But retrofitting decades-old buildings with modern EV charging infrastructure is a complex challenge that requires planning, careful capacity management, and the right technology partner.

Here’s how Porta Bella worked with CJ Development Group and SWTCH to deliver a seamless deployment that met immediate demand while positioning the property for long-term EV growth.

Quick Summary

• Porta Bella successfully retrofitted its entire property with EV charging infrastructure despite the buildings predating modern electrical standards.
• The project utilized thorough electrical assessments, targeted electrical improvements, and SWTCH’s smart load management technology to create a unified charging network inclusive of eight ports across the three buildings at the property.
• By treating the installation as one integrated system rather than three separate projects, Porta Bella delivered consistent resident access, simplified operations, and scalable infrastructure ready for future growth.

Background: A Waterfront Community Built Before the EV Boom

Porta Bella is a distinctive residential community comprised of three separate structures—the South, East, and West buildings. Constructed between the 1970s and 1980s, the complex was designed decades before electric vehicles were a consideration.

As the EV market matured, property management recognized that installing chargers was essential to maintain Porta Bella’s competitive positioning. However, the physical layout presented a unique hurdle: the solution had to bridge three distinct buildings, each with its own aging power distribution system and physical constraints.

The Challenge: Balancing Infrastructure Limits with High Demand

The primary challenge was technical inconsistency. Because the buildings were not designed with EV loads in mind, the engineering team faced three different sets of electrical limitations. A “cookie-cutter” installation wasn’t possible; each building required a bespoke capacity assessment to ensure safety.
Simultaneously, Christian Pena, Principal at CJ Development Group, said the property faced high demand from residents.

“A big surprise for me at Porta Bella was how much resident interest there was even before we began the project. I had tenants coming up to me constantly, asking when EV chargers were coming… That level of enthusiasm isn’t something you see everywhere, and it told me right away that this community was ready for the upgrade.”

This enthusiasm meant the property could not afford a phased approach that left some buildings waiting. They needed a solution that provided equitable access and a consistent user experience across the entire campus immediately.

The Solution: Engineering a Unified Network

CJ Development Group and Porta Bella moved away from treating the buildings as separate projects. Instead, they engineered a single, manageable network that connected all three structures.

1. Assessment and Upgrades

The project began with deep-dive electrical assessments to map existing capacity. These findings informed targeted electrical upgrades, ensuring a solid foundation for the new network without the need for cost-prohibitive, full-scale electrical overhauls.

2. Integrating SWTCH’s load management technology

To bridge the gap between the buildings’ vintage electrical capacity and modern power demands, the team selected SWTCH as their technology partner.

“We chose SWTCH… because their platform works exceptionally well in multi-building environments. Their smart load technology helped us maximize existing infrastructure, and their software gives the property full visibility and control over usage and billing,” Christian said.

SWTCH’s smart load management was the key to pulling this project off. Rather than dedicating a static level of power to every charger—which would have quickly overloaded the 1970s-era circuits—the platform intelligently shares power across connected chargers based on real-time demand. This ensured that no single building’s electrical system was ever stressed beyond safe operating parameters.

3. Centralized Operations

Beyond the wires and conduits, the solution solved the operational headache of managing three buildings. SWTCH provided a single dashboard for property staff to monitor usage, automate resident billing, and track system health across the South, East, and West buildings simultaneously.

Outcomes: Operational Simplicity and Resident Satisfaction

The transition from engineering to active use was seamless. Residents who had been clamoring for chargers now had access to eight and could plug in immediately, eliminating the need to rely on public charging stations.

As Christian said, “Residents started using the chargers immediately, and the management team appreciated how seamless the process was from engineering to commissioning.”

For property management, the “unified network” approach paid off. Instead of juggling disparate systems or fielding complaints about inconsistent access between buildings, they gained a set-it-and-forget-it amenity.

Most importantly, the infrastructure is scalable for future growth. By relying on smart load management rather than static capacity, Porta Bella can likely reduce the need for major electrical upgrades.

Key Takeaways for Multi-Building Properties

• Audit Before You Build: Start with a complete electrical assessment. You cannot design a safe solution without understanding the unique constraints of each building’s vintage infrastructure.
• Think “Campus,” Not “Building”: Treating multi-building properties as a unified system delivers a better resident experience and simplifies back-end operations.
• Software Saves Hardware Costs: Smart load management allows you to scale EV charging on aging infrastructure, avoiding expensive electrical service upgrades.
• Demand is Likely Higher Than You Think: Design robust systems from day one. Underestimating demand often leads to rapid, disruptive expansion projects shortly after launch.

Ready to Retrofit Your Property?

If your property faces similar challenges—aging infrastructure, multiple buildings with different electrical systems, or growing resident demand—Porta Bella proves that comprehensive solutions are achievable.

Contact SWTCH today to learn how smart load management can transform your property for the electric vehicle era.

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“SMECO has a very small team to handle the 40 chargers we have installed, and there was concern we wouldn’t have the internal knowledge base to handle a migration,” said Natasha Law, Proposal Manager at SMECO. “There was also concern about the drivers that depend on the SMECO chargers and what a migration would mean to them.”

SMECO soon realized, though, that this surprise migration could also offer an opportune moment to expand their network to 100 charging stations across Southern Maryland—with 60 new installations specifically targeting multi-family residential locations where EV adoption faces the biggest barriers. They just needed a good plan to help them see the idea through.

Building EV Infrastructure Before the Demand

SMECO’s charging journey began in January 2019, when the Maryland Public Service Commission approved a five-year pilot program to accelerate electric vehicle adoption statewide. As a cooperative serving a smaller territory in Southern Maryland, SMECO initially planned to install up to 60 charging stations across their service area.

At the time, fewer than 1,000 electric vehicles were registered in their territory. But SMECO understood a fundamental truth about how to make EV adoption go smoothly: ample infrastructure needed to be in place before drivers would feel ready to drive electric.

“We wanted our customer-members to see and use the chargers to get over their range anxiety,” explained Natasha.

The strategy worked. Month over month, utilization rates continued to increase as more residents gained confidence in electric vehicle ownership, knowing reliable charging infrastructure was available throughout their community.

By 2023, SMECO had successfully deployed 40 charging stations—36 Level 2 stations providing 72 charging ports, and 4 DC fast charging stations offering 8 high-speed charging ports. Then came Shell Recharge’s announcement about ending support for third-party chargers.

The timeline was tight. SMECO would need to issue a Request for Proposals, evaluate vendors, select a partner, negotiate and sign a contract, and begin migration—all in just over 120 days. For any organization, this would be demanding. For a cooperative with limited resources, it represented a significant undertaking.

The Importance of a Good Partner

Having selected a charging network provider once before, SMECO approached their second evaluation with refined priorities based on real-world operations experience. While their original selection had focused primarily on installation capabilities—which served them well during the pilot phase—reliability had emerged as equally critical.

“Customers who use these chargers require them to be ready to use at all times,” said Natasha. The cooperative required a solution that not only met Maryland’s stringent 97% uptime requirement but also consistently exceeded it.

Three criteria topped their list:

• Proven experience with network migrations
• Technical capability to minimize disruption to existing users
• Demonstrated commitment to reliability and customer service

Given their small internal team, SMECO knew it needed a partner who could handle many of the complex technical aspects involved in migrating and installing chargers while also providing ongoing operational support once the upgraded network was up and running.

Why SWTCH was Selected

Among the vendors SMECO evaluated, SWTCH stood out through their deep engagement with Maryland’s electric vehicle ecosystem and participation in state EV working groups.

“SWTCH being so engaged meant they heard the driver’s frustrations with reliability and the issues that the utilities had around reporting metrics,” said Natasha. “They understood those pain points and could help address them.”:

Equally important was SWTCH’s approach to customer service, supporting both drivers and utilities effectively with responsive troubleshooting and proactive monitoring designed to prevent charging session disruption from happening in the first place.

A quick, painless migration

Despite the tight timeline, the migration proceeded smoothly thanks to dedicated SWTCH migration specialists working closely with SMECO’s team. The implementation strategy prioritized maintaining service continuity while systematically transitioning each charging station to the new platform.

“Both the migration team and the onboarding team have been great,” said Natasha. “The constant communication helped me know where we were in the migration process. It’s really nice being taken care of!”

The result: drivers experienced minimal disruption during the migration period, preserving the trust and reliability SMECO had built over five years of operation.

Expanding Where It Matters Most

The successful migration laid the groundwork for SMECO’s network expansion. The cooperative is now deploying 60 additional charging stations specifically targeted at multifamily residential locations throughout Southern Maryland.

This expansion addresses a critical gap in EV adoption. Multifamily residents often face significant barriers to electric vehicle ownership due to limited access to home charging options. By strategically placing charging stations at apartment complexes and condominiums, SMECO is removing one of the primary obstacles to EV adoption in its service territory.

The partnership structure ensures long-term sustainability and local control. SMECO will own and operate all stations, maintaining direct relationships with its customer-members while ensuring charging infrastructure decisions align with community needs and cooperative principles.

The Results: Growing Confidence, Growing Adoption

Monthly utilization data continues to show steady growth, reflecting increasing EV adoption across Southern Maryland. The reliable operation of SMECO’s charging network, now enhanced by the SWTCH platform’s capabilities, provides the confidence residents need to make the transition to electric vehicles.

SWTCH’s platform gives SMECO comprehensive network management capabilities, including real-time monitoring, usage analytics, and automated reporting tools that help meet Maryland’s regulatory requirements.

Lessons for Other Utilities

SMECO’s experience proves that challenges like unexpected platform migrations can become opportunities for growth and improvement. Their advice for other utilities considering EV charging initiatives or facing similar challenges is straightforward:

“Look for a solution that best fits your top priorities. And make sure the provider has great customer service. Customer service programs for both drivers and the management of the chargers are equally important.”

Today, as EV adoption accelerates across Southern Maryland, SMECO’s network stands ready to support its community’s transition to cleaner transportation, proving that sometimes the best opportunities come disguised as challenges.

Ready to build a world-class EV charging network?

Contact SWTCH to start off on the right foot!

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“For me, customer service is everything,” explains Andrew Sachs, Harbor Park Garage’s owner and president of Gateway Parking Services, a national consulting firm. “Most people hate parking, but I want them thinking, ‘Wow, that was a great experience. I really appreciated it.”

This commitment to service excellence pushed Harbor Park to seek a new EV charging solution that would align with its customer-first philosophy—one that could transform a growing maintenance challenge into an opportunity to strengthen Harbor Park’s reputation as Baltimore’s premier parking facility.

Early adoption of EV charging drives success

Harbor Park Garage was a fairly standard parking facility with little to differentiate it from the competition. After beginning a modernization effort inclusive of thoughtful upgrades and tactical digital marketing, the facility tripled gross revenue in just three years while dramatically improving customer experience.

In 2015-2016, when electric vehicles remained a novelty in Baltimore, Harbor Park began exploring EV charging as a way to add value to its facilities, deliberately taking a different approach from competitors.

While others hid chargers in back corners and charged premium rates, Harbor Park made charging stations highly visible, accessible, and initially free. The business potential quickly became evident. “It was costing me at most $2 for the electricity, and I could get $28 a day in parking,” Sachs explains.

Combined with ensuring the chargers were listed as being available online and thereby leading EV drivers to seek out Harbor Park as a place to plug in, demand quickly grew, leading the garage to add more chargers each year.

When innovation meets partnership limitations

As Harbor Park’s EV program expanded, equipment failures became increasingly problematic. Simple repairs transformed into months-long ordeals and costly replacements.

In one particularly frustrating instance, a small plastic clip broke on a charging connector, preventing proper connection with certain vehicles. Harbor Park’s original provider’s solution? Replace the entire $5,000 charger rather than fixing the small plastic piece.

After months of back-and-forth communication, Harbor Park finally received a replacement cable at considerable expense, plus additional installation costs. But it was just the beginning of the equipment troubles.

“One by one, everything was breaking,” Andrew recalls, creating periods where chargers were unavailable and customers were left disappointed.

