How to charge several electric cars at the same time in apartment buildings?

This year, more than 7000 electric cars have already been registered in Latvia, and it is predicted that as early as 2030, every seventh vehicle on Latvian roads will be an electric car, so the need for charging options, including in apartment buildings, is also increasing. In new projects, charging stations are increasingly planned already at the construction stage, but they can also be installed in older buildings. Many experts point out that in the near future car charging options will be as common as access to the Internet. 

Changes in the regulatory framework made in 2020 provide that new multi-apartment buildings (if there are more than 10 parking spaces) must create channels for electric cables already during construction, so that charging points can be installed in the future if necessary. This applies not only to the underground parking lot, but also to the parking spaces in the adjacent area. In such cases, the most suitable will be the modular charging solution - while charging is not required, the charger housing is installed, in which the necessary wires are hidden. On the other hand, when charging is required, all that remains is to install a charge controller, which can be done very quickly by a professional electrician.

Charging stations in older apartment buildings

When it comes to older buildings, it should be emphasized that by including the installation of a charging point in the home renovation project, the number of required approvals can be significantly reduced. Also in this case, the modular approach allows you to hide the cables in empty charger boxes until a resident needs charging options, but before that it is necessary to assess whether the current strength is sufficient to power the car chargers. This evaluation can be done by an electrician, determining whether it is necessary to increase the connection power. A load management controller that is installed in the electrical cabinet allows efficient use of the existing power connection and it is possible that it is not necessary to increase the power of the connection. In the event that the building is already supplied with electricity, for example, heating, it is likely that an increase in current strength will be necessary.

What is the amperage required?

• The electrical connection must be powerful enough to fully charge the electric car overnight.
• The minimum power required to start charging a car in a single-phase connection is 6A (=1,4 kW).
• In order to be able to fully charge a car overnight, it is recommended that one car has at least 4 kW of available power, which is 6 A per phase in a three-phase connection.
• A load management controller is installed in the charger cabinet. It reads the total energy consumption of the house and sends a signal to the chargers about how much available power is left to charge the cars. Home electricity consumption is prioritized, not car chargers.
• A load management controller makes efficient use of available current to charge the car as fast as the power connection allows, often avoiding expensive grid upgrades.
• The load management controller also allows the integration of solar panels into the car charging system.

What is Smart Charging?

Smart charging is often thought to be when an algorithm determines when the best exchange prices for electricity are and charges at that exact time, reducing costs, but the term covers much more. The smart charger is connected online - it can be controlled both automatically and manually when and how much is needed. In connection with the load management controller, it is possible to monitor the total energy consumption of the house and use only the remaining power for charging the electric car. On the other hand, if solar panels are used and there is a lot of solar energy, the smart charger in connection with the load management controller can also help charge the car for free.

Which charging solution is suitable for an apartment building?

When it comes to charging an electric car in an apartment building, it is important to analyze several aspects, not only the installation of charging devices. It is important that all chargers are in the same system, where they take into account each other's charging needs and do not overload the mains connection.

When choosing the most suitable charging solution, it is recommended to immediately choose both equipment and software that work using a single, open standard OCPP - this means that these equipment and software are also compatible with software or hardware of other companies. However, the most recommended solution is equipment and software from the same manufacturer, for example "VOOL" offers a smart charging solution that includes charging management software with OCPP compatible chargers and a load management controller.

Apartment building managers can choose to rent or buy chargers, which means lower costs in the long run. It is also possible to choose whether the chargers will be shared or for individual use - if the private charger is placed in the owner's parking space, it can only be used by the owner, but if the charger is located in shared charging points, residents can use them alternately and most often they are managed directly by the building manager or company. who manages the building.

What to pay attention to in payments?

It is important to choose a software solution that allows you to pay according to the consumption of each user. In the solution offered by our company, the user identifies himself with a personalized RFID card or phone and receives an invoice at the end of the month, according to the consumed electricity. The proposed payment system is easy to manage on its software platform, and it is possible to automatically send reports for each apartment to the e-mail of the person who prepares the bills for the residents. It is also possible to choose to make a payment after each charge, however in this case a small additional fee is applied for each invoice. 

Charging stations in an apartment building are an investment in the future, but it is important to agree on who is responsible for managing the charging points - the residents' association, the house manager or the like. In a place where there are many chargers, a unified system that ensures transparent billing and efficient load management is important. When renovating a parking lot or building a new one, it is important to consider that the need for charging stations may increase in the future. Charging is no longer a luxury, but a necessity that contributes to a better quality of life and higher property value.

The article was prepared by Juhan Härm, CEO of VOOL.