RESIDENTIAL USERS
There are several important items to consider after purchasing your Electric Vehicle. Purchasing an unsafe charger, forgetting its electrical permit, or passing on a proper installation can have disastrous consequences for the car, your property, or your family.
- All EV charger installations require an electrical permit to be filed before work starts. These are separate and distinct from building permits and are also referred to as a ‘notification of work.’ The permit creates a permanent record of home electrical work and triggers an ESA review process.
- Electric vehicles can use a lot of power. It’s important to make sure that your electrical panel can handle the extra load. Electric vehicles have different levels and types of charging that use different voltages (Volts) and amperages (Amps) to run. There are three levels of charging for EVs. Level 1 and 2 are used for at-home charging:
- Level 1: This is a charger that uses a standard 120 Volt household outlet. It’s the slowest speed of charging for an EV.
- Level 2: These charging stations have about the same requirements as a large household appliance like a stove or dryer (240 Volts / 30 Amps). Level 2 offers a faster charging time than level 1. Some Level 2 households may require a service/panel upgrade.
- Level 3: Level 3 charging stations are designed for commercial use and are not suitable for home installation.
- Should a service/panel upgrade be recommended by your electrical contractor, please complete a service upgrade request and send back to us according to the details on the form.
- In Ontario, if you’re hiring someone to do electrical work in your home, by law, it must be a Licensed Electrical Contractor (LEC) with an ECRA/ESA license. LECs are also fully insured and reduce the risks of electrical work in several ways. Unlicensed or unpermitted work is simply not worth the risk. Electrical fires or other damage to your new EV is too steep a price to pay for convenience.
Additional Residential Information
- To find a list of licensed electrical contractors in your area, use the ESA’s contractor locator tool.
- More from the ESA: Electric Vehicles & Charging Systems – ESA
COMMERCIAL CUSTOMERS
This section is intended to outline the process for the connection of public charging facilities that commonly service multiple Electric Vehicles (EV’s) as well as fleet charging stations.
The primary purpose of the new or expanded connection must be specific to Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE). For insight into available system capacity, please see the Load Capacity Map. NOTL Hydro’s specific requirements for the EVSE connections are outlined under “Appendix 7 – Distributor Specific Electric Vehicle Charging Connection Procedures” of our Conditions of Service.
STEP 1 PRELIMINARY CONSULTATION (OPTIONAL)
The customer may complete a preliminary consultation by completing this form.
STEP 2 CUSTOMER SUBMITS A CONNECTION REQUEST
The customer needs to submit a connection request by completing our Service Request form.
STEP 3 NOTL HYDRO REVIEWS INFORMATION
NOTL Hydro will review the submission to ensure all information is complete.
STEP 4 OFFER TO CONNECT (IF REQUIRED)
Once NOTL Hydro has reviewed the information and it has been determined that an EV installation necessitates any modification or addition to NOTL Hydro’s distribution system, NOTL Hydro will provide an Offer to Connect. For more information regarding an Offer to Connect, please see our Conditions of Service.
STEP 5: PROJECT DEVELOPMENT, CONSTRUCTION AND ENERGIZATION
The customer will develop and construct the EV installation. If required, NOTL Hydro will perform the necessary modifications to our distribution system to accommodate the connection. Once both parties complete all of the required work and a connection authorization from the Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) is received, NOTL Hydro will connect the project.