Beyond reliability concerns, the existing system lacked sufficient flexibility to easily create customized offerings for different customer segments—something Harbor Park saw as key to its business. As EV adoption continued to accelerate in Baltimore, Harbor Park needed a solution that would enable it to grow the way it wanted, rather than serve as an obstacle to be overcome.

Building a better charging experience with SWTCH

After evaluating a number of charging solutions, Harbor Park selected SWTCH to replace its aging charging infrastructure. The implementation expanded their capacity to 20 SWTCH chargers before the end of Q4 of 2024.

There was an immediate improvement in reliability and functionality. “I couldn’t get rid of the old ones fast enough,” Andrew says.

And the partnership with SWTCH also garnered additional benefits to streamline the process further, with Andrew saying, “SWTCH helped me figure out the tax incentives for state and federal programs and worked with our electrician to make everything easy for us.”

This approach eliminated the need for Andrew to research equipment options, find qualified installers, and navigate complex incentive programs independently. Instead of a lengthy decision-making process, the experience was remarkably straightforward: “What do you recommend for our situation? Done.”

How Flexible Technology Creates Business Opportunities

The SWTCH system implemented at Harbor Park offers significantly more control than their previous infrastructure, enabling a clever three-tier access and pricing model:

• VIP Parker Program: Customers paying the highest premium parking rates receive complimentary EV charging as part of their package. This value-added service helps justify premium pricing while enhancing the perceived value of top-tier parking.
• Prime Parker Discount: The middle tier of monthly parkers (Prime level) receive discounted charging rates, creating an incentive for regular customers to consider upgrading from occasional to monthly status.
• Standard Visitor Rates: Occasional visitors pay the regular hourly rate, generating direct revenue while maintaining accessibility for all EV drivers.

For corporate clients with reserved spots, the system enforces strict access control: “With SWTCH, if anyone else tries to plug in a reserved spot, it won’t work. Only authorized users can use it,” Andrew explains.

This flexibility enabled a valuable arrangement where Harbor Park created a dedicated charging spot with exclusive authentication for a corporate client’s electric fleet vehicle. This single customization helped secure a 50-vehicle, five-year parking agreement—demonstrating how smart charging technology can support broader business development goals.

And, across all its chargers, the management platform’s robust monitoring capabilities allow Harbor Park to track usage patterns and make data-driven decisions about future expansions, access levels, and pricing strategies.

Beyond Charging: Measurable Business Impact

Implementing SWTCH’s solution has delivered multiple business benefits extending beyond basic charging functionality:

• Secured Long-Term Revenue: The most significant impact came from securing 50 monthly parkers on a five-year agreement, made possible by creating a dedicated charging spot with exclusive access for a corporate client’s electric vehicle.
• Enhanced Employee Benefits: Free charging has become a valuable perk for Harbor Park’s employees. When one employee was debating between ICE and EV vehicles for a new purchase, Andrew pointed out: “How much are you paying for gas every month? $100, $200? How much do we charge employees for EV charging? Nothing.” On balance, a small expense for the business, but one that can make a big difference in the lives of individual employees.
• Strategic Customer Loyalty: The tiered pricing structure has transformed charging from a basic amenity into a loyalty tool that enhances premium parking packages while generating revenue from occasional users.
• Operational Reliability: SWTCH’s dependable equipment has eliminated the frustration of extended downtimes and expensive repairs that characterized the previous system. “We just have no issues,” Andrew says when asked about performance.
• Enhanced Reputation: Perhaps most importantly, the improved charging experience aligns perfectly with Harbor Park’s customer service mission, reinforcing their reputation as Baltimore’s premier parking facility.

Smart strategy and smart tech for a winning EV charging offering

Harbor Park Garage’s EV charging journey exemplifies how exceptional service relies on the perfect combination of vision and the right tools. With 20 SWTCH chargers now operational at its facilities, EV charging has fully achieved its intended goal of being a strategic business asset that produces tangible value.

“The marketplace will tell me when we need more,” Andrew explains, highlighting his commitment to letting customer demand guide investment decisions. “With SWTCH, it’s super easy to add capacity when needed.”

This balanced, data-driven approach has positioned Harbor Park Garage at the forefront of Baltimore’s parking industry. By carefully monitoring usage patterns through the SWTCH platform, they ensure charging capacity remains optimized—never over-investing ahead of demand, yet always ready to expand when the numbers indicate it’s time.

The result is a business model where technology directly enhances customer loyalty while supporting strategic objectives. It’s a competitive differentiator that continues to generate value year after year, proof that savvy strategy and smart, reliable technology are equally important in building an EV charging offering.

Make EV Charging Your Parking Business’ New Advantage

Is your parking facility ready to turn EV charging into a strategic business asset?

Contact SWTCH today to see how our flexible, reliable solutions can help you create customized offerings that enhance customer satisfaction and drive long-term revenue growth.

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The reality, though, is this: With intelligent charging solutions, costs for installing chargers are dramatically reduced, putting chargers within reach for every kind of property.

The Acme Lofts condo complex in Denver offers a perfect example. By adopting EV chargers with advanced energy management, the property is ensuring that every resident has access to a charging station—without costly electrical upgrades and likely at zero cost to residents.

What was once an impossible challenge is now a game-changing amenity. Here’s how Acme Lofts made it happen—and how your property can do the same.

From years of challenges to an immediate solution

Acme Lofts has had a single EV charging station installed for a number of years, but with parking spaces reserved for individual units, the growing number of EV drivers at the property were unable to make use of it.

Years of effort to just move the existing charging station went nowhere, and questions about installing more charging stations were a non-starter. The condo board said it was too expensive to contemplate.

When HOA VP Scott Meyer contacted Xcel Energy and SWTCH, he received a different answer. Costs could be kept low if the right solution were installed.

“Xcel said, ‘Hey, sounds like you need a system that can balance however many chargers you need across how many spots you need. SWTCH can get you an electric charger in every single spot without an expensive electrical upgrade.’ And SWTCH confirmed it could do that for us,” Meyer said.

Just like that, planning was underway to install charging stations at Acme Lofts.

Slashing costs with energy management and generous funding

The key to the cost reductions for Acme Lofts’ EV chargers is SWTCH’s advanced energy management technology. Where the default installation for EV charging is one charger per circuit, SWTCH’s advanced energy management allows many chargers to be installed on each circuit or panel.

The system intelligently distributes available power among connected vehicles, ensuring all of them can charge up without overloading the electrical infrastructure. This allows chargers to be installed with minimal electrical upgrades—often none at all. Electrical upgrades typically represent one of the largest costs in charging installation projects.

This was paired with a generous funding program from Xcel Energy, which offers thousands of dollars in funding per charger to apartment and condo buildings seeking to install charging stations.

Combined, this technology and funding are enabling Acme Lofts to install 30 stations—one per parking space—at minimal cost to the unit owners. The same approach can be used by any building, for any number of charging stations, no matter how much electrical capacity it has. It puts EV charging in reach for everyone.

The immediate impact: More residents are purchasing EVs, and more tenants want to move in

Even before chargers were installed, residents began to get excited, with some running out and purchasing EVs of their own—evidence that the main thing holding people back from driving electric is access to charging.

“Two of my neighbors have already bought electric cars,” said Meyer. “I’ve been telling them about the project, and they’ve been wanting to make the switch. Now they have. They’re very excited to be able to charge in their parking space.”

Once drivers do own an EV, access to home charging becomes a non-negotiable. According to Meyer, some of the condo owners most excited about the incoming charging stations are those who rent out their properties.

“A very common reason that potential tenants fall through is they have an EV and they say, ‘Oh, I saw your space online, looks really good. What’s the charging like?’ And when they’re told there is no charging, they say, ‘Okay, I’m going to go look somewhere else.’”

As EV ownership continues to grow, these trends will increase. More EV drivers will need spaces to plug in, and the properties that meet this need will have a distinct advantage in attracting tenants.

The EV tipping point: Why now is the moment for properties to invest

Colorado’s position as the leading state for EV adoption demands a swift response from property owners, and the example of Acme Lofts demonstrates that intelligent charging solutions can enable any property to install as many chargers as are needed at little cost.

But the funding opportunities available today will not last forever. For properties keen to install chargers—and become top destinations for EV drivers in the process—it’s important to act now. As Acme Lofts shows, EV charging is already a make-or-break amenity for many tenants. Delay too long, and the moment to secure this advantage at a discount will be gone.

Looking to install EV charging for your own property?

Contact us today! We’ll help you build the best custom solution for your needs.

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Installing this kind of amenity does come with an upfront cost, as well as ongoing requirements for maintaining and managing the stations. As part of its evaluation process, Quadrum hoped to find alternative arrangements with fewer demands. The solution? SWTCH and its charging-as-a-service (CaaS) offering.

Creating a sustainable, resident-centric building with EV charging

Quadrum Global, a real estate investment and development group, has always been committed to sustainable living. The Huron, a 171-unit new construction condominium completed in 2024, is emblematic of that commitment, designed with sustainability-focused features like a high-efficiency HVAC system and green roof coverage. However, the growing adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) came with a new requirement to provide adequate and reliable charging infrastructure for residents who own EVs, and this was an amenity that required a bit more thought.

Installing EV chargers is now a regulatory requirement for new developments in New York City, but Quadrum wanted to ensure its charging offering didn’t just check a box. With its default parking offering already inclusive of valet service, it needed its EV charging offering to complement and enhance its ideal of a luxury living experience at The Huron. 

Finding the ideal solution in charging-as-a-service from SWTCH

In selecting its EV charging solution, Quadrum evaluated according to several requirements:

• Seamless management: The system needed to integrate smoothly with the building’s third-party parking management company, making it easy to oversee and maintain.
• Low upfront investment: As a for-sale condominium, Quadrum needed to minimize capital outlay to maintain cost efficiency for buyers.
• High user satisfaction: The solution had to offer a clear, easy-to-use experience, with reliable charging stations and transparent billing.

Quadrum chose SWTCH’s “charging-as-a-service” (CaaS) offering, which checked all of these boxes. With SWTCH’s CaaS offering, there are no upfront costs, and any maintenance and management needs are handled by the SWTCH team. The billing system, meanwhile, ensures that individual drivers are billed for their own charging sessions every single time.

“We initially considered purchasing the equipment outright, but the more we learned about SWTCH’s ‘charging-as-a-service’ offering, the more it seemed like a no-brainer. It allowed us to deliver a valuable amenity without overburdening our team or passing unnecessary costs onto residents,” said Lorenzo Bello, Senior Vice President of Acquisitions and Asset Management at Quadrum.

Quick implementation for a reliable charging offering

The rollout of SWTCH’s EV charging solution at The Huron began in early 2024, just as residents began to move in. Quadrum, its implementation and management partners at First Service Residential, Manhattan Parking Group, and the team at SWTCH worked closely together to streamline the implementation process, handling everything from equipment installation to software integration.

To ensure ease of access, access to The Huron’s chargers relies primarily on RFID cards attached to keychains, allowing valets to quickly initialize charging sessions to be billed to resident accounts. “We wanted a solution that allowed us to allocate costs fairly, and the RFID-based billing system was exactly what we needed,” said Bello. “Residents are billed only for the energy they use, which has been very well received. And with RFID cards, you don’t have to worry about battery life or connection—the charger and the card handle everything.”

Driving resident & operational satisfaction with great EV charging and valet service

The response to the SWTCH charging stations has been very positive. Residents appreciate access to reliable charging and the valet service. When they arrive at their parking garage, they simply hand over their keys, and the valet drives their car over to a charging station when needed. When they leave, their car is returned to them with a full battery.

And though the EV charging stations are not a primary marketing feature for The Huron, Bello says they are appealing for a growing number of would-be buyers. For some, EV charging is a non-negotiable amenity, and the availability of reliable onsite charging has been a positive differentiator for The Huron. “There are buyers who look at it as a requirement [because] they already own EV cars,” said Bello. “It certainly plays a role in the marketing process.”

