We have been following up with the utilities on some of the outstanding questions. These are some specific items that came up at the meeting where the information was not available or incomplete. These are a few items for which we have answers.

Plug-in Hybrids

Plug-in Hybrids are eligible! At the meeting we were told that is not the case. That correction has been provided to us.

Third Party Power Supplier

It does not matter who your power generation supplier is.

Number of Incentives Per Household

Our club has a lot of multi-EV households. Each household can sign up for a maximum of 2 incentives. At the meeting, it was said that Eversource had a limit of one, but we confirmed with Eversource that 2 incentives are permitted, the same as with UI.

Make-Ready

Make-Ready is a commercial incentive that is sometimes described as bringing power to the pad or the base upon which the charging unit will be installed. The incentive includes the cost of wiring up the charging unit.

Telematics

Telematics is where the utility communicates directly with the vehicle. It is a way for people who already own a charger, which is not an eligible smart charger to participate, IF you have a vehicle that has telematics capability. Many, though not all Teslas, have telematics. There are non-Tesla EVs that also have telematics. This page includes telematics-eligible vehicles for Eversource. There could be a slightly different list for UI as the companies use different external vendors to manage this aspect of the program.

We have received feedback that it is difficult to sign up for telematics. The registration funnel on the website is confusing. We have sent detailed feedback on this subject to the utilities and await their response.

Taxes

If you are requesting incentives with a value of more than $600, you will be required to upload a completed IRS form W-9.

We have a March 4 call scheduled with them. We don’t know if we’ll hear anything sooner. If you have anything you’d like for us to ask, or if you have gone through the application process and have comments, please mention it as a comment to the post or email the club at EVClubCT@gmail.com.

EV Charging Incentives

Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) and United Illuminating presented virtually on Jan. 25th. The program took effect on Jan 1, 2022. It includes residential, commercial, workplace, and fleet incentives. There are a lot of moving parts and that is why we invited these folks to present to us. Not everything was cleared up in the meeting and we are following up on additional details.

Several attendees asked why UI was there and not Eversource. The answer is that since, outside of a few details, the programs are identical, this was just a matter of how best to manage the meeting. We ran long as it was.

The meeting was recorded: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpwbnCkD2E0

The presentation decks have been posted to the website: PURA and UI

Tesla Participation

As was explained by UI, the rate of charge in a Tesla is controlled by the vehicle. Even in the case of the “Gen 3” wall charger, the utility has to communicate with the car’s “brain.” They can’t use the charger to throttle charge. Consequently, participation has to be through telematics. From an incentive perspective, that means the Tesla wall charger would not be eligible for a subsidy, but the installation of it would still be eligible. (Again, all hardware-related incentives are for hardware installed in 2022 and not before.) From there, the $100 enrollment incentive for telematics would apply, along with the ongoing $200 annual demand response incentive.

We are hearing that folks are running into roadblocks when trying to enroll for telematics. We have a call with Eversource and UI and we will ask them about this. We did learn at the meeting that not everything is fully baked yet. As a practical matter, as long as one enrolls before June, there will be no loss from the perspective of the demand response incentives.

Chat String from Jan. 25th Meeting

Keep in mind that people were entering questions in the chat, many of which were answered by the presenters (and thus won’t appear below). The chat has been scrubbed of emails and DMs.

From Analiese Mione to Everyone 06:58 PM

Enjoy our blog: https://evclubct.com/blog/electric-vehicles/

From Paul Braren to Everyone 07:01 PM

Nice to see https://www.courant.com/business/hc-biz-connecticut-electric-vehicles-20220124-hzd4angslnevhpp3vtgdprzpyq-story.html at the Hartford Courant today, “Connecticut and its two biggest utilities launch a broad build-out of electric vehicle chargers”

From Analiese Mione to Everyone 07:06 PM

Welcome everyone and thanks for joining us. This will be recorded.

From Jay Gustafson to Everyone 07:06 PM

We are finishing dinner and listening. joining soon!

From Paul Roszko to Everyone 07:12 PM

Glad UI is here speaking to us this evening. Where is Eversource?

From Analiese Mione to Everyone 07:13 PM

“The program is identical for both utilities” Barry Kresch, EV Club of CT President.

From Ilene Mirkine to Everyone 07:14 PM

Was Eversource invited tonight? Or just UI.

From Tyra Peluso to Everyone 07:14 PM

Will the presentation be made available to attendees?

From Analiese Mione to Everyone 07:15 PM

It’s being recorded.

From

Paul Braren to Everyone 07:16 PM

Single Family Residential Charging Incentives

https://evclubct.com/single-family-residence-charging-incentives/

 

Charging Incentives for Condos and Apartments

https://evclubct.com/charging-incentives-for-condos-and-apartments/

From Steven Mueller to Everyone 07:18 PM

How many ICE vehicles are registered in CT?

From Matt Griswold to Everyone 07:18 PM

Our wholesale perennial farm in Old Lyme has four Tesla Semis on order to replace our aging fleet of class 7 diesels. We are interested in more info on commercial charging incentives and demand charge mitigation. Our trucks will charge on-site, at night, with level 2 chargers. If all four trucks are charging at the same time, our demand will spike. How can we minimize demand charges here?

Mark Scribner, Energy New England here. Thanks to Barry K. for inviting me tonight. My organization (ENE) primarily serves the CT public utility territories, such as Wallingford, and collaborates with the IOUs, including Eversource.

