Prospective residents now ask leasing agents about EV charging the way they used to ask about in-unit laundry. Connecticut’s building and energy requirements have also moved toward requiring a share of parking in new larger developments to be prepared for charging. The good news for developers is that “prepared for charging” is not the same as “chargers installed on day one,” and the cheapest time to prepare is while the parking lot is still dirt.
Three levels of readiness
- EV-capable. Conduit (or raceway) runs from the electrical room to the parking space, and the panel has physical space and reserved capacity for a future circuit. No wire, no charger. This is the least expensive level and the one most codes start with.
- EV-ready. The circuit is complete: breaker, wire and a receptacle or junction box at the space. A charger can be mounted and energized without an electrician opening walls or trenching.
- EV-installed (EVSE). The charging station is mounted, wired, networked and ready for residents to use.
A typical new multifamily project in Connecticut lands somewhere in between: a handful of installed chargers for leasing appeal, a larger block of EV-ready spaces, and conduit to the rest. Confirm the exact percentages that apply to your project with the building official, because requirements differ by municipality and have changed in recent code cycles.
The service-size problem
A Level 2 charger draws 7 to 11 kW while it runs. Twenty of them, added to a building’s calculated load at full nameplate, can push a project into the next service size, a larger transformer and a bigger utility bill for capacity that sits idle most of the day. This is where many budgets get surprised.
Two tools keep the service reasonable. Load-management systems share a fixed amount of power across a group of chargers, throttling each one so the group never exceeds the circuit it is on. Code recognizes this: an automatic load-management system allows the calculated load to be the maximum the system permits, not the sum of the nameplates. Submetering and scheduling let the owner shift charging to overnight hours when the building’s other loads are low.
What to decide during design
- How many spaces at each readiness level, and which spaces (assigned, visitor, ADA).
- Whether charging is on the house meter, submetered to residents, or run by a third-party network that bills directly.
- Whether the EV panel sits in the main electrical room or in a dedicated panel near the parking area, which affects conduit length and voltage drop.
- Conduit size. Oversize it. Pulling larger wire later through adequate conduit is cheap; trenching a finished lot is not.
- Charger brand and network, because communication wiring and mounting details differ.
Garage vs. surface parking
Podium and structured parking simplify charger runs (conduit on the ceiling, panels nearby) but add ventilation and fire-separation coordination. Surface lots need underground conduit, handholes and a site plan that locates chargers near the electrical room or a site transformer. Either way, the conduit plan belongs on the civil and electrical drawings together, before the site contractor pours curbs.
Sunderland Electric installs site power, EV infrastructure and load-managed chargers on multifamily and mixed-use projects across Connecticut. See our site lighting and EV charging scope, read about load-managed chargers, or send us your drawings.