Quadrum looked to provide best-in-class equipment and streamlined use for all parties involved. With the “charging-as-a-service” model from SWTCH, it has been able to achieve that.

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With traditional EV charging solutions coming with a bill of over $1 million, Shannon Wall Centre sought a smarter approach to delivering a quality charging experience without so hefty of a price tag.

Here’s how they used careful planning and intelligent load management powered by SWTCH Control to meet tenant demand, achieve EV-readiness, and save over a million dollars on their project.

Planning Ahead While Meeting Today’s EV Charging Needs

The Shannon Wall Centre comprises two strata corporations serving more than 300 parking stalls. As demand for EV charging began to pick up, the centre was faced with a choice. Should it allow individual residents to pursue one-off charging installations—a common but problematic approach—or should it invest in making the property EV-ready instead?

As the Shannon Wall Centre team began to investigate, they quickly realized that piecemeal EV charging solutions would make it difficult to scale up the number of charging stations to meet even greater demand down the line. Instead, the strata council opted for a comprehensive solution that would allow it to deliver EV charging right away while also setting the stage for expanded service as more and more tenants begin to drive electric in the years ahead.

Eddie Hall, President of Hall Electrical Ltd, handled the electrical contracting for the project. He says that the approach chosen by the Shannon Wall Centre was exactly what property owners need to do to stay ahead of the rising demand for EV charging.

“I would highly recommend not allowing the one-off installations for EV chargers to start snowballing at the building. You want to get a full plan in place early that works within the power limitations of your building that you have. You don’t want to start looking at upgrading major infrastructure and power to your building because you’re being reactive instead of proactive.”

Doing more with less through load management

One of the core challenges to deploying The Shannon Wall Center’s EV charging stations was to figure out a way to do so without incurring hundreds of thousands of dollars in electrical upgrade costs. Key to solving this challenge was incorporating SWTCH Control at the heart of the installation and using its intelligence to make a larger electrical load manageable for the electrical infrastructure.

At the heart of the system were five existing panels dedicated to EV charging. These provided a strong foundation on which sophisticated power management could be conducted. By using SWTCH Control to track and manage the electricity used by these panels, the installation team was able to connect eight chargers per electrical circuit, electrifying 220 parking spots across the two properties. This goes well beyond the default of needing one circuit for every EV charger and produced hundreds of thousands of dollars in savings.

But the system goes beyond merely allowing more connections to be established. The dynamic load management system constantly adjusts to real-time demands, maintaining stable power delivery while maximizing charging efficiency across all stations.

Behind the scenes, there’s a complex dance taking place in which different cars receive different amounts of power over the course of a (typically overnight) charging session. This is what ensures the property never exceeds its electrical capacity, even with so many charging stations connected, and even with usage patterns varying. It doesn’t matter whether there are four vehicles sharing a circuit or eight; SWTCH Control is able to allocate available electricity using advanced scheduling algorithms to ensure people get the charge they need.

For the tenants, though, this is all invisible. When they return to their vehicle at the end of their charging session, they simply find their vehicle charged up and ready to go.

It’s this balance of meeting drivers’ needs while keeping costs low that makes SWTCH Control such a potent tool for multifamily EV charging installations, and it’s a balance that is perfectly captured by the Shannon Wall Centre installation.

Saving Costs While Driving Sustainability

The Shannon Wall Centre achieved dramatic savings through this approach. To install dedicated circuits for each EV charging station would have added an additional cost of over a million dollars. And even using a basic load management solution, which typically allows for four chargers to be installed per circuit, would have added about $500,000 of cost to the project.

It was only the advanced load management technology of SWTCH Control that made it possible to achieve the 8:1 ratio of chargers to circuits that slashed costs so much.

“SWTCH’s control system played a huge part,” said Eddie Hall. “It allows the engineers to design the system around what you have available, and that saves a big amount of money.”

But the benefits extend beyond simple cost. Averting the need for extensive electrical upgrades also eliminated a good deal of disruption to electrical service at the property, something which would have impacted both residents and the building’s operations.

From Planning to Execution: Ensuring a Smooth Launch

Another key contributor to the success of this installation was a piece that is too often ignored, yet can make all the difference in a project’s level of success: Planning.

In realizing the complexity of the project, the first thing that the strata council did was bring in an engineering firm experienced with large-scale EV charging projects, AES Engineering.

First, the team at AES Engineering conducted comprehensive resident surveys to understand daily driving patterns, charging requirements, and anticipated future needs. This ensured the system would meet both current demands and future growth.

Next, the implementation team at Hall Electrical sat down to develop an innovative pricing structure that would encourage early adoption while maximizing cost efficiency.

“We gave them tiered pricing,” Hall said. “So, if one person signs up, it’s going to be X amount, and if over 10 sign up, it’ll be this much, and if over 20 sign up, it’ll be this much. So, they had quite a bit of interest right off the hop.”

This choice wound up driving substantial community engagement in getting the project off the ground. It also led to a greater number of stalls being made EV-ready and equipped with a Level 2 charger than would otherwise have happened.

And the community reaped the rewards. Not only did this approach lead to reduced individual installation costs, but it also streamlined the deployment process. To sum it up: “They got a good deal on the charger installations,” Hall said.

Building Momentum: Early Wins and a Future-Ready Foundation

Shortly after installation was completed, it was clear that the thoughtful approach employed in this project was worth the effort.

To start, there are 66 active charging stations installed, and resident participation continues to grow, with more charging stations coming soon. The chargers, meanwhile, are working perfectly, keeping resident batteries topped up as desired while still operating with a much smaller electrical capacity than would be required by a typical installation.

“They’re active. They’ve been using it for a few months now, and there are still people reaching out to us to install additional chargers… I think people are kind of noticing and going, ‘yeah, I want to put one in now,” Hall said.

And the infrastructure’s future-ready design has the space primed for easy expansion, with 220 EV-ready parking spots now set up, ensuring each unit has access to an electrified spot if desired. Pre-wired conduits and scalable system architecture will make adding additional chargers very straightforward. By minimizing the time and expense needed to build up the EV charging amenity, the Shannon Wall Centre will be able to more quickly meet future resident charging needs with little cost or disruption.

Key takeaways for property owners and managers

The Shannon Wall Centre’s experience offers valuable insights for property managers considering similar initiatives. Here are some of the key lessons to take away.

Early comprehensive planning is essential. It can help you properly identify what is actually required to bring EV charging to life, likely leading to great cost savings and reduced disruption when installation begins.

Planning for the future offers significant value. It’s simpler and less expensive to complete preparatory work (laying conduit, running wiring and cabling, etc.) during the installation phase for the initial batch of chargers, vs. having to do it when you next want to install EV charging stations.

Advanced load management makes a world of difference. It simply would not be viable to install hundreds of EV charging stations on individual circuits, or even with basic load management technology. Better technology can produce far better outcomes.

Great partners are worth their weight in gold. Working with contractors, engineers, and solutions providers with experience in multifamily EV charging will lead to faster progress, better charging infrastructure, and far less headache. Opting for cheaper partners without similar levels of experience will likely cause problems.

With the right preparation, the right technology, and the will to succeed, any property can become a leader in sustainable transportation just the way the Shannon Wall Centre did. Follow their example and you can make fast, affordable progress over a far shorter timeframe than you would expect.

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Contact SWTCH today!

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By partnering with SWTCH, PSU found a solution that would help it do just that, providing reliable and convenient charging services to EV drivers today while helping prepare the campus for the all-electric future that is soon to arrive.

A sustainability and EV charging leader

PSU’s history of involvement with EV charging began well before electric vehicles became mainstream. Driven by a commitment to sustainability and a desire to be a force for innovation in the space, the university launched a pilot project several years ago in partnership with the City of Portland and Portland General Electric. Called “Electric Avenue,” the project transformed a section of public street adjacent to the campus into an outdoor laboratory where EV chargers from various manufacturers were tested. The project proved popular, and provided valuable lessons for the university while positioning PSU as a regional leader in electric mobility.

“That was our first foray into electric vehicle charging, and it really started the momentum for us to then take those lessons learned along with the city and start to roll those into how we want to encourage and accommodate electric vehicles on campus,” said Ian Stude, Director of Transportation at PSU.

The Electric Avenue project ended after the chargers reached end-of-life. To meet the needs of the EV drivers, PSU has installed EV chargers across campus through partnerships with a number of vendors. However, as electric vehicles became more popular, PSU needed to ensure its main parking structure would be able to accommodate EV drivers with new charging stations that were reliable and intuitive to use.

A Growing Need for EV Charging on Campus

PSU’s parking structures serve a diverse and ever-changing user base. From students and faculty to visiting residents and attendees of major events at the Viking Pavilion, the university’s largest garage sees a wide variety of vehicles pass through its gates every day. As EV ownership among these groups increased, it became apparent that the current charging infrastructure was insufficient.

“We had a good feeling that we were under-serving folks as there were more requests for chargers,” Stude explained. “We also really anticipated increased growth to the number of guests and attendees for our events on campus, as campus life has continued to grow post-pandemic, and more people are driving electric now than ever before.”

Partnering with SWTCH for a Scalable Solution

PSU’s solution came in the form of a partnership with SWTCH. A leader in EV charging infrastructure for high-traffic buildings and public spaces, SWTCH provided PSU with the technology and expertise needed to install a reliable, scalable network of EV chargers in the university’s largest parking garage. This new system not only serves the immediate needs of students, faculty, and visitors but also provides the flexibility needed to expand as demand increases over time.

The garage also serves as the main parking destination for guests attending events at the Viking Pavilion, meaning the chargers are strategically positioned to be easily accessible for all visitors, now and into the future.

“The placement of these chargers allows us to be nimble and be ready to scale up when the time comes, which is nice,” said Stude.

Smooth installation & a positive reception

Though state institutions often find their projects face delays and budget overruns, the collaboration between PSU and SWTCH went remarkably smoothly, from planning to installation.

“It felt like this project happened pretty quickly and pretty easily,” said Stude. “Being a state institution, it seems like everywhere we turn, we have things that are delayed and take too long or run over cost.”

Since the installation of the new chargers in the largest campus garage, the response from the PSU community has been overwhelmingly positive. Students, staff, and visitors alike have appreciated the ease of access and the availability of both Level 2 and Level 1 chargers, which provide flexible options for different charging needs.

“So far, the feedback has been great,” Stude said. “And we’ve been closely monitoring utilization. This project has put us in a good position to meet current demand while scaling up when necessary.”

EV Charging Tools & Support for Long-Term Efficiency and Sustainability

With SWTCH OS™, PSU can monitor, manage, and optimize its EV charging operations with ease. This can help PSU to track real-time utilization data, adjust pricing if needed, and ensure the chargers are functioning properly. SWTCH’s platform also allows PSU to monitor sustainability metrics, such as the amount of carbon offset by EV drivers using the chargers, helping the university align charger usage with its broader sustainability goals.

But just as important as the features within the platform is the proactive monitoring of the charging network by the SWTCH team, which reaches out in the event there’s any sort of anomaly or outage detected. For PSU, having a reliable, responsive partner like SWTCH has been essential.

“Our team is small, so we rely on partners like SWTCH to help us manage the infrastructure efficiently,” Stude said. “Their responsiveness has been excellent. Whenever an issue arises, we know we can count on them to address it quickly.”

Stude says that PSU’s investments in EV charging today are part of a longer-term effort that will, inevitably, require additions and improvements over time. “It’s not a static thing. It will need to be upgraded, it will need to be maintained. So really, we’re looking to approach it as something that we’re committed to in the long term and, accordingly, selecting vendors that we enjoy working with, like SWTCH, who we feel are going to be supportive of our evolving program.”

An important win for PSU’s sustainability mission

As PSU continues to evolve its EV charging infrastructure, the university remains committed to its sustainability goals and its role as a leader in the community. By providing accessible, reliable EV charging, PSU is not only supporting its students and staff but also contributing to the broader transition to electric vehicles in the region.

“This project fits really well into the university’s mission, Stude said. “It’s definitely a win for us, and it’s the kind of thing that the university administration is looking for.”

