Werner’s blog: Overcoming the hurdles of EV charging in B.C. strata buildings

A major barrier to electric vehicle (EV) adoption is a lack of charging infrastructure for those who live in buildings governed by stratas. In May 2023, the province of British Columbia adopted amendments to its Strata Property Act that make it much easier for strata corporations to bring EV charging infrastructure into their buildings. Previously, three-quarter supermajorities at annual or special general meetings were needed to pass bylaw changes that enabled stratas to deploy EV charging solutions. Now the threshold has been lowered to simple majorities. But such approvals are only one of the major hurdles to be navigated in these situations. In an excerpt from his latest blog post, UBC Sauder Associate Professor Werner Antweiler examines how, in practice, a strata corporation can go about getting a building’s EV charging infrastructure across the finish line.

B.C.’s Strata Property Act now allows changes to the common property "if a resolution is passed at an annual or special general meeting by a majority vote, in the case of a change that is related to the installation of EV charging infrastructure or the management of electricity used by EV charging infrastructure." The changes also enable strata corporations to acquire or dispose of personal property for certain purposes related to EV charging infrastructure, also by simple majority vote. The intention is to enable stratas to possibly acquire a parking stall from an owner and converting it into an EV charging stall. Further changes to the Strata Property Act prohibit stratas from unreasonably refusing the request of an owner to make alterations to common property if the alteration is necessary to install EV charging infrastructure. This is what sometimes has been described as the right to charge for strata owners.

Owners will of course remain responsible for expenses for their own alterations for EV charging, and if stratas make alterations for owners, stratas can charge back the expenses.

What is also new is the need for an electrical planning report from a qualified person (electrician), and this requirement will be brought into force by forthcoming regulations. The cost of the electrical planning report can be paid from a strata’s operating fund.

Retrofitting EV charging into older strata buildings will remain a big challenge. Depending on the age and the structure of the building, retrofitting can be very expensive, and in some cases there may simply not be sufficient electric power capacity to charge multiple vehicles at the same time.

So what are the steps to install electric vehicle charging in multi-unit residential buildings with strata corporations as a retrofit? As a strata councillor and strata owner, I have first-hand experience bringing EV charging to my own strata.

The first step is the electric load study. The results of the analysis determine how many EV charging stations can be connected directly to meters, or if a load sharing system needs to be deployed. Upgrading the electrical service to the building is usually prohibitively expensive, and thus smartly utilizing the available capacity through load sharing is the key to accommodate as many owners as possible.

The second step is an assessment of the specific charging needs of the owners, and defining a suitable business model. There are three options. The first option involves connecting EV chargers directly to BC Hydro's smart meters through an energy management system (EV-EMS) that can throttle the load to prevent overloading each unit's electric circuit. The EV-EMS prioritizes the electricity use in the home over use by the EV charger. Advantageously for the strata, the strata is not involved directly as the billing for use is directly through BC Hydro. Advantageously for EV owners, they buy electricity directly at the nominal rate from BC Hydro without any intermediary.

The second and third options both involve strata acting as owner and operator of a centralized solution using a load management system that also monitors and bills for use. The difference between the two options is whether designated strata-owned parking stalls are used to offer EV charging, or whether individual owners have their own charging stations at their parking stalls. If a strata wants to offer Level-3 (fast) charging, then the dedicated parking stalls are really the only option. When charging is provided at individual parking stalls, it involves Level-2 (slow) charging with load sharing.

The third step involves assessing the technical feasibility of retrofitting an existing building. This requires an electrician or installation company to inspect the site and provide a tentative quote for costs to be borne by the strata corporation (for the common infrastructure) and by individual strata owners (for their chargers and connections).

In the fourth step, the strata presents the preferred solution to the owners at an annual general meeting along with a suitable bylaw proposal. Getting the bylaw approved has often been the most daunting step, and it is here that the amendments to the Strata Property Act lower the hurdles. For a strata-operated EV system, the strata will need to figure out a system for cost recovery. Some stratas use accurate metering, but that requires specialized hardware and an internet connection. Other stratas have implemented fixed user fees (typically a monthly flat rate) for access to the chargers.

Having completed the preceding four steps, the strata is now ready to contract with an installation company for the common-property components and work, whereas individual owners may also need to contract separately with the installation company for their individual chargers and connections. 

What challenges remain? Perhaps the trickiest point for stratas to come to terms with is not overall cost, but the most suitable business model. Some stratas may be inclined to install one or two fast chargers in available (common property) parking stalls, outsource the management and billing, and be done with it. That is unfortunately not the most forward-looking approach. As EV adoption grows, one or two fast chargers will quickly lead to waiting times for owners, as well as dealing with owners who don't remove their vehicles after charging is completed. 

What does this all imply for developing public policy on EV charging infrastructure in stratas in B.C.? The recent changes to the Strata Property Act are a great start. The required electrical planning report will enable strata corporations to make informed decisions as EV charging is ramping up. But these reports need direction to be forward-looking. Today's demand for EV charging is just the beginning. To be future-ready, the electrical planning reports need to be focused not merely on today's needs, but also the expected needs by 2035 and beyond.