City Outlines EV-Charging Building Requirements

Most new Honolulu County projects are required to include EV-ready parking spaces

BY BRETT ALEXANDER-ESTES

With the passage of Bill 25 in June, says Hawaii Energy Executive Director Brian Kealoha, “most new (City and County of Honolulu) construc tion will be required to make 25 percent of parking spaces EV-ready, which means building the necessary wiring and infra structure to be ready to install electric vehicle charging stations at a later date. The new energy code also includes a point system to provide more flexibility for developers to meet this requirement.”

The city’s EV-readiness requirements were presented via webinar in June, says Rocky Mould, energy program manager at the City and County of Honolulu’s Office of Climate Change, Sustainability and Resiliency. The presentation outlined the city’s two paths to compliance: a baseline percentage path way and a points-based pathway.

EV Baseline Percentage Pathway

New residential multi-unit and commercial buildings must make 25 percent of new parking spaces EV-ready. This applies to new residential multi-unit buildings that add eight or more parking stalls, and to new commercial buildings that add 12 or more parking stalls.

The city allows the following discounts: • For new affordable residential multi-unit buildings for households earn ing 100 percent to 140 percent of Area Median Income, 20 percent of spaces must be EV-ready. • No EV-ready spaces are required for households earning 100 percent and below AMI. • For new commercial retail buildings that add 12 or more parking spaces, 20 percent of new spaces must be EV-ready.

EV Points-Based Pathway

Points-based compliance, says Mould, is gauged by referencing the city’s Table C406.8.2.

Newly constructed parking stalls for newly constructed residential multi-unit buildings that add eight or more newly added parking stalls must be equipped to achieve no less than one point for every four parking stalls based on the EV charger capacity requirements and values listed in Table C406.8.2.

Newly constructed parking stalls for newly-constructed commercial buildings that add 12 or more newly-added parking

Electric Vehicle Readiness — Points Table

Table C406.8.2 ELECTRIC VEHICLE READINESS POINTS-BASED COMPLIANCE VALUES

Electric Vehicle Charger Capacity Level

Level 2, Minimum 16A

Level 2, Minimum 32A

Level 2, 64A TO 80A DCFC 50 kW (480/277 Vac 3-phase) Charging Rate (kW) at 208 Vac

Time to charge 50 kW battery (hrs)

3.4 15

6.7

13.3

50.0 7.5

3.8

1.0 Compliance Points Dedicated EV Ready Stalls Common Area EV Ready Stalls Common Area Stall w/ EV Charging Equipment Installed 1 (in enclosed attached N/A N/A garage)

1 4 7

1 7 14

1 25 50

Brian Kealoha Rocky Mould

stalls must be equipped to achieve no less than one point for every four parking stalls based on the capacity requirements and values listed in Table C406.8.2.

Incentives and Rebates

Hawaii Energy, says Kealoha, “has a couple of rebate programs that run through June 30 2021, or until funds run out, to help contractors meet these requirements.

“For first-time installations, Hawaii Energy offers a $4,500 rebate for a networked Level 2 EV charging station. We also provide a $3,000 rebate for swapping out your old station with a new networked Level 2 EV charging station.

“In order to qualify for the rebates, stations must be multi-port and serve multiple tenants, employees and/or custom ers. These rebates cover the majority—if not the full cost—of installing a charging station. We also have rebates for Level 3 charging stations which are typically used for fleet charging. At this time, singlefamily residences and individually owned parking stalls are not eligible for the rebate.

“Additionally, for affordable housing developments serving households making no more than 100 percent of the AMI, Hawaii Energy provides additional funding to cover the cost, which usually covers the EV-ready cost as well. For qualifying affordable hous ing developments, Hawaii Energy will pay an additional $5,000 incentive on top of the $4,500 incentive for the installation of a new networked Level 2 charging station or a $1,500 bonus incentive for retrofits.

“So far we have paid out over $50,000 in rebates during the first six months of the current program, and have received interest from other projects that are currently being planned or under construction.”

Go to https://hawaiienergy.com/ evcharging for more information on Hawaii Energy’s program, including the application and the remaining available funds.

Points-Based EV Charging Compliance Table GRAPHIC COURTESY OFFICE OF CLIMATE CHANGE, SUSTAINABILITY AND RESILIENCY