Electrical Car Charging Station
What you need to know when installing an Electrical Vehicle Charger
Does your electrical panel have enough capacity?
Most homes in the Calgary area have a 100-amp service entrance. What this means is the total power that your electrical panel can handle is 100 amps (At 240 Volts for a total of 24KW).
Car chargers require a great amount of power. Depending on what additional load you have in your home (appliances, hot tubs, steam showers, etc.), your home’s electrical panel may not handle the additional power. An electrician can evaluate and determine if your electrical system will be able to handle the load and if not recommend some solutions such as:
- Removal of any unused load on your system
- Installation of a load management system
- Installation of a lower power charger
- Upgrading your electrical system and panel
All the solutions have advantages and disadvantages. Westpro Electrical Services is happy to discuss these options with you.
Does your electrical panel have adequate space?
Although your electrical panel may have enough power, it may not have the space required to install an additional breaker. A quick panel inspection by one of our Calgary electricians, can quickly determine what solution can be accommodated such as:
-Removal of unused breakers (this can be spare breakers in the panel)
-Installation of space saver breakers to add more room (depending on the model)
-Installation of an electrical sub panel
-Upgrading to a new electrical panel
Types of electrical Vehicle chargers
There are three types of EV chargers: Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3. Level 1 and Level2 are commonly used in residential applications. Level 3 is not used for residential applications (At least for the time being).
A Level 1 charger is a simple and slower type of charger at 120V. This charger plugs straight into a 120V receptacle. Note that although these systems can be plugged into a standard outlet, it is highly recommended that the plug is on an independent circuit.
A Level 2 charger is often the best option for home charging. As it uses 240V instead of 120V which provides more power and quicker flow to your EV. A Level 2 can charge up to 10 times faster than a Level1. Making this much more convenient with the faster charging time.
Choosing an EV charger brand
If you purchase a Tesla, we highly recommend that you buy the High-Powered Wall connector charger from Tesla. This will ensure that you have the most charging options available. You can also control the charging output for greater flexibility when demand factor can be an issue.
For the majority of the other EV car models, you can purchase any brand of charger you choose.
Choosing an EV charger location
When choosing the location for your EV charger placement, the place of the charger in relative to the EV plug-in is important. However, the other consideration is to evaluate the total labour/material required to install the EV charger in the location you are considering.
To keep this new installation cost effective, it is important to evaluate both the location of use and facility of installation (cost of materials, and labour). At Westpro Electrical Services, our electrician can evaluate the most cost effective while accommodating the ease of use. At WESTPRO ELECTRICAL SERVICES, we are diligent, licensed, and experienced electricians who guarantee 100% satisfaction in every electrical job we undertake.
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