Do you want to learn how SWTCH can help you install EV charging for your institution?

Get in touch with our team today!

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But WPC also wanted to make sure that it approached this initiative with an eye on long-term success. Not only did it want its new charging solution to support resident needs today, but it also sought to ensure an easy path to adding more chargers in the future as more residents adopt electric vehicles.

A Community-First Approach to Property Management

Washington Property Company owns and manages a number of multifamily properties in downtown Bethesda, Maryland. Known for its “community-first” philosophy, WPC prioritizes creating sustainable and resident-focused environments over pure profit. This approach has helped the company build a reputation for fostering a sense of belonging while offering amenities that resonate with environmentally conscious tenants.

“The residents at 8200 Dixon desire traditional amenities like swimming pools and common areas in which to socialize, but also place great importance on living in a building that has a minimal impact on the environment,” said Jeff Long, a property manager for Solaire 8200 Dixon. “They want to be part of a community that has a purpose at the end of the day and that’s something that we’ve seen more and more of in our renter base.”

Drawing a crowd of residents who place great importance on the environment, WPC began to explore ways to meet its community’s desire to promote more sustainable living. As part of that—and in response to growing demand for onsite EV charging—it decided to install EV chargers for use by residents.

Through this process, WPC partnered with Pangea Charging and SWTCH, installing seven EV chargers and creating the foundation for future expansion when more residents are driving electric and need a place to plug in.

Seamless implementation and a great charging experience

According to Long, partnering with Pangea Charging and SWTCH made a world of difference in simplifying the process of going from idea to installation to operation.

As the project kicked off, Long said he gained a new level of appreciation for the guidance and collaboration he received. “There’s a lot of different pieces to this that we need to project manage, and having somebody like Anup from Pangea come in and really grab hold of it all was exactly what we needed.”

Once the chargers were up and running, Long credits the SWTCH platform’s multifamily focus with allowing for the ongoing success of the operation, saying that the charging experience is incredibly intuitive. “We’ve got nobody, not one person to show up and say to us, ‘How am I supposed to use these?”

For WPC, the investment in EV charging isn’t just about keeping up with trends—it’s about creating a more sustainable future for its residents and properties.

Looking ahead, WPC plans to expand EV charging access across its portfolio, ensuring that nearly all of its 1,800 units will have charging capabilities by the end of the year.

EV charging: A differentiator that’s easy to manage

In a competitive rental market, providing EV charging stations is about more than offering convenience—it’s about creating a strategic advantage. For WPC, having chargers onsite can help attract and retain sustainably minded residents, continuing to build its community of individuals passionate about green living.

The EV chargers also offer plenty of support to WPC’s property management operations. SWTCH provides detailed usage analytics, enabling the team to monitor charger utilization and resident adoption rates with ease. “When I log in, I’m able to see exactly the information that I want on usage,” Long said. “Are we charging? Is it appealing to our residents? It’s very intuitive. It’s very easy to get the information that we find important.”

The result is a compelling amenity to support attracting and retaining residents, but which requires very little input from the team managing the property.

Using chargers to drive LEED Gold Certification

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification is a globally recognized framework for green buildings, rewarding properties that prioritize efficiency, sustainability, and reduced environmental impact.

For Solaire 8200 Dixon, the addition of EV charging stations played a key role in achieving the points needed for LEED Gold certification. In particular, it was the ratio of EV chargers to units that provided a strong boost, with Long estimating that 1,600 of the 1,800 total units in the portfolio will have access to EV charging.
“Attaining LEED certification, in part due to our charger installation, was an excellent way to demonstrate that Washington Property Company has heard the voices of its residents and is acting to give them what they want,“ Long said.

It is worth noting, too, that Solaire 8200 Dixon’s LEED Gold certification was the highest certification level WPC has received for any of its properties—a fine testament to the power of EV charging.

By taking a thoughtful approach to green building practices and thinking not just of resident needs today, but also those of residents well into the future, WPC has positioned itself as a forward-thinking and genuine builder of community.

Want to learn how to add EV chargers to your multifamily property?

Contact SWTCH today to get started! 

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The property partnered with SWTCH to deliver this experience. The result? An offering that has enhanced tenant satisfaction, contributed to sustainability efforts, and given the building an additional competitive edge.

A Forward-Thinking Approach to EV Charging

While EV ownership was once a small niche, it has become much more mainstream, and a growing number of tenants prefer to live in places that accommodate their charging needs. In order to position itself as a priority destination for great tenants, then, MW Lofts knew it would have to offer great EV charging.

“It’s something that people really expect nowadays,” said Diana Lopez, Community Manager for MW Lofts. To stay ahead of tenant expectations, MW Lofts integrated EV charging infrastructure into their initial plans, ensuring they would be able to meet this need right away.

The building’s setup includes 11 Level 2 charging stations located within the residential garage, all shared between the building’s EV drivers and operating on a first-come, first-served basis. The arrangement has worked well, with EV drivers at the building able to access charging as needed without the need for a dedicated charger.

Finding an elegant solution to an early challenge

It’s normal to have growing pains after introducing a new amenity, and there were some early challenges with MW Lofts’ EV charging offering.

Soon after the stations were installed, MW Lofts received a few complaints from residents about other residents leaving their cars parked in charging spaces for extended periods, taking up valuable spots and limiting access even when their cars no longer needed to charge. “People were driving in, charging their cars, and then just staying there for two days at a time,” Lopez recalled. The prime location of the EV chargers, placed near the elevators and main entrances for convenience, likely contributed to the issue.

Working with the team at SWTCH, MW Lofts addressed this challenge by implementing a loitering fee. From that point on, residents who left their cars plugged in well past the time that their vehicles were fully charged had to pay a fee, incentivizing drivers to quickly move their vehicles once the battery was full.

“Once we implemented the loitering fees, we saw a lot more success, and we haven’t really gotten any complaints,” Lopez said. To make sure the process went even more smoothly, MW Lofts offered a one-time courtesy of waiving the fee for first-time offenders. Since implementation, the policy has been well-received and has successfully reduced the number of complaints.

Creating an effortless charging experience

MW Lofts partnered with SWTCH in large part because of their proven reliability and focus on making the user experience as smooth as possible. In particular, features like notifications to residents when their vehicle is nearing a full charge and sending email alerts as the charge completes. This has been another factor to help ensure that residents move their cars in a timely manner, helping to avert loitering.

As MW Lofts’ EV charging journey has progressed, though, it’s been SWTCH’s attentive customer support that has made one of the biggest impressions. “SWTCH’s customer service team has been really helpful. It’s been pretty seamless,” Lopez said. She noted that SWTCH’s direct communication with residents has significantly reduced the number of inquiries she receives from residents. “It seems that it’s pretty easy for the residents to be able to reach out to SWTCH directly and then have it come through to us when and where needed. It makes it easier for me to do my job because I don’t have to intervene,” she added.

SWTCH has also provided MW Lofts with educational materials, such as pamphlets, to help residents understand how to use the EV chargers. These resources were included in the move-in packets, ensuring that even residents who didn’t initially have EVs knew how to utilize the service if needed.

Great EV charging = a big help in attracting and keeping tenants

While the team at MW Lofts is not tracking the number of EV drivers moving into the building, Lopez emphasized that they are well aware of how important charging infrastructure is to their ongoing success. “If the property across the street has EV charging and our property doesn’t, it would be a loss for us,” she explained. “People with an EV—and that’s more people than ever—will choose the building with chargers.”

To showcase the chargers, MW Lofts features them in handouts to potential residents, on its website, as well as in promotions on external platforms like Apartments.com and Zillow. And as occupancy has grown from 30% in late 2023 to about 92% late in 2024, usage of the charging stations has increased as well.

Even with this increase, the smooth turnover process continues, ensuring residents can always count on being able to charge their vehicles throughout the day. “If someone sees that it’s open, they’re like, okay, let me plug in and get my charge in right now,” Lopez said. “They’re done charging, they move their car to the other space, and then the next person sees, ‘Hey, it’s open, let me go in and charge.’ It’s all working really well.”

Reliable charging, zero hassle required

As MW Lofts looks ahead to the future, it is committed to ensuring its charging offering evolves alongside the needs of its residents. It is also grateful for the SWTCH team’s support in ensuring this new amenity takes a minimum of time to manage, even as it grows in popularity.

“The communication with SWTCH has been really quick and easy,” Lopez said. “If I reach out with a question, I get a response in a day or two, and that makes it easier to do my job. I have a million things going on a million percent of the day, so that’s been great.”

Down the line, when expansion becomes necessary, MW Lofts will have a strong foundation on which to build and an advantage against its competitors in attracting the growing cohort of EV drivers eager for a home that offers onsite charging.

Ready to give your property an advantage in drawing high-quality residents?

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Built for EV charging from the start

Aspire Post Oak first opened its doors at the end of 2021, and from the beginning, it was built with the intention of offering EV charging services to its tenants. “Aspire is an environmentally friendly building by design. During construction, we installed 16 Tesla chargers, anticipating that several of our potential residents would likely own Tesla vehicles,” said Victoria Speed, Community Manager for Aspire Post Oak.

Those initial charging stations proved to be in high demand. “Anyone that was leasing with us that had a Tesla, that was one of their first questions: ‘Do you guys have electric vehicle chargers?'” But there were also several tenants who owned non-Tesla EVs who were keen to charge up at the property as well. This led to the next phase of Aspire Post Oak’s EV charging journey: installing EV charging stations that would work for everyone.

Expanding to meet existing demand—and entice new tenants to the building

After consulting with Pangea Charging in 2023, Aspire Post Oak added six universal charging stations from SWTCH to accommodate owners of all kinds of EVs. Thanks to their ease of use and reliability, the response was very positive, and the charging stations immediately saw high use. “They’re really popular,” Speed said. “The charging stations are used constantly, day and night.”

But the introduction of these EV charging stations didn’t only allow Aspire Post Oak to better meet the needs of its existing residents. Rather, they have also become a tool for attracting new tenants to the property—including some who previously elected to live elsewhere.

“We’ve got people who choose to live in our community because we offer onsite charging stations,” said Speed. “For EV drivers, it’s just so much better of an experience than public charging that some of them won’t live anywhere that doesn’t offer charging at the building.”

Once the charging stations were in place, the team at Aspire Post Oak reached back out to everyone who had declined to live at the property because of a lack of charging. “Some prospective tenants leased elsewhere due to the other building having available charging stations. We were able to bring a number of them back by reaching out to them and letting them know we now had universal charging stations installed.”

And on an ongoing basis, the charging stations remain an important asset in the hands of Aspire Post Oak’s tenant acquisition strategy. “We highlight SWTCH as an amenity during all our tours with potential residents,” said Speed.

Charging Up the Bottom Line: The Business Impact of adding EV charging

While the primary goal of Aspire Post Oak’s EV charging initiative is to enhance resident satisfaction, the property has also seen a number of other business benefits as a result of installing the charging stations.

Differentiation in a Competitive Market

In the luxury rental market of Houston, being able to meet as many tenant needs as possible is essential to standing out. The availability of on-site EV charging has become a unique selling point for Aspire Post Oak. “We’re the kind of company that’s very future-forward,” Speed said. The EV charging amenity at the property serves as a highly visible example of this commitment.

Future-proofing the property

Investing in EV charging infrastructure now positions Aspire Post Oak ahead of emerging real estate trends. Speed said, “A few years down the line, when EVs become the most popular form of transportation, having onsite charging stations will be an essential amenity offered by communities.”

Installing chargers now, and expanding the number of chargers when demand outstrips availability, will help position Aspire Post Oak as a future-forward leader in Houston real estate, both now and in the years to come.

Attracting High-Value Tenants

The presence of EV charging can help attract the kinds of environmentally conscious and tech-savvy tenants who are often represented within the luxury market. These high-value tenants contribute to maintaining premium rental rates and fostering a community that attracts similar residents.

Through its investment in EV charging, Aspire Post Oak is not just meeting current demand but is also setting the stage for long-term financial success. As the real estate market continues to evolve alongside automotive trends, properties with established EV infrastructure will likely find themselves in an increasingly advantageous position.

