British Columbia recently passed legislation that requires stratas of 5 or more strata units to obtain an Electrical Planning Report (EPR). The EPR allows stratas, and the owners, to better understand their current electrical capacity and how well-suited it is to meet future needs. Stratas can use the EPR to help plan for future upgrades to heating and cooling systems, for potential electrification of systems that aren't currently electric, and for additional needs such as EV charging stations.
The EPR provides information on the strata's:
All BC strata corporations with 5 or more strata units are required to obtain an EPR. This includes condominimums, townhouse complexes, commercial buildings, hotels, and more.
[External link (new window): Bulletin from the BC Government website]
The increasing popularity of electrical vehicles also means that there's a heightened demand for EV chargers. In 2023, the BC Government lowered the voting threshold for strata corporations to install EV charging stations as a strata corporation expense. Some municipalities within British Columbia have also made it mandatory for new developments to include EV charging stations.
An EV-Ready Plan is a strategy for residential stratas to include at least one EV-ready parking stall per strata unit. Paralynx will consult with the strata to determine the number of EV chargers anticipated, and determine how much electricity will be consumed by these chargers and their infrastructure. We'll provide a professional opinion on what the strata needs to plan for in order to include EV charging infrastructure.
BC Hydro's Clean BC program offers rebates for EV-related upgrades, including up to 75% of the cost of an EV-Ready Plan, to a maximum of $3,000.
Paralynx will visit your strata to begin our investigation into its electrical system. This is an extensive, detailed process where we collect the data we need to prepare the EPR. We'll request that the strata send us any supporting documentation prior to our visit so that we can prepare. Someone will need to provide us with access to the electrical room(s), mechanical room(s), any other service room(s), the rooftop, and accompanying spaces as well.
An EV-ready plan can be prepared together with the EPR if initially requested.
Once our engineer has completed their initial investigation and data collection, we will begin the process of performing the analysis and calculations. The final step is to compile the results of the assessment into a report for the strata.
The deadline to have an Electrical Planning Report produced is the end of 2026 for Lower Mainland stratas and for those within the Capital Regional District (CRD). Stratas located outside of these areas must have an EPR by the end of 2028. As the deadline approaches, we anticipate a surge in activity as stratas strive to get the EPR in place. While the deadline may seem far off, we recommend that stratas get the EPR in motion well ahead of time to ensure that they are completed on time.