Ontario is adopting standardized protocol for connecting electric vehicle (EV) charging facilities to the power grid at commercial and multifamily buildings and other publicly accessible locations. Newly finalized instructions from the Ontario Energy Board (OEB) give the province’s 58 local distribution companies (LDCs) until late May to get the required procedures and documentation in place.
Those will apply in scenarios where the existing electrical capacity and associated equipment must be upgraded to accommodate EV chargers. The protocol outlines steps and timelines for various stages of a project from preliminary consultation to the agreement and execution of the work, including clarification of customers’ and LDCs’ responsibilities and processes for securing contractors, calculating costs and conveying payment.
Of interest to building owners, the new EV connection protocol introduces an optional free consultation defined as “a high-level assessment” of electrical capacity and complexities for connecting chargers. Interested parties will be able to use online forms on LDCs’ websites to submit initially required information and request this preliminary evaluation. Provided the request form is complete, LDCs will have 15 calendar days to respond and, if requested, must meet to discuss the findings at no cost to the customer.
“The purpose of the preliminary consultation is to provide high-level connection feasibility information to a customer who has uncertainties regarding site selection for the EVSE (electric vehicle supply equipment), or those who are unsure about committing to EVSE installations. If a customer has already decided on a specific location for the EVSE, the preliminary consultation may provide limited benefits and requesting a preliminary consultation may extend the overall connection process,” the OEB’s protocol guide states.
Landlords, property managers or condominium corporations in the latter category may choose to begin with a direct request for connection — a process that is also to be facilitated through online forms on LDCs’ websites. Petitioners can expect a response from the LDC within a maximum of 15 days to either confirm that their request is complete or specify what further information is required. LDCs will be mandated to provide a formal offer to connect (OTC) no later than 60 days after a complete request has been submitted.
The new connection protocol also stipulates standard information to be contained in the OTC. Once accepted, it decrees “the distributor shall promptly work with the customer to complete the project and connect the EVSE” including “appropriate levels of communication” throughout all stages. LDCs may choose to allow customers to seek alternative bids for some components of the connection work, with the parameters for doing so set out in the OTC.
Once completed in keeping with prescribed service conditions, low-voltage chargers are to be connected within five business days and high-voltage chargers must be connected within no more than 10 business days. Again, those service conditions are to be revealed in the OTC.
The OEB is providing LDCs with templates for the standardized documents associated with the new protocol, and notes that it aligns with load connection processes that are already established in the Distribution System Code. “The OEB is of the view that three months will provide sufficient time for distributors to be prepared,” it states in its announcement of the new rules.