From Analiese Mione to Everyone 07:22 PM

Welcome Mark and others from ENE.

From Paul Braren to Everyone 07:22 PM

Eversource:

Rebates for Connecticut Home Charging

https://www.eversource.com/content/ct-c/residential/save-money-energy/clean-energy-options/electric-vehicles/charging-station-rebates

 

UI:

Find the Best Electric Vehicle Charging Options for Your Business

https://www.uinet.com/wps/portal/uinet/smartenergy/!ut/p/z1/vZNdb4IwFIZ_DZeklS-5RcOUjY-pINCbpmLFGlqwonP_frhsLssyWZZlvTvpOW-fvOctQCADSJATK0nLakGqrs6RhfVB4E6NMQxtzzDhLFoE4YMfa9DXQHqzwdIB-sk8_OY4sG9-CRBAhWibdgvyIxO0JaXEB05kSwWV5bMCPxW0okUrWYFPdMuKih4U2Mi6lIQf8KaW-Lk-SrytOb3oNgVbg3xjmxq19IFqUGKqhqkP1ZW1JqoBTUosbWOtjNfudBzgiR-NHB-PozB2sxjkCky80I2dyRyHV18VOKVkTaUCFxc09w3NfUdbXtEeq2OJPYG_XPX43hmDbtuaXoh7NtenkXcMww8FuPQGnUJwZ8xGkWb7Q5CeGH0Ciagl77K0-J2ls8Sddy_9q7tTCO77ktd9Dbbb75HT5a8WLT23IPvTADY8SbitczWDO7Pk9lmdpC8hRy_-/?1dmy&current=true&urile=wcm%3apath%3a%2FUINETAGR_SmartEnergy%2FSmartEnergy%2FElectric_Vehicles%2FEV_Programs_For_Your_Business%2F

From Frank Hall to Everyone 07:25 PM

If someone has a solar array  unit on their home does that disqualify them?

From Andrew to Everyone 07:30 PM

I have a question… (Raising hand)

From Paul Braren to Everyone 07:31 PM

https://ct.gov/pura

From john pecora to Everyone 07:35 PM

With grid modernization is there any allowance for Virtual Power Plants (VPP) like what Tesla is doing in California with it’s PowerWall and software to supply the grid with power when needed

From Paul Braren to Everyone 07:35 PM

I have a question… (after Frank and Andrew and John)

From Analiese Mione to Me (Direct Message) 07:35 PM

Please type it to everyone so I can put it in the queue. Thanks.

From Bruce Becker to Everyone 07:36 PM

There is no way to select the “Rate 7” time of use residential rate with EverSource.  How can this change be made?

From Analiese Mione to Everyone 07:36 PM

Please type your questions here to everyone so they can be added to the queue.

From Michael Flatto to Everyone 07:36 PM

Right now on the UI website, there are a handful of EVSEs listed as eligible. How do we know which cars are eligible for telematics?

From Jay Gustafson to Everyone 07:36 PM

Will we be able to get a copy of the chat?

From Barry Kresch to Everyone 07:39 PM

Yes, we’ll send out a chat, and the recording will be posted on the EV Club YouTube channel.

From Paul Braren to Everyone 07:45 PM

Question for Eversource (or UI):  I see the Eversource document https://www.eversource.com/content/docs/default-source/save-money-energy/ct-ev-program-guide-resi.pdf?sfvrsn=a72baf62_0 page 7 section 4.0 Device Eligibility says “INSERT LINK Note: For a complete list of qualifying EV chargers, check our website on or about January 20, 2021.”  Do you happen to know whether support is planned for the new third generation Tesla Wall Connector https://shop.tesla.com/product/wall-connector ? It’s a Wi-Fi connected charger with smart features coming, details at https://www.tesla.com/support/installation-manuals-wall-connector

“Find the Best Electric Vehicle Charging Options for Your Home”

https://www.uinet.com/wps/portal/uinet/smartenergy/electric_vehicles/evprogramsforhome/!ut/p/z1/vZPbcpswEIafpRdcYq052KR3xENst4Dr2JjDDYPJcsggRIRip29fMXWbZNKGTqdT3Wln_38_rXZJQiKStNmpLjNRszZr5D1OZqk-9ZyVsQDfWhsmbDc7z__s7jVwNRK-mzDTSfInevjNsWFMfyAJSfJWdKIi8WPdoshKnj6_QYEKszvkCvQ04wJb5OVXBbDBXPA6T09Y1XmDvQydOs5KntG-YLxiFAfnLq_vSFyYV0WGx0LNZ1NdNQqYq0cDTdUq0NQNuAILtCE7XHjp0t1c22662Ph7J9qTWIFg7Tt7e3mb-i-oVheq3UDlXKicH1SHn1TO4cuF6obx1UAVjn1J8n5Dw4F05M_GPGLJMH92gMN6Kh28G2N7vdEsd07CU41nErSMUzlFu79r5TZwbmWl_9LVFZBPY7Mml6G-f3hIbDlxrBX4JEj0j0dOltC4t_BK2a9MVGrdFoxEb6Qy9EYq8cuGHb8vrd0edUuacCyQI588chmuhOj6jwoocD6fJyVjZYOTnFEFfiWpWC_f9zqTdDQIqKVTNYJ7s6TWk7oMrb7whBl_-AbLierc/dz/d5/L2dBISEvZ0FBIS9nQSEh/?WCM_GLOBAL_CONTEXT=%2FUINETAGR_Navigation%2FHeader%2FSmartEnergy%2FElectric_Vehicles%2FEVProgramsForHome

