had the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power reps and the Los Angeles City Building and Safety Dept Chief Electrical engineer out to our garage along with our HOA president to have discussions about the feasability of owners installing charging docks in their individual parking spaces that would be connected to their individual electric meters. Unfortunately, the electric system of the condo (built 2006) was spec-ed to the bare bone so there is no extra capacity on the load side for each condo. There may be capacity on the line side but we are going to need a more thorough assessment of our buildings plans. We have 2 meter rooms and there is extra wall space where some owners could have TOU meters for electric car charging if their spaces were close enough to the meter room that running the lines would work. They would tap into capacity (assuming we have any) on the line side. This might allow a few owners to have charging docks.
I am also pursing whether we would be eligible for a public charging station in one of our retail spaces and what sort of cost that would be and whether the HOA could recoop the cost by charging a fee for the charging using a credit card, etc. Our retail spaces are open to the public.
Lots of questions. Not very many answers at this point. Next step is to get one of the charging dock contractors to come out, look at our plans, and make an assessment about what is possible for our garage.
 
Kataphn said:
I am also pursing whether we would be eligible for a public charging station in one of our retail spaces and what sort of cost that would be and whether the HOA could recoop the cost by charging a fee for the charging using a credit card, etc. Our retail spaces are open to the public.

Couple of options
- Check with Coloumb's project. You may be able to use govt grant to get them to install a public charger or two.
- Check with 350green (http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=621). They install and operate the charger.
 
Couple of options
- Check with Coloumb's project. You may be able to use govt grant to get them to install a public charger or two.
- Check with 350green (viewtopic.php?f=9&t=621). They install and operate the charger.

Yes, I have begun the discussion with Coloumb to see if our condo retail parking area would fit their criteria.
 
I'm having trouble getting hold of proper Coulomb/Distributor personnel.
Could you please ask them:
1] Does a Coulomb station include an internal "revenue meter" which LADWP will accept for billing ? (Avoiding an additional utility meter.)
2] What does such station cost ?
3] Can it be used in any residential application, not just public ?
4] Is that station being supplied to eTec for their EV project areas ?

Then report back.
Thanks!
 
I'm having trouble getting hold of proper Coulomb/Distributor personnel.
Could you please ask them:
1] Does a Coulomb station include an internal "revenue meter" which LADWP will accept for billing ? (Avoiding an additional utility meter.)
2] What does such station cost ?
3] Can it be used in any residential application, not just public ?
4] Is that station being supplied to eTec for their EV project areas ?

I did talk to a representative of Coulomb. Here are the answers to these questions:
1. Yes, the Coulomb product for public use has a utility grade meter built into it. To date, no utility has agreed to use it on their networks. The utilities are still evaluating this, seeing how it would fit into their business plans and regulatory issues.
2. The first public station in a location would cost about $5600 not including installation. Second and subsequent stations in the same location would cost $4400-$4600.
3. They are working on a residential version that would have all the same capabilities including the utility grade meter but without the billing function. Not firm cost has been determined yet but it would be "considerably less" than the public station.
4. No, they are not supplying eTec or the EV project. They have their own separate federal DOE grant and are pursing the placement of public stations on their own, separate from EV project efforts.

The answer to my question to the representative about whether our condo complex that has retail in the front and retail/guest parking spaces would qualify to be a part of their grant for a public charging station was No because our parking garage is closed to the public from about midnight to 4 am and a stipulation of their grant is that the public stations be accessible to the public 24/7.
 
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