An additional benefit: the chargers are driving EV adoption among residents

A lack of available EV charging in multifamily home environments can often lead to residents holding off on EV adoption, so it’s not unexpected that the addition of EV chargers to Aspire Post Oak has led some residents to purchase electric cars.

“We’ve definitely seen an influx,” Speed says, noting that especially as luxury brands introduce new EV models, Aspire Post Oak’s residents are jumping at the chance to drive electric. It’s a trend that will not only bolster the already-strong charger utilization numbers but also serve to reinforce the property as being home to a forward-thinking, eco-friendly community.

The Resident Perspective: A Game-Changer for EV Owners

All of the reasons why EV charging stations are assets to Aspire Post Oak’s business tie to the huge benefits they offer residents who own electric vehicles.

When asked about the impact of having charging available at Post Oak, Vi Huynh, a resident at the property, had this to say: “Having charging stations in the building is extremely important. Without them, I would have to drive out of my building garage to find a station, which would be very inconvenient. It makes a huge difference in my routine. I don’t ever have to worry about running out of battery for my car when I’m out and about because charging my car at home is so easy and accessible.”

The resident noted that without in-building charging, they would likely have to drive at least 10 minutes to find a charging station. This added time and hassle is eliminated by having chargers readily available in the parking garage.

The financial benefit is also notable. “Charging the car at home is also so much cheaper than purchasing gas, which is a plus,” Huynh said.

Overall, Huynh’s experience with SWTCH’s chargers has been overwhelmingly positive. “My experience has been wonderful. I enjoy having the luxury of charging my car in the garage without leaving the building,” she said.

Looking to the Future

For Aspire Post Oak, the existing charging stations that are installed are only the beginning. The team is constantly looking ahead at how to build upon its current investment—and success.

In the next couple of years, plans are in place to work with SWTCH to add more universal charging stations for use by residents, as well as an additional bank of charging stations for public-facing retail spaces on the property. “Our general goal is to continue the trend of adding more charging stations each year,” Speed shares.

Key advice from Aspire Post Oak’s EV charging journey

Happy to share advice with other property managers considering EV charging installations, Speed had this to say: “If you’re a brand new construction, plan it out ahead of time. Make sure that you already have the spaces designated, make sure that the power sources are close by, within reach, that you have enough power.”

And for existing properties, Speed recommends a thorough site assessment. “Have someone come out there and really do a full audit of the spaces just to make sure the spots you want to put the charging stations are the best locations,” she advises. “And remember that installing EV charging is absolutely worth it. It would definitely help with gaining new leases and keeping occupancy numbers high.”

The evolution of Aspire Post Oak’s sustainability commitment

Aspire Post Oak’s EV charging journey is a testament to the property’s commitment to innovation and sustainability, as well as its determination to meet as many of its tenants’ needs as possible. As Speed puts it, “We are constantly evolving, constantly looking for ways to improve the quality of life that we provide to our residents.”

By embracing EV charging technology and continuously adapting to meet resident needs, Aspire Post Oak is not just providing a valuable amenity – it’s driving an improved ability to attract and retain tenants, to boost tenant satisfaction, and to position itself at the forefront of sustainable multifamily living in Houston. As the EV market continues to grow, Aspire Post Oak’s early adoption and ongoing commitment to EV charging infrastructure promise to keep it ahead of the curve for years to come.

Want to gain a competitive edge in attracting and retaining residents for your multifamily property?

Contact SWTCH today to learn how to get it done.

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While the parkade has offered EV charging since all the way back in 2015, increased demand saw a need for an expansion, which led to the installation of newer, smarter charging stations in 2023. Now, the parking facility’s charging stations are in ever-higher usage and demand, driving repeat business and long dwell times for visitors to the parkade and Scotia Square community. All this, it should be said, with minimal attention or intervention required by the team at Scotia Square managing the parking facilities.

EV charging and paid parking: a natural combination

Scotia Square is a community within Halifax that brings together quality spaces for work, shopping, dining, and (soon) living. Providing a convenient parking offering is key to ensuring this area gets the traffic it was built to attract.

With so many opportunities for members of the community—or those just visiting—to spend significant amounts of time in the area, there also comes a desire among the growing number of EV drivers to plug in. After all, the dwell time for a meal could exceed a couple of hours, and a day at the office likely involves a car sitting in a lot for anywhere from eight to ten.

The idea is that folks without access to charging at home or who just enjoy the flexibility of being able to plug in while at the office or out about town, will like having the option to plug in while their cars are parked.

That idea has been borne out. Since the initial installation of two charging stations at the property, expansions to four and then six charging stations have taken place. According to Ken Skinner, Manager of Parking Services for Crombie, 3-4 charging stations will be in use at any given time, and it’s quite common to see the full bank of six active at once, too. Future expansion, he says, will likely be needed in the next few years.

A great differentiator among parking facilities

In the world of parking, it can be a little difficult to stand out. Most people, after all, just want the most affordable option that is close to wherever it is they’re going. With EV charging, though, it does become possible for a parking plaza to stand out.

Public charging can be hit and miss—lots of drivers want to plug in at streetside chargers, and it can be a bit of a lottery for drivers who can’t be sure their preferred public option will be available. By providing EV charging and promoting it to drivers, though, Scotia Square’s parking facility becomes a compelling offering to EV drivers who need to plug in.

This added service not only attracts a growing demographic of environmentally conscious drivers but also encourages longer parking durations as vehicles charge, further increasing revenue per parking spot.

Maximizing ROI through strategic EV charging implementation

Because drivers are already expected to pay for access to the general parking services, there was skepticism about the idea of having additional fees for use of the charging stations. As it turns out, though, EV drivers are happy to pay them because of the convenience that they offer. Skinner noted that “people understand the value of having chargers onsite. It’s an additional charge on top of their parking fee, but the value is certainly there.”

This willingness to pay for charging services translates directly to improved ROI for the parking facility. And, because all the charging stations are networked and collect and transmit usage data back to the SWTCH admin dashboard available to Scotia Square, their team can:

• Refine their rates to achieve an optimal pricing strategy
• Refer to real-time and historical usage data to understand how often each charger is used and whether expansion to the charging offering is needed yet
• Quickly manage user access and billing when needed
• View live charger status and any maintenance needs that arise

With easy access to this information, the team at Scotia Square is empowered to make decisions about how best to offer charging services, as well as keep up with the financial side of their investment in EV charging.

Great EV charging, zero hassle for the Scotia Square team

For Scotia Square, EV charging is just one of many services on offer, and in a parkade that sees thousands of visitors each year, there’s little desire for an EV charging offering to eat into precious administrative time. Fortunately, the combination of the SWTCH platform and its support team ensures that the charging stations remain in great working order with little to no input required from the team at Scotia Square.

“You [SWTCH] do what you say you’ll do, and the team has been great to deal with,” Skinner said. “I’ve experienced all kinds of different parking equipment supply operators, and I can say you’re in the top 10%.”

In particular, Skinner points to the team at SWTCH remotely monitoring the status of Scotia Square’s charging stations as offering particular value. On the rare occasion when a charging station isn’t performing as it should, the SWTCH team reaches out proactively to ensure the team at Scotia Squarecan take action. They’ll also provide suggestions or advice for how to proceed.

“It makes a lot of sense to have this remote monitoring, and it saves us a lot of time,” Skinner says. “As your infrastructure scales up, it can sometimes be challenging to stay on top of everything right away. This way, if the problem can’t just be solved with a remote restart, we’re able to head over, cordon off the space with the defective charger, and start figuring out a solution with the SWTCH team right away.”

Beyond that, Skinner points to the admin dashboard in SWTCH OS as being a convenient tool. “It’s very helpful for ESG reports,” he says.

Ongoing investment in EV charging for a persistent advantage

Today, having a robust EV charging offering sets a parking facility apart. Long-term, as more drivers drive electric and desire or need convenient charging in public-facing environments like Scotia Square, having EV charging will become a necessity in the parking biz.

But funding programs for EV charging stations are beginning to wind down, and the costs of installing the stations, as well as the electrical work that is usually necessary to prepare a site for hosting EV charging, will only get more expensive. As a result, the businesses that are playing catch-up will have a heftier bill to contend with at the end of the day.

For Scotia Square’s part, meanwhile, discussions are ongoing about potential expansions to other strategic locations around the community, including dedicated locations near the food court and the mall. Finding new ways to deliver convenient access to charging in the places people spend the most time will deliver a great deal of value in the years to come.

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From residential buildings to offices, retail establishments, and hotels, CapEV’s ambitions cover a wide spectrum of the real estate space. With the help of SWTCH, it’s working hard to ensure every charger installed contributes to the goal of enabling a smooth EV transition for everyone living, working, and visiting its buildings.

One early example of Onni and CapEV’s approach to EV charging is Onni East Village,, a luxury rental building in Los Angeles. There, 30 chargers were installed for use by renters in the building, and demand is building quickly, to the point that there’s a waitlist for access.

A commitment to EV charging excellence

At launch in 2022, CapEV installed an initial batch of 95 chargers across 19 properties. Since then, the group has expanded to over 200 chargers across 35 properties under its management, both in the United States and in Canada. With an eye on servicing properties across the residential, commercial, and recreational spaces, CapEV is poised to become a key contributor to multitenant EV charging across the United States and Canada.

Paul Yioldassis, General Manager of CapEV Group, emphasizes that they approach each project with a meticulous eye on the details. “We meet with the client on-site. Depending on the size of the project, we bring an electrical consultant on-site with us in addition to a contractor. And so we walk the electrical room, walk the desired locations, get a sense of how everything will fit together. We’ll facilitate the rebate if there is a requirement for a rebate, as well as an EV load study, and then we’ll produce a proposal that will allow the project to meet the needs of the building and fit within the budget for the project.”

An investment in EV charging is a long-term prospect and one that costs far less when you get it right the first time. The care in planning that CapEV takes allows the group to ensure it is making the most of every project it oversees, maximizing value both for the property owner and for the drivers who will use the chargers that are installed.

Immediate benefits to offering EV charging

CapEV’s work with Onni properties demonstrates the diversity and scalability of their solutions. For example, at two of the company’s newer developments in Los Angeles, a city bylaw mandated the installation of a certain percentage of EV chargers from day one. CapEV met this challenge seamlessly, and the mix of dedicated deeded chargers for residents and public transient-access chargers has enjoyed strong utilization.

The installation at Onni East Village highlights the importance of getting charging right. According to Property Manager Joey Benadiba, the chargers were immediately popular and have already impacted the property’s ability to attract and retain residents. “We’ve got people who choose to live at our East Village location because we have onsite charging,” he said. “For EV drivers, it’s just so much better of an experience than public charging that some of them won’t live anywhere that doesn’t offer charging at the building.”

He notes, too, that this is a notable trend even while EV drivers make up a relatively small proportion of the driving population. “A few years down the line, when EVs are pretty much the only thing people are buying, having onsite charging isn’t just going to be nice to have—it’s going to be essential. I think the investments Onni is making in getting chargers installed are incredibly smart moves for the future of the business.”

The role of SWTCH in the Onni East Village charging installation and across CapEV’s charging portfolio

Behind every successful charging installation is a selection of both hardware and software, and CapEV partnered with SWTCH for a turnkey solution offering the best of both.

“We tend to always gravitate towards SWTCH just because of the cost-effectiveness and the overall uptime and reliability of the chargers,” said Paul Yioldassis. He added, “SWTCH meets all the requirements for what we want from an EV charging platform: load sharing, smart chargers, load demand on the building side as well with SWTCH Control. It has everything we need today and everything we foresee needing in the future.”

For the drivers, the experience is extremely simple to use. With a choice of authenticating via a smartphone app or an RFID card, drivers can simply plug into their charger and begin their session whenever they need. Stations boast better than 98.4% uptime, meaning charging should be available virtually always, and support is on call 24/7 should any issues arise.