From Paul Braren to Everyone 07:46 PM

Connecticut Electric Vehicle Charging Program

2022 Participation Guide for Residential EV Drivers

January 1, 2022

https://www.uinet.com/wps/wcm/connect/www.uinet.com-7188/531e8139-4402-4f7f-95a7-770baa2c85c4/Final+UEVC002+UI+Residential+EV+Managed+Charging+Participant+Guide.1.6.22.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&CACHEID=ROOTWORKSPACE.Z18_J092I2G0N01BF0A7QAR8BK20A3-531e8139-4402-4f7f-95a7-770baa2c85c4-nV62hKv

(sorry those UI URLs are sooo long, I’m just the messenger 😉

From Bruce Becker to Everyone 07:46 PM

Rate 7 is about 6 cents/kwh less for off peak  use!  See https://www.eversource.com/content/ct-c/residential/account-billing/manage-bill/about-your-bill/rates-tariffs/time-of-day-rate-7#

From Jay Gustafson to Everyone 07:46 PM

How far off is CT from using Smart Meters? We just moved back from CA where we had that and it was the only way we could implement EV rates.

From Andrew to Everyone 07:47 PM

Does anyone have the qualified products list URL?

From Michael Flatto to Everyone 07:49 PM

https://www.uinet.com/wps/wcm/connect/www.uinet.com-7188/72bd45e8-8561-4ccc-bab2-ea012928541d/Final+UEVC007+EO+Home+Electric+Vehicle+Charger+Qualified+Product+List.1.20.2022-v2.pdf?MOD=AJPERES

From Andrew to Everyone 07:49 PM

Thanks!

From Paul Braren to Everyone 07:51 PM

same very short list of EV charging equipment for Eversource

https://www.eversource.com/content/ema-c/residential/save-money-energy/clean-energy-options/electric-vehicles/ev-charger-demand-response#:~:text=Eligible%20Chargers,Fi%20connectivity%20prior%20to%20enrollment.

 

but see my question above, maybe new info is coming soon, fingers crossed

From Michael Flatto to Everyone 07:52 PM

Can someone get a wiring rebate now and opt to purchase a smart charger at a later date and still get that rebate?

From Bruce Becker to Everyone 07:52 PM

If you have two cars in your home with telematics, can you get double the incentive?

From Richard Heckbert to Everyone 07:53 PM

This is the new larger approved charger list for Eversource. Unfortunately the Tesla Wall Connector Gen 3 is still not on the list

 

https://www.eversource.com/content/docs/default-source/save-money-energy/ct-ev-charger-list-resi.pdf?sfvrsn=d5b18262_2

From Edward Wazer to Everyone 07:54 PM

I have a “dumb” 240V home charge.  Does a 2019 Bolt have telematics?

From Jq Abellard to Everyone 07:55 PM

now I am confused, “Tesla can join” so what is the rebate that Tesla Gen 3 Wall Charger is qualified for?

From Michael Flatto to Everyone 07:56 PM

Tesla can join by telematics, not by smart charger. So we can only get the wiring rebate, not the charger one

(unless we get one of the other smart chargers on the list)

From Jq Abellard to Everyone 07:58 PM

@Michael Flatto, so I just had the Tesla wall charger installed in December, no rebate at all, or the $100 one-time enrollment incentive?

From Michael Flatto to Everyone 07:58 PM

That’s my understanding

From Analiese Mione to Everyone 07:59 PM

This question is in the queue. Thanks.

From Paul Braren to Everyone 07:59 PM

Question for Eversource:  The link Bruce sent above https://www.eversource.com/content/ct-c/residential/account-billing/manage-bill/about-your-bill/rates-tariffs/time-of-day-rate-7 for Rate 7 sure sounds promising to me, seems I call the number, and Eversource then swaps their meter on my house, and I then schedule my 2 Model 3s in my garage for charging after 8pm via the simple App. Seems simple, maybe too good to be true. What am I missing? I know I don’t get additional cost benefits of curtailment via telemetatics where Eversource would lower my charge rate during unusual high demand events, but hey, 6 cents/kWh off peak sure sounds good for my needs. With one car at 18,000 miles a year primarily charged at home, this sounds great. Is there a catch, such as higher cost of power during the day?

From J M Eskin to Everyone 08:00 PM

Can a HUD facility in Bridgeport offer charging and get these benefits to the OCCUPANTS?

From Christine Rogers to Everyone 08:00 PM

If I don’t apply by then of quarter one does that make me ineligible ?

From Kate Zod to Everyone 08:02 PM

We have solar panels, which we own. Can we still participate in the incentive programs?

From Analiese Mione to Everyone 08:03 PM

The program is 9 years. Incentives drop down each year is my understanding.

Question is in the queue. Thanks.

From Susan Miller to Everyone 08:03 PM

How many years are incentives paid?

From Anthony Pavia to Everyone 08:08 PM

Will any of these incentives be for retroactive installation of a 240v smart charger?

From Analiese Mione to Everyone 08:09 PM

New installations only. Please refer to UI website and program guide online for additional guidelines.

From Anthony Pavia to Everyone 08:09 PM

ty

From Bruce Becker to Everyone 08:11 PM

Is the cost of a transformer and the utility’s installation cost part of the dollar amount subject to the dollar cap?

