A housing company in Espoo managed to upgrade heating posts to electric car charging posts without a general meeting

Article

May 31st.

A housing company in Espoo managed to upgrade old, dilapidated car heating posts into smart electric car charging posts without the cumbersome decision-making process of a general meeting. A key part of the success was the decision to purchase suitable charging devices directly for the housing company to replace the heating posts.

Electric transport is already a central and growing part of sustainable development, and therefore it is also a good idea to take into account in housing associations' decision-making that electric cars are here to stay. Compared to traditional combustion engine cars, electric cars produce significantly fewer carbon dioxide emissions, especially if they are charged using renewable energy, such as wind or solar power. Many residents of housing associations already want to drive emission-free cars and support the implementation of climate goals. However, expensive charging devices and costly changes to the housing association's electrical systems may make housing associations hesitate to purchase charging devices. Long decision-making processes in housing associations can also discourage interest in purchasing charging devices or at least postpone the purchase decision. However, the widespread use of electric cars does not necessarily have to mean large-scale investments in charging infrastructure that the housing association cannot afford.

Smart charging devices at a low price and without a general meeting

The process of purchasing charging devices can be easy, cost-effective and even go smoothly without a general meeting. A prime example of such a project is the Espoo housing company Asunto Oy Espoon Kalliorinne 9 , where smart charging devices were purchased to replace old, poor-quality heating posts at a low cost and without a general meeting. The chairman of the housing company commissioned a survey back in 2012, which revealed that their existing electrical infrastructure would allow for 3.6 kW charging devices for their 20 car spaces. In these slow charging devices, charging takes place like from a normal heating post, but safely from a socket intended for charging. A few years after the survey, the housing company's board of directors decided that the old heating posts would be replaced at once with new charging devices that enable charging of electric cars. Now, the housing company has charging devices suitable for charging electric cars in place of the old heating posts. At the same time, these renewed devices also safely serve heaters for combustion engine vehicles.

— We had our housing association conduct a survey and asked for bids on upgrading the heating posts with new ones. We did not need a housing association meeting for the project, because the price difference between regular heating posts and charging posts that allow charging electric cars was minimal, and this could be carried out as a maintenance measure. This made it possible to upgrade the heating posts without a general meeting, says Jani Väliheikki, .

The devices were installed in the housing company in 2016, the first electric car arrived in the housing company in 2017, and now the housing company already has 12 electric cars. Väliheikki estimates that in the coming years, electric cars will be the majority in the housing company. The housing company implemented the eParking system, which allows charging and heating posts to be billed directly to the user of the post according to consumption. The housing company does not need to think about how they bill electric car chargers and car heaters, because the eParking system allows billing to be allocated directly to the user. The housing company also implemented eParking load management, which monitors and balances the housing company's electrical load. Thanks to load management, there is enough electricity for everyone in the housing company.

Quick and easy process

Väliheikki praises the process of purchasing the charging devices as fast and hassle-free. The installation of the devices also went smoothly without any delays, and the residents received comprehensive guidance on how to use both the devices and the eParking system.

— We have discussed upgrading the system from the traditional SUKO socket to type 2 sockets and higher charging power, but even after years, the system meets the housing company's needs well and there is no need for higher-power charging, Väliheikki points out.

Also included are three reasons to choose eParking :

eParking is a service that allows you to charge and manage parking for electric cars anywhere, effortlessly.
The mobile application allows you to remotely control heating and charging devices, for example, to start, stop and schedule charging or heating.
The housing company itself decides the price of electricity used for charging and heating vehicles.

In addition…

Makes the property manager's everyday life easier
Cost-effective, comprehensive solution that is easy to upgrade in the future
Charging speed also has an impact on price
Slow chargers (1.8-3.6 kW) are cheaper, and more powerful (11-22 kW) basic devices are more expensive.

Check out the article