January 26, 2023
Dianne Russel
When you decide to purchase an electric vehicle, it is imperative to have a charging station installed at your home. But a puzzle often arises for homeowners: does the current electrical installation allow for a charging station? We will review the issue in this article.
Before proceeding with the installation of a charging station, you must make sure that your electrical panel complies with the standards currently in effect. You should know that a relatively old panel is not suitable for a charging station for safety and performance reasons. Therefore, if you own an old house with an old panel, you will have to change your device.
Let's assume that your panel already meets the latest standards. To determine whether or not it needs to be replaced to accommodate a charging station, you will need to assess the capacity of your panel and the margin it has to support such a device.
If your box is spacious enough to accommodate new components for the installation of the charging station (circuit breaker, differential switch...), you will not need to change it. On the other hand, if no extra space is available, you will have to think about replacing it with a more suitable model.
Before installing your charging station, you should take the time to make an inventory of the electrical appliances you have at home and evaluate your consumption needs during the day.
In other words, if you are using almost all of your devices at the same time, it is likely that your power consumption will be saturated most of the time. You'll need to consider replacing your enclosure if it doesn't have any extra space.
On the other hand, if you don't use most of your devices at the same time, you have a margin to operate the terminal without having to increase the available power.
Charging stations are available in different power ratings. Basically, the higher the power, the faster your vehicle is recharged. However, a more powerful charging station requires more resources in terms of electricity.
Therefore, if you have chosen to buy a powerful terminal (generally above 7.4 kW), you will have to change your panel and even your electricity contract. On the other hand, if you choose a 3.7 or 7.4 kW station, the replacement of the box is not systematic.
In any case, after reviewing these points, always seek the advice of a certified electrician before deciding whether or not to replace your electrical panel. A professional will be able to assist you in choosing the right bollard for your needs and in carrying out the installation of the bollard as well as the eventual replacement of the box.
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