Post by Barry Kresch/graphics from Stepwise Electric
We thank everyone who joined us for the presentation from Stepwise Electric to learn about the capabilities of their Stepwise Tap smart energy management device, along with the ability participate in their pilot project with Eversource and United Illuminating. Participants receive a free device and have installation costs covered. If they have an EV, they must enroll in managed charging if they have not already done so. A separate incentive is paid for this.
Broader Eligibility
One thing I learned during the presentation is that part of the plan is to collect data on different types of homes and use cases. While someone looking to install a 240-volt charger but lacking adequate electrical service or having panel constraints may be the sweet spot, the project acknowledges the need to better understand the data environment and notes the value of future-proofing. We encourage all who meet any of the criteria noted in the photo at the top of the post to participate and take advantage of the opportunity offered by the pilot.
This is an approved pilot from the Innovative Energy Solutions Docket from the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority and is open to customers of Eversource and United Illuminating. You can request to be part of the pilot here. You must use an approved electrical contractor and there are a number of local contractors that are certified. Scroll down to the lower part of the sign up page to see the list. If you have a preferred electrical contractor that isn’t certified, they will work with the contractor to bring them through the certification process.
The Stepwise Tap will work with any EV charger.
The pilot covers all associated costs for the Stepwise Tap. It does not apply to the EV charger. Cuts made by the legislature to the EV charger incentive program have excluded most residences. For a description of the EV charger incentive program, see this page of the club website. (Managed charging is described on this page as well.)
Smart Energy Management Is A Cost-Effective Tool To Overcome Arcane and Inflexible Wiring
When the EV Club presents to community organizations, part of the presentation always addresses the ins and outs of setting up home charging. Sometimes it is a challenge to install a 240-volt charger due to electric service or panel limitations which can be expensive to remedy.
The outdated way our electric panels are set up is a big part of the reason why.
Homes rarely use every electrical appliance at the same time, so more load could be added and not cause any issues most of the time. But there may be occasions where that could happen. The Stepwise Tap sits between a high-draw appliance, such as an EV charger, and the panel. It can see the draw and dynamically throttle the charger.
The device is appliance agnostic, but throttling of an EV charger is less likely to have an impact than other devices. Stepwise’s hierarchy of what they would throttle is EV charger, water heater, hot tub/spa, dryer, induction stove.
Multi-Unit Dwellings (MUD)
If units in a MUD are separately metered, the device will work there as well.
The presentation was recorded. We thank Paul Braren for organizing it. He has embedded the video on his TinkerTry website in this article.