And for CapEV and the wider Onni team, it’s easy to monitor charging activity and history both at individual locations and across the total portfolio whenever needed. For reporting purposes, analysis, and to check in on ESG metrics like the amount of CO2 offset by drivers charging at CapEV’s chargers, the SWTCH OS^TM web portal offers insights updated in real-time. It also offers users the ability to modify properties of the chargers like pricing structures, loitering and enable or disable access as needed.

Onni, CapEV, and SWTCH: Growing a multifamily and commercial charging network

With Onni Group’s significant expansion plans, Yioldassis expects CapEV to scale rapidly through continued internal installations. The team also envisions robust growth by servicing third-party properties, especially in cities where they’ve already gained a foothold with Onni projects.

Whether it’s powering up a new residential development, retrofitting an existing complex, or equipping a commercial site, the team at CapEV, armed with the hardware and software offered by SWTCH, will be able to deploy powerful, intelligent, yet easy-to-use EV charging installations across any number of properties. As the EV driver base continues to grow and demand for onsite charging grows with it, the moves taken today to build up this offering will pay enormous dividends, and grant Onni and CapEV a competitive position in the years ahead.

Want to get started with your own EV charging network?

Contact SWTCH today! We’ll be happy to help

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Now, the hotel has built upon this commitment with the rollout of five electric vehicle chargers to its valet parking area. As the number of EV owners grows, these chargers will provide new convenience to hotel and restaurant guests alike, with room to add more as needed in the years ahead.

A Rising Trend in Guest Expectations

According to Herman Gonzalez, Senior Director of Engineering and Building Projects, unmet demand for EV charging stations made clear a gap in the hotel’s amenities: “Previously, we had only one EV charger,” he said. “Guests were consistently requesting for such a service, and at the time, we unfortunately could not fully meet the demand.”

To bridge that gap, Fairmont Royal York partnered with Kingsett Capital, the building’s ownership group, which has worked with SWTCH on other projects in the past. Seeking to add chargers not as a revenue source, but rather, as an added convenience for guests, the decision was made to install them in the valet parking area to grant an additional level of service to EV drivers seeking to replenish their batteries while staying or dining at the hotel.

“We don’t look at this as a revenue opportunity,” Gonzalez explained. “In practice, it’s really about going the extra mile for our guests. They require a charging station, and so we are providing them with a solution, and they don’t have to worry about anything else. It’s as simple as that.”

Addressing Challenges and Future-Proofing Infrastructure

As is expected of older buildings, the hotel’s 1929 construction did present a few challenges to installing EV charging. An outdated 1957 electrical panel had to be upgraded to add new capacity to support the chargers, and running cabling from the panel to the chargers was tricky.

Despite this relative complexity and the expense that went along with it, the hotel identified a long-term solution, recognizing the importance of addressing both now essential building infrastructure and addressing guest expectations.

The result? Five new level-2 chargers, each capable of 80 amp service, are now available to valet parking guests at the hotel. Typical L2 chargers only have a 40 amp current, which means guests who make use of this amenity will be treated to an even higher standard of service—and a more fully charged battery—than they likely expect when opting to plug in.

The project was also completed with the intention of revisiting the offering within the next three years to see whether additional chargers are needed to serve a potential increase in demand. To simplify this likely expansion, the team at Fairmont Royal York chose to pre-wire conduits for future installations during an anticipated valet parking area renovation. Should the need arise to add more chargers to the mix, this preparation will surely save their team a fair bit of work and expense.

Strategic Choice for Convenience, Sustainability, and Visibility

When choosing to proceed with its EV charging station project, Fairmont Royal York moved quickly in selecting SWTCH as its partner, thanks to Kingsett Capital’s positive prior experience working with the company. It enabled them to move forward with the installation with little delay, which was also paid for, in part, by funding from the NRCan ZEVIP 50% program.

Looking ahead, SWTCH’s software platform will provide the hotel with essential visibility into metrics such as usage, demand, and kilowatts consumed by the chargers. This access to data will empower the hotel to make more informed decisions about future expansions, and will also assist with ensuring service remains at the level of quality the hotel and its guests expect. Any chargers that experience issues will be caught immediately and flagged by the team at SWTCH as needing inspection by Fairmont Royal York’s maintenance partners.

A Powerful Message in Sustainability Leadership

While installing EV chargers is indeed a necessary step for the hotel to properly meet the needs of its guests, it also aligns well with its aforementioned commitment to sustainability on a broader level.
Hotels of this prominence receive a great deal of attention, and this is something Fairmont Royal York recognizes and embraces. Whether in reducing its carbon footprint, eliminating its use of single-use guest-facing plastics and reducing overall food waste by 25% in 2024, or installing great EV chargers for guests to use, the team at the hotel is eager to seize the chance to inspire others across the hospitality industry.

“Sustainability matters—to more and more of our guests, to our team, and to our colleagues across the hospitality industry,” said Gonzalez. “And so for us, the investment and resources we allocate on things like our EV chargers, on upgrading our HVAC systems, and for additional enhancements —it’s very much worth it. It helps us show not only our guests but also the hospitality industry that we prioritize our hotel’s overall sustainability and its impact on our local community in Toronto.”

And as Gonzalez pointed out, these investments have the potential to produce an impact beyond Toronto, too. “For our ownership group, it was a priority for KingSett Capital that the hotel demonstrates its ESG leadership to serve as an example that if our heritage property can achieve the Zero Carbon Building – Performance Standard certification by the Canada Green Building Council, in addition to our sustainable initiatives, that it’s possible for investor groups and corporations to make similar investments today, to contribute to a better world tomorrow.”

Ready to add EV charging to your hospitality business?

Would you like help introducing flexible, scalable EV charging to your hotel, restaurant, or other hospitality business?  

Connect with SWTCH to learn how you can meet rising EV demand, access vital incentives, and track your sustainability impact.

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ASPAC Developments’ Hollybridge at River Green project launched its three-building condominium complex with a total of 574 parking stalls for residents and visitors and saved $1,000 in installation costs on every single one.

The installation is a great example of how developers can meet growing interest and demand from North American jurisdictions that are either mandating EV readiness or offering incentives to get chargers in place. It also demonstrates the important role that cities play in championing smart load management strategies that reduce the load for which building electrical systems must be constructed, encouraging developers to seek out solutions to comply.   

Under a local bylaw that the City of Richmond in British Columbia adopted in 2017, every residential stall in a multi-family development must be EV-ready, with access to a 208-volt power supply that can assure a minimum 12-kilowatt-hour charge per vehicle over an eight-hour period. It prioritized two strategies for compliance, dedicated circuits and EV energy management systems, the latter of which costs less to install. 

When Senior Project Manager, Jim Twining, looked into the options, it would cost roughly $2,000 to wire each stall with 400-amp service versus $1,500 per stall for smart panels. Or, if ASPAC went with a networked EV charging system with advanced load management, it’d cost $1,000 per stall.  

That’s when the company realized it wasn’t just looking for an EV charger supplier. It needed an EV charging provider with a strong load management solution that would optimize the system from the start, while giving the strata council (condos in British Columbia are called stratas) maximum flexibility to change charging hardware or software providers if it chose to over the longer haul, which is what they found in SWTCH.

Key Takeaways

• Significant cost savings: ASPAC Developments saved $1,000 per parking stall by choosing SWTCH’s networked EV charging system over traditional dedicated circuits ($1,000 vs $2,000 per stall)
• Regulatory compliance: Richmond BC’s 2017 bylaw requires all residential stalls in multi-family developments to be EV-ready with minimum 12kWh charging capacity over 8 hours
• Smart load management: SWTCH Control enabled sharing of 40-amp circuits across four parking stalls, reducing electrical infrastructure costs across all 574 parking spaces
• Strong adoption: 152 out of 459 unit owners (33%) ordered EV chargers at $2,000 all-in price, with additional government incentives available
• Future-proofing: Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP) compliance ensures flexibility to change hardware/software providers and avoid vendor lock-in
• Revenue opportunities: Networked system enables strategic power demand management to avoid peak charges and participate in utility demand response programs

A RFP Revealed the Optimal Solution Mix

“At the beginning of this journey, we were talking to companies that just wanted to sell us chargers,” Twining said. “But that wasn’t the business we realized we were in. We needed something that would set the strata council up for success.”

In determining the right EV charging provider for the property, ASPAC issued an RFP to identify the solutions available to them. Five companies submitted bids, and Twining concluded that SWTCH had the right mix – providing unparalleled flexibility, charger management, and intelligence in its load management solution, SWTCH Control.

“We selected SWTCH as our Electric Vehicle (EV) load management partner based on their comprehensive open protocol service, technical proficiency, and local presence.  Key factors in our decision included contract jurisdiction, domestic data storage, and responsive local support.” Twining said. “SWTCH’s ownership of their software, as opposed to relying on a third-party platform, was crucial for efficient troubleshooting and code adjustments.  In the end, we found that SWTCH offered the optimal value to end users.”

In the end, ASPAC roughed in electricity to all 574 parking stalls. Using SWTCH Control, they were able to share each 40-amp circuit between four parking stalls. 

With the dollars saved on EV infrastructure, the price was right when the company offered to install EV chargers in unit owners’ deeded parking spots: out of 459 units in the building, 152 ordered chargers for a $2,000 all-in price that included a 40-amp Level 2 EV charger and the electrician’s cost to install it.  The savings from government incentives, applied for through SWTCH, were also passed along to homeowners as a $1,000 promotion on the first 26 chargers.

“There were definitely people signing up to secure at-home charging so they could go electric for their next vehicle,” Twining said.

Networked Chargers Equipped with Load Management Provides Ultimate Control of Costs and Revenues

By opting for a networked charging solution with advanced load management capabilities, ASPAC opened the door for the strata council to strategically manage power demand to avoid peak power charges and consider participating in their utility’s demand response programs to generate additional revenue. At Hollybridge, Twining explained, the chargers are all connected to a single master meter, so the system risks incurring surcharges that wouldn’t apply if their utility (BC Hydro) were looking at the whole building holistically. The load management software minimizes that risk by capping demand during peak hours and distributing the available power across any vehicles that are using the system.

Three Recommendations for Multifamily Buildings, both new and old

With EV charging in multifamily buildings moving swiftly from the margins to the mainstream, and municipalities quickly jumping onboard, Twining listed a few factors for developers to keep in mind based on his experience at Hollybridge:

• The goal of the project is to install a complete, optimized system, not a collection of individual chargers.
• The system should set the condo/strata board and end users up for long-term success by ensuring that the charging software and hardware are Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP)-compliant, so that they aren’t locked in if things go awry. 
• A simple, intuitive user experience solution should make it easy for EV drivers (be they residents or guests) to pay for charging, while allowing strata or condo councils to work with the charging provider to set rates, understand usage, and collect revenues.

Find a Partner that Can Walk Alongside

Working with SWTCH also brought home the importance of building a relationship with a reliable EV charging provider. “People said we would need to troubleshoot, and throughout the process, we touched base with SWTCH a number of times and had several meetings onsite,” Twining recalled. “It was important to have someone locally who could answer our questions and help us out.” 

If you’re looking for a partner to help you traverse the complexities of managing bylaw regulations, unique electrical capacity demands, and ensure your system is taken care of 24/7/365, get in touch today.  

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So when guest inquiries began cropping up about electric vehicle (EV) charging as an amenity on site, Sugarloaf management opted to test the waters with a pilot program. Resort leaders partnered with SWTCH to install a total of nine Level 2 charging stations in two locations on the property in 2022. These chargers build on the two Tesla charging stations and Level 1 wall outlets installed on site in years past.

“People coming here want to use their EVs,” says Sugarloaf VP of Skier Services Tom Butler. “And we want people to have an incentive to bring their EV when they visit. This was the right move from both a sustainability and a service perspective. We want guests to know that there’s a place for your car here.”

Fulfilling a Long-Term Commitment

In 2021, Sugarloaf joined other Boyne Resorts properties on a sustainability initiative called “ForeverProject.” This effort pledges a reduction in environmental impact in all areas of resort operations, and net zero emissions by 2030. In pursuit of these goals, Sugarloaf has identified key actions to take, including harnessing new opportunities such as “on-road vehicle electrification.” Facilitating EV charging, then, fits perfectly within those goals.

