Heads up, Chicago developers! As of this fall, the City of Chicago has amended its zoning ordinance to mandate the installation of electric vehicle charging stations (also called electric vehicle supply equipment, or EVSE) in certain properties. We\u2019ve got the guide you need to uncover what\u2019s happening, and how to minimize this ruling\u2019s effect on your bottom line:<\/b><\/p>\n
Essentially, specific types of buildings with off-street parking will now need to install and equip a minimum quantity of EVSE-ready and EVSE-installed parking spaces \u2014 more on those details (and those definitions) below.<\/span><\/p>\n This amendment, which applies to residential and commercial properties within Chicago city limits, expands on the Illinois Electric Vehicle Charging Act, announced earlier this year. <\/span>For full details on the Illinois statewide regulations, see our primer here.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n While the city is pursuing these changes as part of efforts to support environmental sustainability, expand accessibility, and promote energy resilience, there\u2019s no doubt this adds a new task to developers\u2019 list of concerns. But there\u2019s a hidden opportunity here, as well: <\/span>developers can use this rule to optimally structure their properties towards long-term competitive advantage.<\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Here\u2019s what to know about this regulation, how to use it to give your property an edge, and how SWTCH can help in that process.<\/span><\/p>\n These regulations affect developers either building new or renovating existing structures in the city of Chicago. The exact number of parking spots required varies on building use and size and type of parking facilities.<\/span><\/p>\n Developers renovating buildings with five or more units <\/span>for the purpose of a condo conversion<\/span><\/i> must ensure that all existing and newly created parking spaces are either \u201cEVSE-Ready\u201d or \u201cEVSE-Installed.\u201d (There is one exception to this rule: Developers do not need to comply with this stipulation if doing so would require excavation of a parking lot to install conduit and wiring.)<\/span><\/p>\n Residential new construction should include the following EVSE-Ready or EVSE-Installed spaces:<\/span><\/p>\n Nonresidential new construction buildings that have parking spaces to accommodate at least 30% of the users of the building must ensure at least 20% of spaces are EVSE-ready or EVSE-installed.<\/span><\/p>\n The ordinance does grant permission to the Zoning Administrator to approve lower percentages of EVSE-Ready and EVSE-Installed spaces for affordable housing (but no lower than 20% through 2025 and increasing to at least 70% after November 1, 2033).<\/span><\/p>\n There are also some building use types and parking designs for whom these regulations do not apply. For example, there are no EV readiness requirements in place for:<\/span> To check if your building or structure falls into one of these categories, <\/span>visit the City of Chicago website<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n EVSE-Ready and EVSE-Installed spaces must also be available for use by people with disabilities with a relevant parking decal (even if the vehicle is not electric). The ordinance also sets out a minimum number of EVSE-ready or EVSE-installed spaces that must be specifically designed to be accessible.<\/span><\/p>\n There are a few dates to keep straight here. While the Illinois statewide ESVE requirements formally go into law as of January 1, 2024, the requirements will apply to projects for which the initial building permit application was initiated on or after November 1, 2020.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n These new Chicago city zoning guidelines, on the other hand, apply to permit applications that are initiated on or after November 1, 2023.<\/span><\/p>\n In the Illinois EV Charging Act, the phrase \u201cEV capable\u201d was used \u2014 but for the Chicago city ordinance changes, the more descriptive terms \u201cESVE-Ready\u201d and \u201cESVE-Installed\u201d were used instead.<\/span><\/p>\n As noted above, ESVE (electric vehicle supply equipment) refers to electric vehicle charging stations.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cEVSE-Ready\u201d indicates a parking space with appropriate conduit and wiring for a 40-amp, 208- or 240-volt dedicated branch circuit terminating within 3 feet of the parking space (the same branch circuit may be used for two adjacent parking spaces)<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cEVSE-Installed\u201d indicates a parking space with EVSE installed within three feet of the parking space.<\/span><\/p>\n Preparing a building to accommodate EV chargers for every parking spot can feel daunting. The electrical capacity needed can seem enormous, especially at first glance. Looking at a property with 200 units and one parking spot each, you would generally need about 8,000 amps to facilitate charging. That may add a sizable cost to your construction budget.<\/span><\/p>\n But that\u2019s where <\/span>load management<\/b> can be a powerful tool for developers to harness. With a load management system in place, many buildings can reduce overall EV charging installation costs, set up advanced electrical tracking information for the building, <\/span>and<\/span><\/i> facilitate EV charging payment processes for drivers that use these spots, when desired.<\/span><\/p>\n Most importantly, this new regulation makes it easier for developers to use load management tools. The ordinance specifically enables consideration of EVSE energy management systems when considering required electrical capacity for EVSE-ready and EVSE-installed spaces. <\/span>In other words, it permits building beyond rated electrical capacity and using energy management to keep overall energy use within acceptable limits.<\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n You\u2019ve got a potential big expense ahead of you as you renovate and construct new properties. Load management can help reduce that cost, and provide other benefits, as well.<\/span><\/p>\n Load management is the ability to share electricity with multiple electric vehicles simultaneously. For example, installing with SWTCH gives you access to <\/span>SWTCH Control<\/span><\/a>, 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.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The effect of employing a load management solution like SWTCH Control is significant: you don\u2019t need to accommodate full EV charging capacity for 100% of parking spaces at all times \u2014 so you can make several parking spots \u201cEV-Installed,\u201d while avoiding a full reconfiguration of your building\u2019s electrical panel. That\u2019s money right back in your pocket.<\/span><\/p>\n This can 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 While this new Chicago ordinance may involve some early headaches, there is much to be gained from facing this new regulation directly.<\/span><\/p>\n You have the opportunity to install a coherent building-wide EV charging system from the outset. With a networked charging solution like SWTCH (that comes with our intelligent load manager, <\/span>SWTCH Control<\/span><\/a>), you\u2019ll be able to take advantage of electrical installation savings of up to 75%, and future-proof your building while you\u2019re at it. Essentially, your building will be more prepared to handle larger EV charging needs over time, respond to fluctuations in electrical demands, and entice tenants to your property that value these long-term benefits.<\/span><\/p>\n For developers with stable clientele, you\u2019ll also set your unit owners and building managers up with a scalable charging solution that not only manages the system\u2019s energy and allows new chargers to be incrementally added, but also has the potential to earn the building revenue through charging fees.<\/span><\/p>\nWhat are the new rules? Who does this affect?\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n
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Are there exceptions?<\/span><\/h2>\n
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Are there rules for accessible parking spaces?<\/span><\/h2>\n
When do the regulations start?<\/span><\/h2>\n
What do \u201cESVE-Ready\u201d and \u201cESVE-Installed\u201d mean?<\/span><\/h2>\n
How can developers most effectively handle these new regulations?<\/span><\/h2>\n
What is load management?\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n
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Manage Chicago\u2019s new regulations on top of the Illinois EV Charging Act<\/span><\/h2>\n