Installing EV charging at New Developments

The government announced on 22nd November 2021 that all new homes and buildings will be required by law to have EV Charging Points installed. read news article and with sales of petrol and diesel vehicles set to be phased out by 2030,  the demand for EV’s and charging capacity is increasing rapidly.

For property developers it is important to anticipate the growth in demand not just now but in 10 years time.  Providing a greener way of living will attract potential new residents and buyers  for flats/appartment blocks or businesses to an office block, local shops or industrial estate will increasingly depend on EV Charging capacity and can ultimately effect the return on investment.

Electric vehicle owners want convenient, fast and reliable charge points where they live and on the go. By installing EV charge points you will you be providing a modern, convenient and hassle-free service that will appeal to EV drivers, improve your developments “green credentials” and contribute to low carbon targets.

Whether you need to install EV charging to one or multiple sites and locations, Benchmark EV Charging can support you in the installation, design, monitoring, maintenance and reporting of your charge points.

As well as being OLEV Approved EV Charge Point Installers we are highly experienced and qualified Commercial Electricians understand the importance of understanding your strategy for encouraging EV usage in the workplace, whether you want to offer your employees free or discounted charging we will design a solution to suit you.

Finding the Right OLEV Approved Installer

To qualify for a grant you will need a qualified electricians like Benchmark EV Charging who are OLEV Approved Installer .

To qualify for an OLEV grant (worth as much as £14,000) you will need a qualified electricians like Benchmark EV Charging who are OLEV Certified Installers who will be responsible for ensuring you meet the terms and conditions of the scheme when applying for the grant (unauthorised installers cannot claim the grant on your behalf). OLEV Certified Installers are qualified electricians who have trained in EVSE standards and are approved by the charge point manufacturer/s to install their products. For more information about grants click here

Load Balancing & Safety

Charging EVs adds to the demand for electricity at your premises and on the wider location with whom you share your electricity supply. The usage of your neighbours as well as your own needs to be taken into account and increasingly it will be necessary “smooth out” the demand away from usage peaks and to take steps to ensure that the available power is spread equitably, we refer to this as “load balancing”.

The more EV Chargers you add,  the greater the current going through the circuitry and it is important to make the necessary modification to be sure your electric cabling, sockets and the safety equipment will be able to carry the additional load and that there are adequate safety cut‐outs in place. This will prevent overloading the that could result in a fire.

Benchmark EV Charging are highly experience Commercial/Industrial electricians and will assess and implement the modifications  are required to comply with safety regulations and for load balancing and will also inform the the District Network Operator the details of your installation and the additional anticipated load.

‘Intelligent’ and ‘Smart’ charging

Benchmark have selected GARO the Nordic region’s market leading manufacturer and supplier of charging infrastructure for electric vehicles as their preferred supplier for businesses.

The comprehensive range available offers outstanding charging solutions for any organisation and have completed installations across a number of high profile organisations and facilities including Facebook, Volvo and McDonalds, Universities, County Council Offices, Shopping Centres, Utilities etc as well as on highways, service stations and at airport carparks.

All charge points allow for ‘intelligent’ charge scheduling, allowing your EV to be preset to charge overnight to take advantage of off‐peak electricity tariffs. Using the mobile phone “App” charging can be managed and monitored remotely so that you change settings or to switch charging on or off from anywhere without needing to be present. The charge points can also understand and respond to signals from energy system operators etc indicating the best times to charge.