And the resort has seen that guest interest in EV charging as an amenity has grown quickly over time. “Five years ago, no one was asking for this,” shares Butler. “But once we started seeing the demand rise, we realized how real this opportunity was. EVs and the need for EV charging is not going away.”

To help address guest interest in a measured way, Sugarloaf staff identified SWTCH as a partner for installation and maintenance. They were impressed by the company’s “surprisingly affordable” offerings, which allowed the resort to pilot a handful of charging stations to build the case for further investment. SWTCH’s networked charging technology is easily scalable, which will make future installations of additional charging stations simple for Sugarloaf.

“We decided to start small and get some data, and scale up from there,” Butler explains. “There aren’t enough chargers to totally satisfy everyone yet, but this helps us build towards that.”

Guests that visit from around New England are now able to drive their EVs to site, safe in the knowledge they have a place to charge up. “Once visitors knew we had EV chargers, they started driving their EV up here,” confirms Butler. “You can plug your car in when you arrive in the morning, go have fun, and then at the end of the day, you’ve got plenty of charge to get home.”

Even Sugarloaf locals have started using the chargers, too.

EV Charging a Clear Win-Win-Win

Currently, Sugarloaf charges a fee for drivers to use the charging stations, enough to cover the electricity cost as well as a nominal fee to help recoup the installation and on-going operational costs. That’s been productive, but Butler and his team strongly believe that this installation project is about more than making a quick buck.

“We don’t want to get rich off this,” shares Butler. “We want people to have an incentive to bring their EV when they visit. People want to feel okay about bringing their EV to the mountain and not getting stuck without a charge to make it back, and we want them to, as well. It’s good money — enough to recoup our costs — and we’re doing good in the world, too.”

That’s a mission that’s harmonious with Sugarloaf’s customers and locals. The state of Maine is known in the region and across the country as a sustainability leader. Earlier this year, Maine was ranked fourth greenest state in the nation by Consumer Affairs, with New England peers Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and New York — states where many Sugarloaf visitors hail from — ranking highly, as well.

Growing Sustainably for Years to Come

The first chargers were installed at Sugarloaf in November 2022, and have seen steady usage throughout their inaugural season. The upcoming winter ski season will serve as another milestone to assess how well the chargers may suit the facility’s current and future needs.

For Sugarloaf, EV charging clearly illustrates to guests, community members, and staff that the resort holds an ongoing commitment to the environment. “Charging is very visible,” shares Butler. “When I come into work, I see the chargers. My kids see the chargers. They want to know why we’re not putting more charging stations in yet!”

“There was never a question of why we should invest in EV charging as an amenity,” concludes Butler. “It was always a matter of, ‘How do we do this?’ and ‘How do we do this reasonably?’ This solution is good for everybody.”

If you’re also keen to bring this must-have amenity to your property, get in touch with SWTCH to learn more about the process, costs, and available incentives in your area.

Source

But for one Merton Street condo in midtown Toronto, residents banded together to achieve an impressive feat: 57 unit owners had EV charging stations installed in their deeded parking spots. The kicker is only three of them actually own an electric vehicle.

In partnership with electric vehicle charging technology company SWTCH and full-service installers Simply EV Charging Solutions, the condo board and property manager facilitated this installation earlier this year.

As a result, over 20 per cent of the building’s units boast EV charging capabilities. And there’s capacity to expand as demand grows.

Electric vehicle sales are skyrocketing across North America and there are a growing number of EV-ready bylaws across Canada.

Groundwork is being laid through government incentive programs. Now, property managers, boards and owners stand to benefit from myriad opportunities to partner with industry experts to access resources, defray costs and future-proof their investments.

The Merton Street condo board and residents serve as an excellent example of collective action done well.

The why and how

What convinced dozens of residents to pre-emptively electrify their parking spots? A combination of collective buying power, real estate values, reducing gas dependence and concern for the environment.

The condo board began investigating EV infrastructure for the building in 2018 when a resident inquired about it. The Ontario Condo Act requires condo boards (in most cases) to allow owners to install their own chargers.

But this board wanted to avoid a patchwork solution or, worse, a temporary fix needing overhauling in a few years. Its members thought if one resident wants this amenity, perhaps others will too.

The Merton Street condo board then hired an engineer to assess the building’s electrical infrastructure capacity.

But at a rough cost of $400,000, the prospect of offering widespread charging access seemed financially daunting. The board began to set aside money for the project, but it took a combination of the residents’ collective buying power reducing costs, savvy grant knowledge and strategic hardware and software applications to bring the project within reach.

That’s where SWTCH came in. The company, which offers charging hardware and software, helped connect the Merton Street condo to relevant incentive programs and grants. In this case, funds from the Canadian government’s ZEVIP program covered 50 per cent of total project costs.

This grant all but eliminated the condo corporation’s upfront costs. Individual installation fees for participating unit owners ran roughly $4,000 — and uninvolved residents paid nothing at all.

A forward-looking investment and partnership

For the Merton Street condo board and residents, installing EV charging infrastructure offers a boost to property resale values.

“Having an EV-ready building will enhance all unit values,” says Saevitzon.

While research is still ongoing to quantify this particular value add, an American study published this year in Nature Sustainability found that proximity to EV charging stations may command a premium of up to 5 per cent on the current real estate market.

And, of course, many residents want the option to buy an electric vehicle down the road and charge at home.

That’s what drew them to partner with SWTCH, which offers an intelligent load management system designed specifically for multifamily properties. With Level 2 chargers and SWTCH’s EV driver app and software, residents are able to connect to the charging network from their parking garage and pay individually for their usage — all while using the building’s existing power infrastructure responsibly. The software responds to demand fluctuations in real time. This means the building can harness the lower off-peak electricity rates overnight for the majority of their charging needs.

And with this installation, there’s now a path forward for other residents. “We now have a framework in place if additional owners want to have a charger installed and connect to our infrastructure,” says Saevitzon.

“Our owners now have one less barrier to buying an electric vehicle.”

If you’re interesting to crafting a similar story for your condo, get in touch with SWTCH to learn how you can.

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Management at The Lofts at Beacon, a residential redevelopment on the site of a former carpet mill, began hearing from residents about EV charging when work began on a second building on the property in 2022, adding 89 rental units to the 84 that were already onsite. “We started to get a lot of questions from people asking if we were going to install EV chargers,”  said property manager Nicole Corneyea. “There were several people who were very excited about using them.”

Fast forward to mid-August, 2023, with the SWTCH EV charging system fully operational, the chargers have quickly become a welcome addition to the property, and community at large. 

The chargers draw visitors who want to top up their batteries while they stroll through Beacon’s artist district or enjoy nearby nature attractions like Fishkill Creek and Waterfall.

All of which makes EV charging one of the best ways to retain existing residents and attract new ones who’ve been thinking about buying an EV, said Jake Berdugo, founder and CEO of Powerup EV Solutions, the project’s project manager and installer. He added that chargers are quickly becoming a must-have amenity in multi-family buildings, right up alongside gym facilities and dog parks.

“I would say don’t think, just do,” Berdugo advised. “EVs are here to stay. In order to stay ahead of your competition you must install chargers on your property, especially when incentives are being offered.”

Those incentives currently include funding of US$4,000 per charger under New York State’s Charge Ready 2.0 program, announced in July 2023, plus a one-time incentive of up to 100% of the cost of electrical infrastructure for commercial customers of local power and gas company Central Hudson.

Where Convenience Meets Values

David Stocks was thrilled when he learned that The Lofts would be installing EV chargers. A tenant since 2019, with his gas-powered vehicle reaching the end of its road, he ran out and bought an electric SUV as soon as he saw the chargers online. 

“I didn’t want to buy a new car until it could be an EV,” said Stocks. But he knew that charging infrastructure was “pretty slim around Beacon,” and “if you don’t have charging at home, it’s not really worth having an EV.”

At first, Stocks said he was afraid The Lofts would only install a couple of chargers, leading to competition among residents and the community for the available spots. So it was reassuring to see management start out with 10 units—and he said they’re already in demand.

“I’m seeing more and more electric cars as I’m charging mine, two or three or four at a time. So that’s happening.”

It helps that the SWTCH app is so easy to use. Stocks said it worked perfectly as soon as he signed on, and even when he had to replace his debit card number, the process was smooth and simple.

Stocks said his EV charging experience brought home the message that “it’s not just a convenience factor. It’s an economic factor. It’s not like when you own a home—if you live in a rental complex and there’s no charger, you don’t have any other option. But if you can buy an EV, you have this kind of double whammy, because you don’t have to install the home charging infrastructure when it’s right outside your door. That’s a big win from my point of view.”

Skyrocketing Demand for EV charging at MURBs

Stocks’ experience explains why the multi-unit residential building (MURB) sector has seen growing interest in EVs and EV chargers. Lately, Berdugo said, the market is taking off.

“Just within a year, we’ve noticed the number of requests skyrocket,” he said. “Even in the last few months, the demand has grown exponentially,” with property owners looking for site visits and feasibility studies to get a sense of how many chargers to install.

Some of the owners aren’t even asking whether to get EV charging onboard—their main questions are how many and how fast. But even so, “education is still very important,” Berdugo said. “This is still relatively new, and people don’t always understand how it works or how the income streams happen.”

One commonly-asked question is how much extra a property will pay for electricity after users plug in. The answer: EV charging is about revenue, not cost.

Through the process, Berdugo shared that “we explain who we are and who SWTCH is, educating the landlord about the two entities they’ll be working with. We do the install, and SWTCH’s network and charging system and support is with you to support your chargers and drivers at every step of the way.”

Plan Today for your Future Residents

For a property like The Lofts at Beacon, the income from EV charging is “kind of like icing on the cake,” Berdugo said. With interest in EVs surging across North America and beyond, “this is one of the amenities that are needed in multi-family these days,” he explained. “If you don’t have chargers on your property, those who have or want to get an electric vehicle will not rent from you,” and long-standing residents might be less likely to stay.

“Retention is huge, because people who weren’t considering it before are now buying electric cars. Access to charging would actually cause them to stay at the property longer.”

In older buildings, EV charging can also be a catalyst for system improvements that deliver a series of other benefits. Multi-family structures that date back to the 1970s lack the electrical capacity for universal EV chargers, but that’s often a sign of bigger problems: with a panel upgrade, an owner can make a property more attractive in other ways, like allowing residents to run their own washer/dryers for the first time.

Over time, working with SWTCH makes it easier for properties to manage the increase in charger demand. At The Lofts, the 10 chargers onsite today are all on individual circuits. But with SWTCH Control^TM, the property could expand to as many as 40 units through smart load management, with no need for electrical upgrades.

Even when there’s no apparent demand for EV chargers, the new rule of thumb is that if you build it, they will come. Berdugo recalled one building that installed 16 chargers, though not a single tenant had asked for them.

“The property manager got four calls from people who saw them being installed. They asked when the units would be activated, because now they could buy EVs. Which is incredible. It’s saving the environment. There are so many benefits.”

Future-Proofing the Business

EV charging isn’t often at the top of the agenda when a new building is under construction, and it’s hard to justify installing dozens of chargers when only a handful of residents will use them immediately. But with the United States and Canada introducing generous electric vehicle incentives, and consumers leaping onboard, MURB owners’ ability to install the equipment and easily manage rising demand is about future-proofing the business.

“We’re starting to see proposed taxes on gas vehicles,” Berdugo said. “This is real. We’re going to see these things over the next few years, and demand for EVs is going to skyrocket. We want to be sure we’re ready for it.”

Source

With more than 1.8 million square feet of prime office and retail space in the heart of the city’s business district, Scotia Square’s four buildings are “proudly BOMA BEST Certified Platinum,” writes New Glasgow, NS-based Crombie REIT, one of Canada’s top real estate investment trusts. In recent years, the company has begun focusing attention on an untapped resource: the 1,698 stalls in the parkade at the corner of Barrington and Duke St., in the heart of downtown Halifax.

