The Journey of Future-Proofing EV Charging at Diva Condo: A Toronto Property Manager’s Experience

Michael Zanon, Property Manager at Diva Condo states, “We aimed to strategically utilize our current electrical infrastructure and optimize our EV capacity. The EnerSavings Energy Management System empowered us to expand our charging capabilities in the garage, with the potential to reach up to 100 chargers, aligning perfectly with our goals.”

Diva Condo at 741 Sheppard Ave W, North York, is a condominium with 111 units. Recognizing the shift towards EVs and receiving numerous tenant inquiries, Michael Zanon embarked on a mission to provide the best EV charging solution for the condo which captured today’s adoption rate keeping in mind the next 10 years growth in the EV market.

“It was crucial that each tenant had access to a private EV charging station, ensuring convenience and a fully charged start to their day.”

After consulting with various EV charging providers, who proposed costly electrical upgrades, Zanon realized the importance of leveraging existing infrastructure to maximize EV charging capacity in the garage.

Solving The Energy Management Issue

Michael Zanon engaged EnerSavings for an on-site assessment and to explore energy management systems to manage existing capacity and future growth. Following a complimentary site assessment, EnerSavings identified untapped capacity that could be utilized through their Cerebro Energy Management System for installing EV chargers—a strategic allocation of power that was previously allocated but not actively utilized.

EnerSavings’ Cerebro Energy Management System is an intelligent solution that integrates seamlessly with your building’s entire electrical infrastructure. When paired with an EV charging station, the system intelligently identifies and utilizes unused but allocated power within your building for EV charging. Also, it can throttle back charging during peak demand periods, ensuring efficient energy use. Moreover, the EMS system utilizes circuit sharing anywhere from 1:1 to 4:1, which maximizes charging capabilities without compromising efficiency or safety.

EV-Ready Infrastructure

EnerSavings strategically placed splitter boxes throughout the parking garage, connecting them to the electrical room and distributing power to EV charging stations through additional wiring. This setup allows for future expansion, with new EV charging stations easily wired to active splitter boxes. Essentially, we are building an infrastructure for today, tomorrow and 10 years from now to accommodate EV growth.

“We started with 20 EV chargers in our space, but I know we’ll need more in the near future as EVs increase in popularity. I can rest assured knowing that I won’t face a costly electrical upgrade in the future. EnerSavings has future-proofed our parking garage with a well-thought-out infrastructure setup.”

Payment Structure

EnerSavings offers two models to suit their clients – either cash or finance.

“We opted for EnerSavings’ cash model, and it was a no-brainer. Each user pays for their charger, and rebate dollars flow back to the corporation, covering most if not all of the infrastructure costs. This arrangement ensures no additional cost to the condo board, making it a win-win situation for everyone involved.”

Completed Project Visuals