FAQ

As a Resident What Should I Know?

As a resident, you can play a key role in bringing EV charging to your M.U.D by engaging and educating multiple stakeholders. Follow your EV Charging Roadmap:

1. Understand the Stakeholders

a. Homeowners Association (HOA):

i. If your MUD has an HOA, its board will likely need to be informed of and approve your plan. Reach out to them early!
ii. Even if you own your condo and parking space, you may need HOA permission for electrical upgrades and installation

b. Building Owners:

i. Building owners’ priority is often cost. Research available financial assistance, favorable loans, and incentives

ii. Take the initiative and prepare a presentation for building management about the costs and benefits of providing EV charging

c. Property Management:

i. Property management will want to know the level of interest in and
support for EV charging among residents

ii. You can work with them to prepare and distribute a resident survey

d. Other Residents:
i. Discuss with other residents—especially those who drive EVs or Plug-In Hybrids—and advocate for support among your neighbors

2. Charging Programs & Incentives

a. Paying for your charging infrastructure

i. Various cost recovery models can be used to support paying for charging infrastructure

ii. Costs can be included as part of rent, as a flat monthly access fee, or paid for as charging is used

b. Understanding utility, local, state, and federal programs, incentives, and policies

i. Identify federal tax credits and state/local incentives for EV charger installations

ii. Many states have adopted “right-to-charge” laws that ensure renters and homeowners can install EV charging

3. Stakeholder Engagement
a. Assess your situation

i. Understand the decision-making process and advocate for EV charging

ii. Condominium: Inquire about the condominium declaration / by laws and the corresponding procedures needed to install chargers

iii. Apartments: Inquire if the property manager has the authority to install chargers or if it is a higher-level conversation

iv. Understand your building’s physical situations

v. Parking arrangement (first come first serve, assigned, rented, deeded, other)

vi. Electrical infrastructure (where is the building’s service and what is its available electrical capacity?)

vii. Use this Community Profile template to profile your building to inform EV charging siting

b. Conduct a charging demand survey for residents

i. Use the EV Charging Demand Survey template to determine an informal baseline of residents’ interest in EV charging

ii. If community interest in EV charging seems low, consider organizing some educational presentations or flyers about the benefits of EV’s and on-site, at-home EV charging
c. Meet with H.O.A representative, H.O.A board, or building management

i. Demonstrate the residents’ support for EV’s with survey results and explain why EV charging is in everyone’s best interests

4. EV Charging Proposal
a. How to convince your H.O.A/building owner?

i. Demonstrate interest in EV charging

ii. Provide survey results, options, costs, and tradeoffs
b. Present recommendation to board/decision-makers

c. Helpful resources for developing your proposal:

i. Getting H.O.A’s to OK Charging Stations – Green Car Report

ii. EV Charging for Condos – Charge Point

iii. Presentation by Clean Cities Coalition Network on EV charging for building owners/managers and H.O.A decision-makers

d. Do your research and be prepared for questions
i. Anticipate objections and hesitations from H.O.A and building owners

As an Apartment Manager What Should I Know?

As a property manager or building owner, you may be considering installing EV chargers in your building or have been approached by residents to do so. Follow your EV Charging Roadmap:

1. Building & Electrical Considerations

a. Conduct a building electrical evaluation

i. Meet with a qualified electrician to determine desired load from EV charging and evaluate the building’s existing electrical service and available capacity

b. Engage your property’s electric utility service provider’s account representative

c. Evaluate parking

i. The MUD Self-Evaluation Survey will help you evaluate parking at your property

2. Charging Programs & Incentives

a. Understand utility, local, state, and federal programs, incentives, and policies

i. There are federal tax credits and often local incentives for EV charger installations

ii. Many states have adopted “right-to-charge” laws to ensure renters and homeowners can install EV charging

