Apartments with EV Charging: Balancing Power Grid Demand for EVs, Laundry, and Cooking

The power distribution system in a building sets limits to power consumption. When it comes to apartments with EV charging, at certain hours of the day, power consumption may go up by several times. That is why an apartment association should think about load switching from the time they install the very first charger.

The VOOL load management solution allows for dynamic load switching. That means the chargers distribute the charging resources evenly among EVs and do so automatically, taking maximum advantage of the available power in the entire building.

There are two types of load control:

• Static or standard load control. This method is more limiting.
• Dynamic or intelligent load control. This gives the chargers maximum power at any moment.
  
  

Static control switches devices on or off and limits their charging capacity. However, limited charging capacity means you can never ever exceed the set limit. So, if you want to charge your EV at night, when power consumption is low, you are still charging under limited conditions and come morning time, you will discover the battery only half full.

Oftentimes, the problem with apartment buildings with a three-phase connection is that the loads are distributed unevenly between the phases. Each amper that increases the main fuse power costs money, and this is not always the way to go. A much smarter solution is to redistribute the phases.

Why is it necessary for an apartment association to start thinking about load control immediately?

The trouble is the potential incompatibility of the load control systems that come with the home chargers of various manufacturers. But if the goal is to keep costs as low as possible and still increase EV charging power in the apartment building, using a load control system becomes critical even when there are just two or three potential EV owners.

Read more:

Watt's the Buzz? EV Chargers become a Hot Topic for Apartment Associations