{"id":2330,"date":"2023-07-25T16:19:20","date_gmt":"2023-07-25T20:19:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/swtchenergy.com\/?p=2330"},"modified":"2023-08-28T14:43:58","modified_gmt":"2023-08-28T18:43:58","slug":"illinois-ev-charging-act","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swtchenergy.com\/blog\/ev-insights\/illinois-ev-charging-act\/","title":{"rendered":"Key Considerations for Developers under the Illinois EV Charging Act: Mitigate Costs (and Future Headaches)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Illinois will see the new Electric Vehicle Charging Act go into effect on January 1, 2024. The regulation forces new multifamily properties to offer EV charging for all residents, a tall order that could add hundreds of thousands of dollars to construction costs.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

For newly constructed large multifamily buildings or large multifamily buildings being renovated by a developer converting the property into an association, 100% of parking spaces need to be \u201cEV-capable\u201d. If you fear this will lead to added costs for you as a developer, you are spot on. Even though EV numbers are on the rise, there is no indication of when we will see charger demand in specific buildings reach anywhere close to 100%. Despite this, the law can be used to create a competitive advantage. Here is how.<\/span><\/p>\n

What does \u201cEV capable\u201d mean?<\/span><\/h2>\n

The act requires at least one \u201celectric vehicle capable parking space\u201d for each residential unit. The good news is that you don\u2019t have to install charging hardware on each parking spot. EV-capable means the electrical capacity has to be established in the building, and conduit runs must be completed for future installation of EV chargers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The law requires enough capacity for dedicated 40 amp circuits with a minimum of 208 V or 240 V unless you have load management in place. Detailed electrical planning is advisable, with load management becoming a tool to reduce cost.<\/span><\/p>\n

How developers\u00a0can effectively handle the changes<\/span><\/h2>\n

Preparing a building to accommodate EV chargers for every parking spot can be daunting. The electrical capacity needed can be enormous. Looking at a property with 200 units and one parking spot each, you would generally need about 8,000 amps. Apart from issues caused by regional grid restrictions, the construction cost has just made a significant jump.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n \u201c<\/span>\n
\n Load management is the single most important tool to save significant money on the construction side of things. Our clients are thrilled with SWTCH Control, our load-sharing solution we\u2019ve installed at several high-end buildings in Chicago\n <\/blockquote><\/div>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What is Load Management?\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

Load management is the ability to share electricity with multiple electric vehicles simultaneously. <\/span>SWTCH Control<\/span><\/a> is a sophisticated load management system that dynamically shares the available load between multiple chargers, ensuring that all connected vehicles are charged and ready to go by the morning. The impact of employing a load management solution like SWTCH Control is that you don\u2019t need to accommodate\u00a0full capacity for 100% of parking spaces, which will save a tremendous amount of money.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Getting SWTCH involved in the design phase is critical as it\u2019ll allow you to reduce the up-front electrical capacity significantly. It could mean cutting a required 8,000 amps down to 2,000 amps. In an example of a typical 4:1 load-sharing ratio, the cost reductions could look as follows:<\/span><\/p>\n