3. Resident Engagement

a. Educate residents

i. Educate residents about EV chargers, the decision-making process, and participation

b. Conduct a charging demand survey for residents

i. Use the EV Charging Demand Survey template

4. Charging Program Design

a. Identify any barriers to EV charging implementation

i. Take the MUD Self-Evaluation Survey to understand your building’s major barriers

b. Select best technology for site

i. Use the Technology Selection Tool

c. Develop best practices and operation models

d. Identify location for EV charging

i. Charger or EV-ready circuit installation costs increase dramatically the further the charger is from the electrical panel

e. Develop strategy for maintenance management

f. Identify payment strategies and options

5. Installation

a. Follow the installation checklist

b. Follow up with residents and stakeholders

c. Obtain bids from installers

i. Inquire with the electrician if the site has enough power for charging and the extent and cost of any necessary electrical work

d. Electrician obtains permit, if required

i. An electrical permit may be required for the installation of an EV charging station

ii. A building permit is required where new building construction or alterations to an existing structure are proposed

e. Installation of technology

f. If networked, initiate EV charger commissioning process

i. Networked EV chargers must be commissioned. This include confirming that all electrical components and connectors are working and that a secure connection to the network has been established

6. Optimize Program Design

a. Periodically check utilization

b. Maintain reliable uptime of chargers

c. Ensure resident satisfaction

As a Home Owner What Should I Know?

As an HOA, you may be considering installing EV chargers in your building or have been approached by residents or homeowners to do so. Follow your EV Charging
Roadmap:

1. Building & Electrical Considerations

a. Evaluate your property as an HOA decision-maker

b. Conduct a building electrical evaluation

i. Find and meet with a qualified electrician to determine desired load from EV charging and evaluate the building’s existing electrical service and available capacity

d. Meet with the electric utility’s account representative

e. Evaluate parking

i. The MUD Self-Evaluation Survey will help you evaluate parking at your property

2. Charging Programs & Incentives

a. Understand utility, local, state, and federal programs, incentives, and policies

i. There are federal tax credits and often local incentives for EV charger installations

ii. Many states have adopted “right-to-charge” laws to ensure renters and homeowners can install EV charging

3. Stakeholder Engagement

a. Determine homeowner interest in EV charging

i. Conduct a charging H.O.A to Resident EV Charging Demand Survey for your building to understand unit-owner expectations and future demand for charging infrastructure

b. Educate residents on benefits of EV’s and EV charging infrastructure

c. Conduct a resident charging demand survey

d. Use the Resident EV Charging Demand Survey template

e. Educate homeowners and residents

i. Provide an overview of EV’s and EV charging, any potential changes to parking situation, cost considerations (operation, maintenance, insurance) and technologies

ii. Provide homeowners with detailed information about EV’s and charging so they can be involved in the decision-making process and participation

iii. Keep stakeholders informed on how decisions will be made and how to participate

f. Identify any H.O.A specific issues

4. Charging Program Design

a. Identify any barriers to EV charging implementation

i. Take the MUD Self-Evaluation Survey to understand your building’s major barriers

b. Develop best practices and operation models

c. Select best technology for site

i. Use the Technology Selection Tool

d. Identify location for EV charging

i. Charger or EV-ready circuit installation costs increase dramatically the further the charger is from the electrical panel

e. Develop strategy for maintenance management

f. Identify payment strategies and options

5. Project Approval

a. Follow up with residents and stakeholders

b. Obtain proposals/bids

i. Obtain quotes and proposals for suitable charging station configurations. Consider including a proposal process

c. Receive board approval and refine project

i. Follow H.O.A approval process for improvements and structural changes and refine project specifications as necessary

6. Installation

a. Follow the installation checklist

b. Follow up with residents and stakeholders

c. Acquire bids from installers

i. Obtain bids by contacting electricians

ii. Inquire with the electrician if the site has enough power for charging and the extent and cost of any necessary electrical work

d. Hire a qualified contractor/electrician

e. Acquire required permitting

i. An electrical permit may be required for the installation of an EV charging station

ii. A building permit is required where new building construction or alterations to an existing structure are proposed

f. Initiate commissioning process

i. If EV chargers are networked, they must be commissioned

ii. This includes confirming that all electrical components and connectors are working and that a secure connection to the network has been established

7. Optimize Program Design

a. Periodically check utilization

b. Maintain reliable uptime of chargers

c. Ensure resident satisfaction

Additional Resources

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