Scotia Square’s BOMA BEST status dates back 15 years, reflecting Crombie’s deliberate practice of pushing its buildings to be better. Members of the Crombie team like to say that archival records back to the 1970s show one consistent attitude: “Let’s try to keep pushing the envelope.”

An EV Charging Journey, Seven Years in the Making

Over the years, Crombie has worked to cut operating costs and improve environmental performance in areas ranging from energy reduction to water conservation to waste management. Seven years ago, the company planted a seed, Manager of Parking Services Ken Skinner told SWTCH in a recent conversation— two free-to-use EV chargers that helped him intimately understand the change in demand for this new amenity. 

At the time, “there were not a lot of EVs roaming around,” he recalled. So Scotia Square started small, with two stand-alone Level 2 chargers on the P5 level of the parkade. At first, Skinner said he might see a single car in one of the spots, charging for half a morning once a week.

“Then all of a sudden, it’s happening,” he said.

Each unit had a long enough cord to reach two parking spaces, and “they obviously spoke to each other because you could see the plug moving from car to car as the day went on.”

In 2022, Crombie realized that this seed was starting to take root, but needed appropriate investment and attention to bear fruit. Skinner and the Crombie team knew they would need additional intel, insight, and control of their EV charging system to make EV charging a strategic investment.

That all became possible when they found SWTCH.

“You [SWTCH] do what you say you’ll do, and the team has been great to deal with,” Skinner said. “I’ve experienced all kinds of different parking equipment supply operators, and I can say you’re in the top 10%.”

In February 2023, Crombie installed four networked Level 2 chargers and introduced a charging fee on top of their standard parking rates. Despite the added cost, the EV chargers have been busy. In June, Skinner estimated that utilization had jumped 30% in two months.

“I was a little skeptical, thinking that if we started billing people to use them, we wouldn’t see many there,” he said. But “people understand the value of having chargers onsite. It’s an additional charge on top of their parking fee, but the perceived value is certainly there. And from an ESG [Environment, Social, Governance] standpoint, obviously, we want to see more EVs on the road and parking with us.”

Networked Chargers Are Good for Business

As Crombie pursued its work on EV charging, Skinner said SWTCH’s cloud-based charging platform turned an exciting, cutting-edge experiment into a systematic customer service, delivering the technology and data tools to monitor and manage user access, set customized rates, gather real-time data and analytics on an integrated dashboard, and spot and correct maintenance issues. 

All of those factors made networked chargers an obvious business decision. Although Crombie was an ESG leader long before the acronym became commonplace, the bottom line is still the bottom line: networked public EV charging makes sense because more and more drivers need and want it. And when customers are happy, Scotia Square’s tenants are the biggest winners.

• For the complex’s retailers, it’s easy for drivers to drop by for a 30- or 40-minute charge while they shop after work. In time, Skinner said the charging network might expand to include a designated area near the food court or the mall.
• With the shift to flexible work, about 250 of the facility’s nearly 1,700 parking stalls are filled at night with call centre workers or other users.
• Some of those spots are taken by guests at one of the two hotels in the Scotia Square complex. “It’s a nice fit when someone is leaving at the end of the work day, then an hour later a guest from the hotel plugs in and stays overnight,” Skinner said. “Then they’re gone in the morning and the next person plugs in for the day.”

The overnight chargers open up an essential access point for EV drivers booking hotels—and create a new, emerging market for any properties that can meet the need. Over the next three years, Scotia Square will also be adding a residential building, for which EV charging will be a natural fit.

As Crombie expands its EV charging footprint, Scotia Square is setting the pace for properties across the BOMA BEST category. When you look at their ESG strategy, a big part of it is about how they sustainably develop. At the end of the day, there’s a strong client expectation that they want to satisfy.

For more information on SWTCH EV charging solution, get in touch. 

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Sparkle is well known in the industry as a laundry equipment supplier for multi residential and industrial buildings. As the second largest commercial laundry provider in Canada, they have most recently started offering EV charger installation and management to their existing clientele.

“We have been approached by property owners and management companies, asking us if we can provide EV charging solutions. That happened a few times, so we said, well we’d better start looking into it.”

Solving capacity constraints with robust load management

After deploying their first chargers, Sparkle quickly ran into some of the most common challenges, such as limited electric capacity and poor management software. They realized what they needed was a partner with more robust charging technology to help them optimize load management, performance and customer experience.

“The approach was to duplicate our expertise with common-use laundry services and to apply it to EV charging in the common parking areas. A great idea, so we thought, but we ran into some massive problems. SWTCH helped us overcome these hurdles and our learning curve took a sharp turn for the better. SWTCH offers us an impressive charging solution.”  

Turn-key solution for building owners

In working with SWTCH’s charging solution, Sparkle saw that one charger can effectively host up to five EVs using a common-use charging model.

They started putting in two EV chargers in each building interested in EV charging, and today, they have deployed more than 150 chargers, with plans to add another 100 by the end of next year.

Who pays and how does the money flow? 

With the help of NRCAN funding, Sparkle pays for the infrastructure upgrade, the installation and the charger hardware (with the infrastructure upgrade being the most cost-intensive part). Incentives like NRCan’s ZEVIP funding has helped cover a portion of the installation cost, but how does Sparkle recover their investment and how do they make money?

The answer is a pay-as-you-go model. Using the SWTCH app, EV drivers charge their cars and pay for doing so. Sparkle remits 40% – 50% of the net charging revenue to the building owner. The remainder is in essence their fee for supplying the chargers. 

“With our current model, we want to see 6 – 8 hours of charging a day per level 2 charger in a multi residential building. We have some buildings that are working really well, e.g. one in BC where we’ve got 2 chargers and we installed 2 more because there are ten electric vehicles in the building now and the chargers are being used constantly. Our current contracts are for 10 years and are hoping to recoup our initial investment within 5 – 6 years.”

Which building owner doesn’t want a free amenity? 

EV charging is turning from an amenity into a necessity. It attracts a great clientele that is willing to pay more money for the convenience of EV charging. Wouldn’t it be great if building owners could add this amenity without investing any capital? Sparkle’s solution seems like a great way for owners to have it all – EV charging without the risk.

“The question that the building owner has to ask themselves is, do I do this myself, or am I going to let somebody else worry about it? Getting EV ready might cost around $4,000 – 5,000 per charger, plus the actual charger hardware at about $2,000. There is not a huge amount of service but there will be things to take care of. Do I want to be burdened with that or do I want to pass that on?” 

Improving customer experience and finding scale  

One of the main reasons Sparkle got involved is to further enhance its relationships with large building owners and property management companies. Being able to offer EV charging is a great value-add. 

“The question is how deep do we go into it, how much capital do we put into it every year. NRCan funding is currently still available in Canada to get 50% off, which is attractive, but that’s going to go away at some point. We have to make sure the business model works without funding.” 

Partnering with SWTCH for peace-of-mind

As Sparkle installs and supports increasingly more chargers, they rely on SWTCH’s 24/7 charger monitoring. “If there is a problem, their online diagnostics kicks in and the majority of issues are resolved remotely. Our service technicians are only dispatched if the issue cannot be resolved remotely.  This happens about twice a month. With around 200 pieces of equipment that is extremely low.”

 Sparkle has just completed a training session with SWTCH for their designated service technicians. Since Sparkle is servicing the equipment for their customers, SWTCH helps educate their EV charging technicians on how to replace, troubleshoot and run diagnostics in the field. 

Sparkle’s next EV charging play? Schools south of 49

Sparkle sees a big opportunity in the US. Their parent company, CSC Service Works, are already in every state with their laundry solution and in over half of the college and university campuses. Education facilities are unlikely going to own & support EV chargers themselves. They maintain a campus to a certain degree, but for specific areas like laundry, they usually contract out.  

“Over the next 10 years, we’ll see more and more students come to school with EVs. They will want a residence where they can hook up their car. And we’re going to be able to say, yes, we have chargers; here is the app, and off they go.”

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Making Sustainability a Core Tenet

Washington Property Company owns and operates five multi-family properties including acquisitions and new builds with a sixth, 22-story building under construction in downtown Bethesda, Maryland. As it owns and manages all of its properties, WPC is able to foster a sense of community by providing its residents with the amenities they value. This approach is in contrast with other holding companies, whose decision making can often be driven purely based on profitability.

Through this “community-first” approach, Washington Property Company has identified that many of the long-term residents its buildings attract are conscious of environmental issues and want to live in properties that are energy efficient and sustainable.

Out of this environmental focus comes Solaire 8200 Dixon’s latest green initiative; seven EV chargers on the SWTCH network, with the turnkey project managed by Pangea Charging.

We sat down with Washington Property Company’s Jeff Long, a 15-year property management veteran, to discuss how the project provides new mobility options for the building’s community and fits with WPC’s green ethos.

Discussing the evolving population of the building’s residents, Mr. Long tells us that “The residents at 8200 Dixon desire traditional amenities like swimming pools and common areas in which to socialize, but also place great importance on living in a building that has a minimal impact on the environment. Attaining LEED certification, in part due to our recent charger installation, is an excellent way to demonstrate that Washington Property Company has heard the voices of its residents and is acting to give them what they want. They want to be part of a community that has a purpose at the end of the day and that’s something that we’ve seen more and more of in our renter base.”

EV Chargers driving LEED Gold Certification

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a globally recognized certification system that “provides a framework for healthy, efficient, carbon and cost-saving green buildings”.

The Gold LEED rating, helped in part by the installation of EV chargers at 8200 Dixon, demonstrates to residents that their homes are being managed with care and consideration for the issues that hold value for them, but their path to offer EV charging to their residents doesn’t stop here. By the end of the year Long estimates that 1,600 of the 1,800 total units in the portfolio will have access to EV charging. Solaire 8200 Dixon’s LEED Gold certification was, in part, based on its ratio of EV chargers to units and Long says that this accreditation is a huge step for the company as it’s the highest LEED certification for any of its buildings to date.

Pangea Charging & SWTCH deliver a turn-key EV Charging System

As the contractor and manager of the project for Washington Property Company, Anup Parikh of Pangea Charging ensured that the installation and setup was a smooth and enjoyable process. Parikh suggested SWTCH to Long for a number of reasons, including hardware availability, ease of installation, cost, and the multifamily alignment and focus that SWTCH offers.

As a busy contractor, Parikh deals with a lot of providers who want to simply push units out the door with minimal thought given to the client’s specific needs. In SWTCH, he says he found a company that shares his values and business goals.

In discussing 8200 Dixon’s new chargers, Long was equally impressed by SWTCH both from an ease-of-use standpoint and with the analytics that helps management monitor usage and adoption rates. “Other buildings that I’ve managed, when EV charging stations were installed, there was a lot of user training and hand-holding needed in order to get started. With the SWTCH charging stations we haven’t had any of that. People just want something that’s functional, that works. When they roll up, they pull their phone up, the app connects and they can plug in their car to charge.”

It’s not just the building’s residents that are benefiting from the SWTCH chargers, with management able to dive deep on analytics to monitor usage, adoption rates and more: “When I log in, I’m able to see exactly the information that I want on usage. Are we charging? Is it appealing to these residents? It’s very intuitive. It’s very easy to get the information that we find important and I also think the use from our resident standpoint is awesome. I mean we’ve got nobody, not one person to show up and say to us, ‘How am I supposed to use these?'”

All told, SWTCH and Pangea Charging have served as a winning combination for the residents and management of 8200 Dixon, with Long enthusiastically praising both Parikh and Pangea Charging:

With seamless installation handled by Pangea plus the multifamily focus and analytic capabilities provided by SWTCH, more of WPC’s residents than ever before now have at-home access to EV charging. The chargers have provided the final push needed for 8200 Dixon to achieve its Gold LEED certification, giving residents the valuable knowledge that their homes are working to minimize environmental impact through smart management and green initiatives. What’s more, with the system designed to grow, residents can rest assured that they’ll always be able to charge up before a busy day.

If interested in learning more about adding EV chargers to your multifamily property, drop us a line.

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