February 2022 | Vol. 27 No. 2

by Mike Stone, West Coast Technical Field Representative, NEMA

As electric vehicles (EVs) become more ubiquitous in the United States, the country will have to develop more infrastructure to support them. People will need to charge their cars at home, work, and out in public.

Through the recently passed bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), the federal government has allocated significant funding for EV infrastructure, as have some states, major metropolitan areas, and utilities. 

Who determines where and how many EV charging stations to install? To date, 12 states, many major metropolitan areas, and smaller cities have included EV requirements in their building and zoning codes. However, there are around 22,500 incorporated cities and counties, 50 states, the District of Columbia, and seven territories in the United States. Many smaller towns and counties do not have the resources to develop EV infrastructure codes. 

The International Code Council (ICC) is responsible for developing the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC). As of this writing, the IECC is actively developing the 2024 edition. The IECC addresses energy conservation in buildings, including lighting, HVAC, building envelope (insulation), windows, and, now, EV charging. NEMA staff and members are enthusiastically engaged in this process, including manufacturers, builders and developers, energy advocacy groups, national laboratories, building officials, and other interested parties. Discussions during committee hearings have been robust.

Here are some of the EV charging challenges that the IECC committees are working on solving:

Percentage of EV charging spaces required. Ideally every parking space would be an EV charging space, but this is not practical or necessary. The 2024 IECC will include tables showing how many EV charging areas buildings such as offices, workplaces, public parking, and multi-family dwellings will need.

How is the electrical load capacity determined? Electrical loads for EVs can add significant capacity requirements for services and circuits. For example, if a large parking garage had 100 EV charging spaces, it might require an entirely separate service just for the EV loads. Another factor to consider with electrical capacity is that building electrification rules will be included in the 2024 IECC. The combination of EV charging and electrification will considerably impact the sizing of electrical equipment. NEMA member companies have developed technologies, such as energy management systems (EMS), to help avoid installing unnecessary capacity and manage these loads. It is unlikely in most applications that all the EVs will be charging simultaneously. An EMS can ensure that all EVs will receive their needed charge without overloading the electrical system. 

Upfront cost. Builders and developers are particularly concerned that installing EV infrastructure will drive up the cost of new construction. One way to decrease the cost is to allow some or even all of the EV charging spaces to be “EV-capable” or “EV-ready.” This means that space in the electrical panel(s) needs to be reserved for future circuits and a raceway, and conduit or cable be run to the EV charging location. The actual EV charging equipment can be installed later when needed.

Effect on the utility grid. Besides the existing grid needing serious upgrades, the increased use of EVs will eventually overload it. Utilities have considered this, and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act has allocated funds for grid upgrades.

The IECC is adopted nationwide in most states. The addition of EV charging requirements in the 2024 IECC will help jurisdictions throughout the country get the necessary infrastructure in place as the number of EVs on the road increases. ei