What does an EV-ready plan mean for a Burnaby condo parkade?

An EV-ready plan for a Burnaby strata parkade is a formal electrical planning document that maps out how the building's shared electrical infrastructure can support EV charging across some or all parking stalls, without overloading the building's main service. The cost to commission one typically runs $3,000–$10,000 depending on building size and complexity, and it is a prerequisite for most CleanBC Go Electric strata rebates.

What the plan actually covers

The document is produced by a licensed electrical engineer or a qualified electrical contractor and starts with a load calculation on the building's existing service. Older Burnaby concrete towers from the 1970s and 1980s often have a main service sized for the loads of that era, with little headroom for dozens of Level 2 chargers drawing 7–10 kW each. The plan identifies how much capacity is already available, what infrastructure upgrades the parkade needs (conduit runs, sub-panels, metering equipment), and how many stalls can be energised immediately versus phased in over time.

Load management is central to every plan. Rather than sizing the electrical service for every stall running at full power simultaneously, a shared load management system throttles charger output dynamically so the building's demand stays within its service limit. This is what makes EV-ready upgrades financially realistic for most stratas.

The plan also addresses per-stall metering, which is required so each owner pays only for the electricity they use. In Burnaby, the electrical permit for parkade work comes from the City of Burnaby's own electrical inspection department, not Technical Safety BC, so the plan and the contractor's permit application go through the city. That distinction matters when the strata is coordinating with BC Hydro for any service upgrade, because the permit authority and the utility are separate conversations.

Strata council approval is required before any work begins. Under the Strata Property Act, parkade wiring is common property, so the plan, the contractor selection and the alteration agreement all need a council resolution, and depending on the scope, possibly a three-quarters vote of owners.

CleanBC Go Electric offers rebates for both the EV-ready planning study and the subsequent infrastructure installation. The planning rebate has historically covered a meaningful portion of the study cost, but the program requires the application to be submitted and approved before the work is commissioned, so the strata should apply early. BC Hydro may also need to be involved if the service upgrade requires a new transformer or a larger service entrance, which adds lead time measured in months, not weeks.

A fair scope of work for the plan includes a site visit, a review of the existing electrical room drawings, the load calculation, a phased implementation schedule, a cost estimate for each phase, and a report the strata council can present to owners. Ask the contractor whether the fee includes attending a strata council meeting to present findings, and confirm they hold a Technical Safety BC electrical contractor licence and WorkSafeBC coverage before signing anything.

Want quotes on an EV-ready planning study for your Burnaby building? Vancouver Electrical Repair can match you with local electricians familiar with strata parkade work, for free.