From Kate Zod to Everyone 08:12 PM

If I have 2 EVs, am I eligible for double the incentives?

From Michael Flatto to Everyone 08:13 PM

Is the forthcoming online application portal for commercial only?

From Evan Finchler to Everyone 08:14 PM

Does anything change if you are signed up with a 3rd party supplier?

From Paul Braren to Everyone 08:14 PM

Barry, I’ll put this zoom on the EV Club of CT’s YouTube Channel https://youtube.com/EVClubCT, but will you be able to share the actual decks with links?

From Andrew to Everyone 08:15 PM

Can someone paste the residential home links that were shown on the last side…

From Paul Braren to Everyone 08:21 PM

Question:  I realize I composed my 2 questions primarily to Eversource (I’m near Hartford), but they’re not on this agenda tonight. Perhaps somebody can get me in touch with somebody at Eversource who can assist me with my questions? I’ve tried to do so, but have failed.

From Mark Scribner, Energy New England (ENE) to Everyone 08:21 PM

To clarify, any vehicle charging Level 2 (2.x KW to 11+ kW?) with a non-smart EVSE can still enroll in a passive program using their existing whole home residential AMI meter, via disaggregation analytics. Is this correct?

From Guy Mannino to Everyone 08:23 PM

The final mounting and wiring of the station itself is not included in make ready, correct?

From Richard Heckbert to Everyone 08:25 PM

Hosting Capacity Map

https://www.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=4a8523bc4d454ddaa5c1e3f9428d8d8f

From Stefanie Keohane to Everyone 08:25 PM

links to hosting capacity maps

 

Eversource – https://eversource.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=6853bd7a3f714868bda7fee7c24d8c59

 

UI – https://www.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=b5fe4d1060b14b14893a880ddb1e10c8

From Richard Madonna to Everyone 08:27 PM

I joined late, I’m the CFO at Connecticut College, how can we leverage this to deploy more chargers on campus

From Analiese Mione to Everyone 08:28 PM

210917 docket for media and heavy duty fleets at PURA. Please participate if you own a business.

*medium

From Kate Zod to Everyone 08:29 PM

This is a very valuable organization—encouraging and helping people to switch to EVs.

 

Does anyone know if there is a similar organization to encourage people to put solar panels on their homes, either purchased or leased?

From Paul Braren to Everyone 08:29 PM

Opinion/Thought:  Seems likely some sort of (Tesla MegaPack for example) timeshifting might be needed to smooth out those punishing high peak load costs for overnight L2 charging those 4 Tesla Semis at once.

From Analiese Mione to Everyone 08:33 PM

171203REO2 smart meter docket at PURA

From Andrew to Everyone 08:34 PM

Did I miss the times for time of use service? (Residential)

From Stefanie Keohane to Everyone 08:35 PM

Summary of all Eversource electric rate components, including Residential TOU (Rate 7) https://www.eversource.com/content/docs/default-source/rates-tariffs/ct-electric/ct-electric-rates.pdf?sfvrsn=2d9afe62_46

From Paul Braren to Everyone 08:36 PM

I’ll call Eversource tomorrow to see how it goes, to get this 7 cent after 8pm residential rate https://www.eversource.com/content/ct-c/residential/account-billing/manage-bill/about-your-bill/rates-tariffs/time-of-day-rate-7#  If anybody wants to learn how it goes, I’ll tweet whatever happens from both https://twitter.com/paulbraren and https://twitter.com/EVClubCT, follow either/both to get auto-notified.

From Kate Zod to Everyone 08:38 PM

What is a PHEV?

From Barry Kresch to Everyone 08:39 PM

plug-in hybrid

From Andrew to Everyone 08:39 PM

Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle..

From Kate Zod to Everyone 08:39 PM

Thanks.

From Paul Braren to Everyone 08:40 PM

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plug-in_hybrid (so gas, with a little electric range, and it can charge in your garage to avoid using gas if the daily trips are shorter)

From Mark Scribner, Energy New England (ENE) to Everyone 08:40 PM

Since PHEVs often charge daily, and drivers tend to plug in as soon as they get home without incentivized charge management, PHEVs may actually present a greater concern for impacting grid demand than BEVs.

From Michael Flatto to Everyone 08:41 PM

Can someone get a wiring rebate now and opt to purchase a smart charger at a later date and still get that rebate?

From Michele Frankie to Everyone 08:42 PM

Thank you for this information Zoom meeting!

From john pecora to Everyone 08:42 PM

With grid modernization is there any allowance for Virtual Power Plants (VPP) like what Tesla is doing in California with it’s PowerWall and software to supply the grid with power when needed

From Paul Braren to Everyone 08:43 PM

I just had Eversource replace the main wiring from the pole to my house last month, and I asked the installer if he was using a smart meter in my town of Wethersfield CT yet, the answer was no. Just one data point/anecdotal, based on the one Eversource employee I asked. He didn’t even mention this 7 cents time of use meter, thanks to this club meeting, now I know! I hadn’t seen that URL anywhere before. Thank you!

https://www.eversource.com/content/ct-c/residential/account-billing/manage-bill/about-your-bill/rates-tariffs/time-of-day-rate-7

From William Cross to Everyone 08:43 PM

Thank you to everyone! This was great!

From Analiese Mione to Everyone 08:43 PM

Thank you all for attending and asking excellent questions.

From Dwight Stover to Everyone 08:43 PM

Thank you.

