Electrical Planning Report - EV Charger Installation Vancouver Strata

A Full Comprehensive Building Power Assessment & Proposal

What Is An Electrical planning report for BC Strata

An Electrical Planning Report helps strata councils and owners understand the electrical system and assess whether the buildings have electrical capacity for future needs. For example, if your strata has a gas boiler, at some point you won’t be able to replace it with another gas boiler. The CleanBC Roadmap to 2030 sets out a commitment to ensure that all new space and water-heating equipment sold and installed in BC after 2035 will be 100% efficient. Whether your strata corporation’s goals include cooling, heat pumps, electric vehicle charging, or electrification of other fuelled building systems, your electrical planning report is an important tool to help you plan for the future and avoid costly electrical service upgrades.

Strata corporations of fewer than 5 strata lots are not required to obtain an electrical planning report.

All other strata corporations are required to obtain an electrical planning report. This includes condo, townhouse, bare land, residential, commercial, hotel, industrial, and other types of strata corporations. There is no ability to waive or defer the requirement.

For existing strata corporations (the strata plan is filed on or before December 31, 2023), the deadline to obtain an electrical planning report is either December 31, 2026 or December 31, 2028, depending on location.

Electrical Planning Report for EV Charger Installation in Strata

An Electrical Planning Report for Strata is a comprehensive assessment of the electrical system within a strata corporation. This report helps strata councils and owners understand the current state of their electrical infrastructure and evaluate its capacity to meet future needs. It is an essential tool for planning and avoiding costly electrical service upgrades.

The report includes an overview of the electrical system, analyzing factors such as electrical capacity, load analysis, peak demand, spare capacity, and potential limitations. It provides valuable information about the existing infrastructure and identifies any deficiencies or areas of improvement. This allows strata councils to make informed decisions regarding the electrical system and plan for future upgrades or installations.

Strata corporations in British Columbia are required by law to obtain an Electrical Planning Report. This requirement applies to various types of strata corporations, including condo, townhouse, bare land, residential, commercial, hotel, industrial, and others.

Electrical Planning Report for EV Charger Installation in Townhouse and Multi-Family Strata Complexes

The Electrical Planning Report for Townhouse and Multi-Family Strata Complexes focuses specifically on these types of strata properties. It provides a detailed analysis of the electrical system within these complexes, taking into account the unique requirements and challenges they may face.

This report assesses the electrical capacity of townhouse and multi-family strata complexes, considering factors such as the number of units, common areas, parking facilities, and other electrical loads. It identifies any limitations or deficiencies in the existing infrastructure and provides recommendations for upgrading or expanding the electrical system to accommodate future needs.

By obtaining an Electrical Planning Report for Townhouse and Multi-Family Strata Complexes, strata councils can gain valuable insights into their electrical systems and develop strategies to meet the growing demand for electric vehicle charging, heat pumps, cooling systems, and other electrical needs. This report serves as a roadmap for strata corporations to plan their electrical infrastructure upgrades and avoid costly service disruptions or inadequate capacity in the future.

Electric Vehicles (EV) are growing in popularity and less than 20% of condo or MURB (Multi Unit Residential Building) parking lots in Vancouver have EV charging stations. EV Charging capability increases the value of a Condo or house and raises property value by $10,000-$20,000 in Vancouver.

BC Hydro has grants that cover a significant portion of the cost for your building to install EV Chargers. There are 5 steps to the grants and each MURB can access up to $120,000 in rebates under this incentive.

To obtain these rebates an EV Ready Plan must be completed and submitted by a BC Hydro Smart Alliance member. MJR Electric is one of the longest standing Smart Alliance members and we’ve completed over 100 site visits and EV Ready plans in the lower mainland, we make it easy for you and your strata.

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MJR Process for completing an electrical planning report

Steps for Providing a Quote

Receive a request: We begin by receiving a request for a quote from Strata, where we gather necessary information.
Confirm Strata details: We confirm Strata details such as property address, contact information, billing address, etc.
Building profile: We build a profile for the Strata Property and review the Strata Plan, confirming the size and category of the building or complex, number of units, number of stories, and whether the building is Part 9 or Part 3.
Gather electrical infrastructure information: We gather information about the electrical infrastructure of the building/complex, including the number of Utility Services (BC Hydro Transformers), Electrical Rooms, Meter Bases, etc.
Draft and send the quote: Based on the information provided, we draft and send a quote to Strata.

MJR Process for Completing an Electrical Planning Report

Strata approval: Once the quote is approved by Strata, we proceed with the MJR (MJR Electrical Planning Report).
Payment of deposit: An invoice for the deposit is sent to the Strata or Management Company, and upon payment, the process continues.
Information gathering: We provide a detailed list of information required about the Strata Property in advance of a site visit.
Request electrical drawings: We request electrical drawings to assess the meter centers and confirm the number of power loggers needed. If there are no electrical drawings, this will be addressed during a site visit.
Request BC Hydro usage report: We request the 12-month history usage report(s) from BC Hydro, which is completed by Strata.
On-site assessment: Upon receipt of the deposit payment, we schedule a thorough on-site assessment to evaluate the electrical infrastructure, requiring building access and potentially access to unit(s), electrical rooms, mechanical rooms, etc.
Power Logger installation: We determine the application and requirement for a Power Logger Device, installing it if necessary. It records data for a two-week period.
Power Logger collection and data analysis: After the two-week period, we return to collect the Power Logger Device and data, then proceed with load demand calculations and analyze data from BC Hydro, Power Logger, and Demand Calculations.
Compilation of information and report: We compile all the information gathered, building detailed usage, capacity, and suggested upgrades into reports.
Providing documents to Strata: We produce and provide the necessary documents and reports to Strata.
Invoice and grant application: We invoice for the remainder of the payment and collect it. If applicable to the project (EV Ready Plan), we submit a grant application to BC Hydro for reimbursement.
Consultation on upgrades: We consult with Strata regarding suggested upgrades and infrastructure projects, including BC Hydro’s EV Ready Infrastructure Rebate program.

Timelines

The timeline for the entire process can vary, and here is an approximate breakdown:

Items #1-8: These steps for providing a quote and completing the MJR process can take up to 4-6 weeks, depending on how quickly Strata can provide us with the requested information and the number of power logger rentals needed.
Items #9-14: Once all the data is collected, steps 9-14 can take approximately 2-3 weeks.
Overall timeframe: The overall timeframe for the entire process is typically around 2-3 months, depending on the complexity and specific requirements of the building or complex.

Qualified personnel – eLECTRICAL eNGINEER

Under the Strata Property Amendment Act, it is essential to entrust your electrical planning reports to qualified professionals if your building is classified under Part 3 or Part 9.