In the case of your stratum, half of the upgrade cost of $ 44,000 was covered by rebates. He estimates that the modernization cost for each unit in his stratum was approximately $ 1,600.
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VICTORIA – A condo owner in Saanich made his building the first multi-family complex in the region to be modernized so residents can have electric vehicle chargers in their parking spaces.
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The Capital Regional District has the highest rate of new electric vehicle registrations in percentage in Canada. However, most condo buildings lack the electrical infrastructure for the owner to install a charger. While different levels of government offer a number of incentives, research is a time-consuming process.
But Jim Church, vice president of his 29-unit stratum at Sayward Hill Crescent in Saanich, just made the process much easier, even though he doesn’t even own an electric vehicle.
Church has compiled a practical, point-by-point guide that he shares freely with other corporations in other strata and has made himself available to answer questions about the process.
Recently, the Saanich District revealed that Church’s condo building, along with five nearby townhouses, was the first in the region to be EV-ready. Residents can install a Level 2 charging station, a high-speed charging protocol for electric vehicles, in their parking spaces at any time.
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Church sees electric vehicle modernization as a way to combat global warming and protect property values. “EV Ready upgrades are an excellent opportunity to future-proof your building and ensure it is ready to support electric vehicles,” he said. “Hopefully, the additional rebates being offered will prompt more buildings to begin the process.”
Church said he felt compelled to go ahead with the project because of the attractive rebates that the strata could leverage to defray the cost of the upgrade. In the case of your stratum, half of the upgrade cost of $ 44,000 was covered by rebates. He estimates that the modernization cost for each unit in his stratum was approximately $ 1,600.
The CleanBC Go electric vehicle charger rebate program is funded by the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation and administered by BC Hydro in the capital region. The program provides rebates for an EV Ready plan, necessary electrical upgrades for the EV Ready building, and EV chargers. The program also offers the services of a free electric vehicle consultant to provide guidance and support at each step of the process.
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The Saanich District was the first municipality in British Columbia to offer incentives to modernize electric vehicle chargers in existing multi-family buildings. The church building was the first of the municipality’s 167 condominium buildings to complete the upgrade.
To simplify support, the rebates offered by Saanich have been integrated with existing provincial rebates and include up to $ 3,000 (or 75 percent of costs) for an EV Ready plan, plus an additional $ 1,000 incentive from the municipality.
Stratas can receive up to $ 600 per parking space (up to $ 80,000 per building or 50 percent of costs) to implement EV Ready upgrades, plus a recharge incentive of $ 100 per seat and up to $ 14,000 in incentives for parking stations. EV charging.
As of September last year, all new multi-unit building applications in Saanich must have an electric vehicle charging infrastructure in place, said Maggie Baynham, the municipality’s senior sustainability planner. “At a cost of between $ 300 and $ 700 per site, you can see that it is more profitable to incorporate the electric vehicle infrastructure during new construction.”
While showing off the new charging infrastructure in his building, the end result of a two-year project, Church confessed that he does not yet own an electric vehicle.
“I am happy with the General Motors vehicle that I currently drive,” he said. “I went to the dealership to see if there was already an electrified version of my vehicle. There wasn’t one, but the dealer promised they would call as soon as GM announces its intention to build one.
“I’m not in a rush, but when it’s time to get my electric vehicle, I’ll be ready.”
You can reach Jim Church at[email protected]
Reference-vancouversun.com