Due to electrical infrastructure limitations, the growing demand for electric vehicle charging is becoming difficult to satisfy. Installing EV chargers at home often triggers expensive electrical panel upgrades, but there is another way. Read on to find out how Variablegrid’s adaptive power can provide a cost-effective solution to limited electrical capacity in single-family homes.
The Immense Task at Hand
Demand for EV is at an all-time high and is expected to continue growing. By 2030, 27 million EVs are projected to be on the road (PwC). Twelve states in the US plan to phase out gas-powered vehicles altogether by 2035 (Transport Policy), demonstrating the necessity of a rapid, universal shift.
As the EV landscape expands, we will also see rapid electrification of other household utilities in line with climate goals. The issue here lies in the sheer amount of homes lacking the electrical infrastructure to make this enormous transition possible without severely straining the grid.
The Problem
In the US, 48 million homes do not have sufficient power capacity to fully electrify (Pecan Street). This means their electrical panel (typically 150 amps or less) is not robust enough to support the average 32 amp load of EV charging alongside other household appliances. This underscores the importance of Variablegrid’s Dynamic Load Balancing technology. Our EV Energy Management Systems (EVEMS) can alleviate electrical limitations while allowing EV charging by optimizing available capacity more intelligently, even in a house with less than 150 amps.
The way most private EV chargers are set up wastes a lot of electrical capacity, leading to the perception that upgrading electrical infrastructure is necessary. Many homeowners overbuild their electrical panel, spending tens of thousands of dollars, if their utilities even allow them to upgrade given load restriction capping services. This is because most EV charging operates within binary, load-switching systems that limit their EV charging to times when a full 32 amps are available, resulting in a lot of unutilized energy potential.
The Solution: Variablegrid’s Dynamic Load Balancing Technology
Variablegrid’s EV Energy Management System (EVEMS) offers a superior alternative. It monitors electricity usage and intelligently modulates EV charging based on the user's other utility needs, maximizing 100% of the building’s available electrical capacity without exceeding its limit. Our smart technology varies power allocation continuously and can be customized for savings with time-of-use and demand response programs (link to these blogs). This means homeowners save money and there is less strain on the grid, allowing most houses to pursue full electrification and go net zero.
Investing in Variablegrid’s technology is a step towards an equitable, sustainable future. We enable homeowners to bypass the astronomical costs, extensive planning, and long wait times required for panel upgrades when installing an EV charger. Our technology makes the dream of EV home charging a reality, breaking down the high costs of home charging that once limited EV ownership. With global electrification on the rise and available capacity diminishing, adaptive power enables us to use better use of power which is vital if we are to meet society’s electrification goals.
By Danielle Shefley