From Michael Flatto to Everyone 08:43 PM

Very cool, thanks to everyone who presented

From Edward Wazer to Everyone 08:44 PM

Thank you

From Vacek Miglus to Everyone 08:45 PM

thank you all. looking forward to reviewing all was covered tonight

From Paul Braren to Everyone 08:45 PM

Hoping this chat (minus the email addresses) can be published or at least shared, thank you for a great meeting!

 

Residential Application – Eversource:

https://www.eversource.com/content/docs/default-source/save-money-energy/eversource-ct-ev-resi-application.pdf

Post by Barry Kresch

All are welcome to our virtual meeting on January 25th at 7 PM to hear and ask questions about the new incentive program for EV charging to be offered by the EDCs (utilities, or electricity distribution companies).

With us that evening will be Stefanie Keohane of the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA), which initiated this program as part of its grid modernization efforts, along with Charles Spence and Marriott Dowden of United Illuminating. Charles and Marriott are the consumer-facing individuals for the residential and commercial aspects of the program respectively.

Two recent blog posts discussed the single family and multi-unit residential parts of the program. There are also incentives targeted to workplace, commercial, and fleets, encompassing both level 2 and level 3 charging. Incentives include subsidies for charging hardware, installation (including make ready), and electricity costs (including demand charge mitigation).

This is a statewide program. Even though our speakers are from United Illuminating, Eversource customers have access to the identical program.

This meeting is being recorded and will be uploaded to the club YouTube channel.

The meeting is free but registration is required: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYrcuutrzguGdd3O4Z_k9pqFUXrxPwSBK1b

Post by Barry Kresch

MUD

It stands for multi-unit dwellings. According to the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) adjudication, about 10% of Connecticut residents call this type of dwelling home. These are mostly in the cities, which have the worst air quality and the worst access to charging, but also an opportunity for clustered charging installations (EVSE) to drive efficient utilization.

The program outlined here is for level 2 chargers. The definition of an MUD is a building with a minimum of 5 units. (There is a different set of rules for buildings with 2-4 units.)

Make Ready

One of the big challenges is to get the necessary power to the charging station and this is addressed by what is known as “make ready.” Make ready is subsidized at up to 100% and it involves bringing power from the source to the “pad,” meaning where the EVSE is being installed. Even if a MUD starts small in terms of the number of chargers installed, it would be wise in the case of the make ready to plan for future demand since bringing power to a location is a non-trivial exercise. The adjudication recommends that the utilities (EDCs) talk this through with the site hosts to determine how much power should be put in place.

EVSE Subsidies

There is also a subsidy of up to 50% for the EVSE hardware itself. There is a minimum requirement of 2 ports (plugs).

Site Cap

A cap of $20,000 is placed on the incentives for a particular site (make ready plus EVSE), unless the site is in a distressed area, in which case it doubles to $40,000.

EVSE Leasing Option

Since buying numerous EVSE, even with a subsidy, can represent a substantial capital cost, there is will also be a forthcoming leasing option. The EDC would be the owner and a monthly fee would be paid for the equipment. There will be buyout rights. The EDCs have a deadline of May 1, 2022 to submit their proposals to PURA with a planned implementation date of July 1, 2022.

PURA has concerns about this arrangement crowding out the private marketplace and so it will be revisited and evaluated after the first program cycle.

Managed Charging and Charging Costs

Enrollment in a managed charging program will also be required of this class of customer. However, the initial proposal by the EDCs was not accepted by PURA. The EDCs have until May 1 to submit a revised proposal with implementation no later than January 1, 2023. Something that is expected that differs from the single family residential is that the incentive will take the form of a baseline incentive with the ability to craft a customized program with the EDC, dependent upon certain conditions

There is the thorny question about how costs are passed along to drivers. Is that the domain of the EDC or the site owner? Does there need to be sub-metering? How best to address the “split-incentive” arising between landlords and tenants? A final resolution has not been decided upon and a more complete plan will be developed over the coming year. It is PURA’s preference to avoid sub-metering and direct billing of drivers.

Demand Charges

These are classified as commercial incentives. And commercial accounts are subject to demand charges. There is a plan for demand charge mitigation, but the details of this are yet to be finalized. There is a stop-gap plan in force. This is also something to make sure to discuss with the EDC.

As noted in the prior blog post about single family residential charging incentives, we have scheduled a Zoom meeting on January 25th with spokespersons from both PURA and the UI. Bring your questions!

Important Note: The above-described incentives are part of the commercial incentives. These apply to condos with a minimum of 5 units. Buildings with fewer units are treated as residential.

The application portal is expected to be ready by the end of Q1 2022.

Post by Barry Kresch

Charging Incentives Via The Utilities

The incentives drafted by the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority that will be made available through Eversource and United Illuminating (commonly referred to as utilities, but in regulatory parlance known as EDCs or electric distribution companies) have been mostly finalized. There are a number of parts to them and we will be writing about them periodically over the next few weeks. There are subsidies for residential, commercial, municipal, and fleets. The residential charging program includes incentives for multi-unit dwellings (MUD) as well as single family. Incentives include subsidized charging stations, installation, make-ready, discounts on electricity, and demand charge mitigation.

The grid at the top and the explanation below cover the incentives for single family residences, which became effective on January 1, 2022.

