Kent from Nampa. Client added eight EV charging stations to their self-storage facility last year. The charging stations were added to the existing account rather than set up on a separate service. Now the demand profile has changed significantly and the current rate class may not be optimal. Has anyone worked through EV charging rate implications in a commercial setting?
Rate class on a self-storage with EV charging stations
Earl from Tacoma. EV charging infrastructure is creating rate class questions at a lot of properties right now. The utilities are still figuring out how to price it and the rate schedules lag the technology.
The charging stations run primarily on nights and weekends when storage unit traffic is low. My instinct is that a time-of-use rate structure might be very favorable for this load profile.
Earl again. That instinct is right. TOU rates that price off-peak power cheaply are often the best fit for EV charging that can be scheduled. Some utilities also have EV-specific commercial rate riders that apply to accounts with significant charging load.
Josh from Lansing. Also check whether a separate meter for the EV charging makes sense. Isolating the charging load gives you more flexibility on rate class and also makes it easier to track energy costs if the owner is considering billing charging customers separately.
Josh the separate meter idea is interesting. The owner is actually considering a paid charging model for the public which would change everything about how this needs to be billed.
Earl one more time. If public charging revenue is in play this moves from a utility audit engagement into energy consulting territory. Worth flagging the expanded scope opportunity with the client.