Solar Choice was engaged by a strata committee to provide independent advice and manage a competitive tender for the installation of a future-ready EV charging solution within a multi-level apartment car park.
Like many strata buildings across Australia, the key challenge was how to enable EV charging access for residents without overloading existing electrical infrastructure or requiring significant upfront investment from all owners. The building needed a scalable approach that balanced fairness, cost control, and long-term flexibility.
Solar Choice worked with the owners corporation and strata manager to design a staged “backbone” solution. This approach involved installing central electrical infrastructure—including new main switches, sub-mains cabling, and two EV distribution boards (EVDBs), one on each level—while deferring individual charger installation to residents who choose to opt in.
A key component of the design was the integration of a load management system (LMS) supplied by Combined Energy, allowing the available electrical capacity to be dynamically shared across chargers. This solution utilises power line technology and allows owners to select between level 1 or level 2 EV charging.
Cable trays were installed throughout the car park to service all parking bays, significantly reducing the cost and complexity of future connections. Importantly, these trays were designed with an inverted configuration to minimise height impacts and maintain vehicle clearance.
Residents were given the option to install either a basic Level 1 charging point or a faster Level 2 charger at the time of backbone installation, with the cost borne individually rather than by the entire building.
By separating shared infrastructure from individual user costs, this project provides a practical, scalable pathway for EV adoption in strata environments—an approach Solar Choice is now implementing across apartment buildings nationwide.
Read more about EV charging in Apartments
- EV Charging Backbone at Surry Hills Apartment Building - 30 March, 2026
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