The incentives for charging stations require the purchase of utility approved hardware. Incentives are not retroactive. The list of approved chargers will be published on January 20, 2022. Approved chargers will be smart chargers. Taking the subsidy requires enrollment in the demand-response charging program.

Residential Single Family Incentives

• Up to a $500 incentive for purchase of a level 2 smart charging station. Smart = WiFi connected at a minimum of 25 MBPS or cellular service, 4G minimum.
• Up to a $500 incentive to bring a 240 volt line to the garage, if needed.
• Owners give the utility permission to see charging data.
• Up to $200 per year for participating in demand-response charging events. Two year commitment required.

It is possible to get charging incentives for a non-networked (i.e. dumb) charging station that may have been previously installed or even for one that is bought new. In this case the charging information can be obtained either via vehicle telematics (if the vehicle has that capability), or the utility can send a device that will enable a dumb charger to access WiFi. There will be no charge for this device. The EDCs will be publishing a list of which vehicles qualify for telematics.

A $100 enrollment incentive is offered to people who participate using either telematics or a charger upgrade device.

• An owner buying a new dumb charger is not eligible for the hardware subsidy, but is eligible for the installation subsidy.

The managed charging program in year one is limited to a demand response program. EV owners can get up to $200 per year ($50/month over 4 months) for their participation, whether that participation comes via a smart charger, telematics, or upgraded dumb charger. The demand response program is in effect from June 1 through September 30. During high demand periods, the utilities are permitted to reduce the rate of charge going to your vehicle. The vehicle will charge at roughly the rate of a level 1 charger during these periods. Typically, an event will last up to 3 hours and occur between 3:00 – 9:00 PM. There can be up to 15 events per month. Customers will be notified in advance of these events and be permitted to opt-out. If a customer opts out of 2 or fewer events and is plugged in at least once per month, they still qualify for the $50 monthly incentive. A 2-year commitment is required. Event notifications are to be communicated via smartphone app, web portal, email, or text message, usually the day before the event, but sometimes the day of the event. If you are not home and therefore not plugged in during an event, and have not opted-out, that counts as participation.

The demand-response incentives will be paid off-bill after the end of September.

There is no incentive for those who trickle-charge (level 1).

If a home does not have enough space in its panel to accommodate an EV charger and wishes to upgrade electric service, that is out of scope of the program. Service upgrades can run $5000 or more. Before doing that, it may pay to find out how much room you have or whether you can share a circuit. Perhaps you can install a lower-powered unit than you originally planned.

An Advanced Managed Charging program will be offered beginning in 2023. Details have not yet been finalized.

If someone uses the hardware and installation incentives, but then does not allow the demand-response throttling, and therefore will not collect any of the $200 incentive, it is not known if the EDC will try to claw back the hardware and installation incentives.

Note: Eversource is maintaining its Connected Solutions branding and migrating existing customers into the new program.

We are planning a virtual meeting for January 25th at 7:00 PM, which will include speakers from PURA and UI.

This is the Eversource splash page with links to apply for the incentives. This is the UI page. There is still being work done on the back end and the application portals will be open by the end of Q1 2022.

Incentives available to Eversource and UI customers only.

EV Purchase Incentives, EVSE (charging equipment) Subsidies, Free Charging

This past Tuesday, July 27th, the EV Club presented a webinar jointly sponsored with Sustainne, LLC, Sustainable Westport, and the Town of Westport on how to save money when buying and charging an EV.

The speakers were Analiese Paik, CEO of Sustainne, Paul Vosper, CEO of JuiceBar, and Barry Kresch, President of the EV Club. These were the areas we covered:

• Latest changes to CT CHEAPR program of EV purchase incentives
• Update: There is a recent change to the CHEAPR program not reflected in the webinar. EV buyers can now receive 2 rebates beginning with June 2021, meaning if you had previously received a rebate, you can receive 2 more. They must be spaced at least 24 months apart.
• Federal purchase incentive
• Newly release EV Rate Design from the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) that directs the utilities to offer a range of subsidies for residential, Multiple Dwelling Units, commercial, fleets, and municipalities. These include subsidies for the purchase and installation of level 2 or level 3 chargers and discounts on electric rates.
• Many automakers offer some level of free charging with the purchase or lease of a new EV. They vary a lot and are either miles or time-limited. There are also numerous options for free level 2 public charging.

A written summary of the PURA program is here.

Link to the blog post with the latest CHEAPR rebates is here.

We have been receiving positive feedback. The webinar was recorded and is now available on our YouTube channel.

Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) Directs Utilities to Offer EV Charging Incentives

The final rate design adjudication was released on July 14th. Even though it is the final version, it actually isn’t quite final yet. We now know a lot about the program, but the document creates working groups to fill in unfinished gaps on some important details, such as some rates, approved equipment, etc. The PURA doc is uploaded to the website as a blog post here. It doesn’t exactly read like Jurassic Park, but we need this kind of thing if we are to wean ourselves off “dino juice.”

The program is quite comprehensive, containing incentives for residential and commercial, the latter including workplace charging and fleets, and which also applies to municipalities. The incentives cover hardware, service upgrades, make-ready, demand charge mitigation, and discounted electric rates.

It is important to note that this program takes effect in January 2022. It is not retroactive. If you purchase a charger tomorrow, it will not be eligible for the subsidies.

