EV Chargers compatible with the Building Regulations of June 2022
On June 2022, some changes to Building Regulations came into effect. In this post, we outline some of its provisions regarding EV charging infrastructure and technical requirements for EV chargers to install.
What new legislation says
According to the amendments, from June 2023, all associated parking spaces in new or renovated buildings must have, when applicable:
- Access to an EV charging system for some parking spaces
- Cable routes for future EVSE installations for the remaining ones
The explicit guidance for all the cases is presented in Approved Document S, which is about EV charging infrastructure in various types of buildings. Here, we provide cases for new residential and non-residential buildings.
EV charging infrastructure in new residential buildings
In new residential buildings with associated car parks, EV charging infrastructure shall be arranged as follows:
- If there are more flats than parking spaces, each of the latter shall have access to an EV charging system
- Otherwise, you must provide access to EVSE for as many parking spaces as many flats as the building has. And equip the remaining ones with cable routes
Note the rule is applicable if the connection cost for each EV charge point is under a £3600 cap. If the cost exceeds this cap, and there are over 10 associated parking spaces that serve a fewer number of dwellings, the following rule is applicable:
- Install as many EV charge points as you can before reaching a £3600 cap, and then
- Equip all other parking spaces with cable routes
EV charging infrastructure in new non-residential buildings
In new non-residential buildings with over 10 associated car parks, EV charging infrastructure shall be arranged as follows:
- Install 1 EV charging station, at least
- For other parking spaces, install cable route in a 1–to-5 ratio
For example, if there are 11 parking spaces, one must install 1 EV charger and 2 cable routes. If there are 12-16 parking spaces, install at least 1 EV charger and 3 cable routes. Note, in both cases, if you install 2 EV chargers, you still must install 2 and 3 cable routes, respectively.
What EV chargers comply with the Regulations
To comply with the Building Regulations, EV chargers to install in new and renovated buildings must meet the technical requirements outlined in Approved Document S. By the way, all our EV charging stations for parking follow these requirements and comply with the Regulations.
According to the statutory guidance, which Approved Document S presents, each EVSE unit must:
- Be compliant with international and British standards for an EV charging system, BS EN 61851
- Provide at least 7kW power output
- Be equipped with an EV charging status indicator (either lights or display)
- Be of the most advanced charging modes BS EN 61851 outlines – Mode 3 or Mode 4
To clarify, compliance with BS EN 61851 is about having high ingress protection and electronic RDC. Mode 3 and Mode 4 are about smart charging. Mode 3 goes for AC EVSE while Mode 4 goes for DC stations.
Smart charging means ensuring bidirectional digital data communication between an EV charger and an electric car. In other words, smart EV chargers enable to monitor energy consumption and ensure higher energy efficiency for a building.
So, if you construct or renovate a building with an associated car park, and are looking for EVSE to equip it with, turn to solutions we manufacture and sell at Auto-E.