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Discuss potential ordinances regarding electric vehicle charging and solar ready requirements in new construction.
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BACKGROUND:
The Sustainability Plan includes adopting electric vehicle (EV) charging and solar ready codes as recommended actions. The EV charging and solar ready ordinances align with the Strategic Plan’s critical business outcome #7 “Execute sustainability initiatives”. EV charging and solar ready codes attempt to remove financial barriers for the adoption of environmentally friendly technologies.
In DFW, vehicles are the primary source of air pollution and a large reason that the region is under non-attainment for ground level ozone. The region had 48 ozone exceedance days in 2022. Ozone has been linked to respiratory problems and premature death at elevated levels. As the population of the DFW region continues to increase, stabilizing or reducing air pollution will be important both from an environmental and health perspective. Replacing traditional gas-powered vehicles with electric models will reduce air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, especially considering the current transportation system’s reliance on personal vehicles.
The majority of EV charging takes place at the driver’s residence. However, if a resident’s home does not have the necessary electricity capacity, the cost of upgrading their system to accommodate charging may discourage the purchase of an electric vehicle. Studies have shown that it is easier and cheaper to install EV charging capacity during construction than during a retrofit. Likewise, if a resident lives in multi-family housing, they may not have access to charging at their residence, which creates a barrier for EV adoption.
On a similar note, it is also cheaper to install solar ready components during new construction compared to retrofitting a building. By proactively making a newly constructed building solar ready, barriers are reduced for solar panel adoption. Citywide, over 800 million kilowatt-hours of electricity are used annually which results in over 300,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide emitted. Any opportunity to install solar panels will have positive environmental benefit.
The proposed electric vehicle charging ordinance is based on International Code Council model language. The ordinance only applies to new construction of residential (one and two-family dwellings) and multi-family buildings, it does not apply to commercial buildings. New residential buildings would be required to have one EV-ready space per unit. An EV-ready space is essentially a 240-volt outlet installed in a garage. An EV charger can easily be plugged into this outlet to accommodate vehicle charging at a rate of approximately 25 miles of range per hour. Multi-family construction would be required to have at minimum one EV charging station installed (Level 2 capacity) and 20% percent of its parking spaces be EV-capable. An EV-capable space has the electric panel capacity and raceway to easily accommodate the future installation of EV charging infrastructure.
The proposed solar ready ordinance is based on appendices of the 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC). The ordinance applies to new construction of residential and commercial buildings. The ordinance does not mandate solar be installed during new construction, only that the building can easily accommodate the future installation of solar panels. The ordinance requires a solar ready zone that is free of obstructions and reserved electrical panel capacity for future solar installation.
In the development of the ordinances, City staff researched the EV charging and solar ready ordinances of other cities and received feedback from building officials in those communities. Staff also proactively met with local homebuilders to seek feedback from a construction perspective. The Sustainability Committee also provided feedback on the ordinances.
ATTACHMENT(S):
1. Presentation EV and Solar Ready Ordinances
2. Ordinance 3794 - EV Charging Ordinance
3. Ordinance 3795 - Solar Ready Ordinance
4. NCTCOG Solar Ready Opinion Statement