Below is a summary of the incentives referenced in the chart at the top of the blog post. These are hardware and installation-related discounts:

• A residential incentive of up to $500 for the cost of an EV charger. This incentive is for a smart charger, which is a WiFi-connected charger. EV charger prices vary, in part depending upon how many amps are drawn by the charger, but according to MYEV.com, the range for a smart charger is $600-$800.  If you take advantage of this incentive, you are required to participate in a managed charging program. The point of the connected charger is to enable the utility (which is also known as an Electric Distribution Company or EDC) to see and communicate with the charging unit.
• Also for a residence, there is a subsidy to help with the cost of an electric service upgrade if that is necessary if your current panel does not have the capacity to accommodate the added amperage of an EV charger. The amount of the subsidy is not yet determined.
• There is no mention in the chart of a subsidy specifically for installation, so we assume for now that the $500 applies to both hardware and installation. Installation costs can vary considerably depending on how far your panel is from your garage. It could be as much as $1,000.
• There are similar incentives offered for multi-unit dwellings (MUD), workplace chargers, and make-ready. The incentive is 50% of the cost of the charger subject to a cap for the site and a minimum number of charging ports. Note that this is ports, not chargers. There are dual-port charging units. There are higher site caps for MUDs, public level 2, and DCFC charging in underserved communities.
• There is a 100% make-ready incentive, which means the EDC will pay to bring the power to where the chargers will be installed. This is a big deal.
• Finally, there is a subsidy of 50% for the installation of a DCFC charger, which is short for DC current fast charger, also known as a level 3 charger. These are commercial, high voltage units that can quickly charge an EV capable of accepting a fast charge, which applies to most battery electric vehicles.
• There will be a list of specific approved charging equipment. This is necessary for the utilities to be sure they are able to get the information they need from the charger. This list will be finalized later in the year.

Residential Incentives for Electricity Usage

As noted in the first bullet about residential charging, a household can receive an incentive for participating in a managed charging program. There are 2 levels, called basic and advanced. As mentioned earlier, receiving the incentives for the hardware require participation, along with giving the EDC permission to capture data from the charger.

• Basic incentive. In this program, a consumer will be notified of an upcoming demand response event (i.e. when the EDC is expecting there to be a high demand for electricity and they need to take measures to avoid brownouts or blackouts). The consumer has the option to decline participation. However, the default setting is opt-in. Incentives are awarded for participation. The particulars are still being developed, but there is a cap of $200 per year, which will be sent as a direct payment to the consumer.
• Advanced (direct load control). The consumer will set charging sessions (via app, web portal, email or text) and the EDC has the right to throttle the rate of charge. The particulars of the incentive are still under development. Your participation level will influence the size of your incentive. We hope this is not too burdensome a level of admin for the consumer.
• The Authority has directed the EDCs to submit recommendations for EV rates for MUDs, which could involve sub-metering.

Note: A common way of protecting the grid, which is used in other places but is not part of this program, is time of use (TOU) charging. We are disappointed that this isn’t part of the program because it is a very simple, easy to understand, no maintenance approach. If you charge during off-peak hours, you get a lower rate. Easy. The adjudication specifically states that it doesn’t foreclose moving that way at some future point. There are regular evaluation points built into this 9-year program. And there is nothing to say that TOU can’t be combined with managed charging. Theoretically, if every EV (assuming many more of them than there are today) started a charging session at the first minute of the off-peak period, there could be a demand surge, but managed charging could mitigate that.

There is an existing installed base of EV chargers, and many of these, my guess is almost all of them, are so-called dumb chargers. They are not WiFi enabled so the EDC can’t see or interact with them. The program tasks the utilities to develop a workaround to include these chargers as it could jumpstart program participation. There are existing programs at other utilities, Con-Ed comes to mind, that do just that. With Con-Ed, the driver gets a flash-drive type device to install in the car’s USB port, or with some manufacturers, there is the ability to connect directly to the telematics of the vehicle with the owner’s permission, and incentives will be developed to reward off-peak charging. This actually comes a little closer to time of use. Finally, a recent development is that there is equipment coming on the market that can add connectivity to a dumb charger. PURA is aware of this, as well as developments in better accessing vehicle telematics, and there is the potential for this part of the program to evolve.

The $200 cap on residential demand response rebates seems low to us. The concern is the lack of differentiation between one and two (or more) EV households. We want to see all vehicles participating.

Demand Charges

Demand charges affect commercial establishments. If the demand for electricity spikes for a period of time above normative levels, electric rates increase substantially. Demand charges have been a barrier to the installation of level 3 charging stations. The adjudication directs the EDCs to maintain a temporary rate-rider to mitigate demand charges while taking the time to develop a more permanent and sustainable solution. Demand charges were originally developed so that those putting the most strain on the grid contribute disproportionately to necessary upgrades. These rules were developed long before the modern EV and definitely need to be re-thought.

Outreach

On balance, this is a strong program. We look forward to seeing, and if possible, being a part of, how it evolves. We intend to keep our members informed and hope the outreach, in general, is effective so it hits the ground running in January!

Forth EV Offsets Flyer (1)

This link to the CT Green Bank has more information

Upcoming Meeting to Feature a Speaker From FreeWire

There is a virtual club meeting via Zoom scheduled for October 27th. John Erdman, Head of Strategic Accounts for FreeWire, will be speaking to us about their latest charging solutions. John joined FreeWire this past August after having spent 9 years with ChargePoint.

One of the new mousetraps developed by FreeWire is a level 3 charger with a self-contained 160 kW battery that continuously draws power at the rate of 20kW per hour. This avoids the power consumption spikes typical of level 3 chargers, which are what cause facility owners to be subject to utility demand charges. We have seen first-hand in CT how that has become a major obstacle to expanding EVSE infrastructure.

We will also be providing an update on the latest information regarding proposed changes to the CHEAPR EV purchase-incentive program. Some of the proposed changes, which we have blogged about numerous times, such as here and here, are controversial and, as of this writing, have still not been resolved. It is possible they will be by the 27th.

If you are interested in joining us and do not receive the club emails, please fill out the website contact form.

We look forward to virtually seeing many of you.

Utility Demand Charges Keep Level 3 Charging Stations Dark

We have quite a few posts addressing range-anxiety in its various forms. Even though most EVs have enough range to get you through your typical day, we all have occasions where we drive to a destination that exceeds the range of the vehicle. Without the certainty of being able to charge en-route, there is the danger of the battery turning into a very heavy brick. This possible low frequency, but high impact, event is enough to give pause for many folks considering an EV purchase.

A particular CT flavor of this can be found at rest areas on I-95 and the Merritt Parkway. For example, the I-95 southbound rest area in Darien and the Merritt Parkway northbound rest area in Greenwich have CCS and CHAdeMo level 3 chargers that aren’t working. (Presumably, this is the case at other rest areas that we haven’t been to). These charging stations are not broken. They are just turned off.

The reason is simple: demand charges.

What are demand charges

Utilities build out their infrastructure to handle anticipated peak demand. Demand charges are what pay for that. For non-residential classes of clients, the utility imposes demand charges based on their peak power usage and they are substantial. Whereas a residential user pays a cost per kilowatt-hour charge typically of approximately 17 – 20 cents, demand charges could be over $13 per kWh, plus a higher distribution fee. If you would like to see for yourself, here is the (complicated) rate structure used by Eversource.

Demand charges have been around for around 100 years, since the early expansion of electric service throughout the country. Aside from paying for infrastructure expansion, they are intended to spread demand into non-peak usage times in order to lessen the need for that expensive infrastructure.

Electric vehicle charging stations obviously draw current, especially the level 3 DC fast chargers that are needed along the Interstates to facilitate a long drive. The power-draw required to obtain an 80% charge in 15 – 30 minutes is sufficiently high (especially if multiple chargers are in simultaneous use) that the threshold for demand charges may kick-in. Our information is that the companies that run the food and gas service at the rest areas did not install the chargers, and it was a shock (electricity makes for way too easy puns) to them when they saw what demand charges were doing to their electric bill. So they turned them off.

Why Demand Charges for EVs Require Rethinking

While demand charges have served a purpose, it is time to rethink how these are handled with respect to EVs for a few reasons.

• Lack of charging infrastructure is a major barrier to EV adoption, and EVs are an important factor in mitigating climate change. In this sense, an inability to charge undercuts a social good.
• Utilities are the new fuel stations. They stand to reap a tremendous amount of business with widespread EV adoption. With EV charger demand charges, they are working against themselves.
• EVs will stimulate use in off-peak hours. Most charging, over 80%, is done at home, and most of this is done at night. In other words, EVs bring load-management benefits to the utilities. If there were a more robust time-of-use rate card available in CT, this would be even more true. Also, at a presentation done at DEEP in January 2019, Dana Lowell of M.J. Bradley Associates stated that the excessive (for want of a better term) net revenue resulting from EVs in this heavily regulated industry would be returned to the ratepayers. In the EV nirvana of 2 million EVs registered in the state, he estimated it would amount to $150 annually per household.
• This is speculative at this point, and a little off-topic, but it is technically possible for EV batteries to be bi-directional, also

  

  referred to as V2G (vehicle to grid). At times of peak demand, the energy residing in charged EV batteries could be tapped to fulfill demand, and then be recharged when demand subsides. The part of this that is on point is that there needs to be a lot of battery capacity out there to make this a viable strategy. A pilot study intended to test the bi-directional technology, underwritten by Con-Edison, is being run in Westchester County with electric school buses.

The bottom line is that EVs come with more ramifications with respect to the grid, and more opportunities for society as a whole, than a factory or commercial building. Other states are further along than CT in bringing innovation to approaching this dilemma.

To be sure, demand charges are just a single piece of the larger EV policy puzzle. It is a subset of what is referred to as “rate-design.” DEEP produced a 71-page “Draft EV Roadmap” that does a good job of covering the waterfront in terms of all related policy areas, though the language in this document, released in October 2019, is worded in terms of evaluation or investigation. In other words, there is still a long way to go. The section on demand charges is on page 44.

Tesla Chargers

There are Tesla chargers on the Interstates and these do work. That is because Tesla takes responsibility for them. They may be carrying a contingent liability, but their forward-thinking decision to install their own charging network and not wait for the rest of the world to catch up means that Tesla drivers have a wider array of charging options.

Waiver

There is an Eversource program to grant a demand charge waiver for independently metered charging stations that are open to the public, but that the waiver is temporary. It substitutes average per kWh charges. We don’t have a sense that this has been promoted aggressively. The waiver was for 3 years, but the clock has been ticking and it is currently closer to 2 years. A temporary waiver doesn’t really accomplish much unless there is something in place to address the underlying problem when it expires.

There are options other than an outright waiver to address this. We reached out to Eversource and were advised that the Public Utility Regulatory Authority will review the rate after the 3 year period ends and decide if changes are needed to the rate structure.