2024 Triennial Code Adoption Cycle - California Specific - CalGreen - EVSE & EV - Public Input

[brycenesbitt]

Ok, just for California not the NEC. Public Input opportunity.

Notice of Workshop
Oct. 19, 2023 - 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Notice is hereby given that the California Building Standards Commission, the Division of the State Architect, the Department of Housing and Community Development, the California Air Resources Board, and the California Energy Commission staff will convene a CALGreen Electric Vehicle Workgroup meeting comprised of interested parties and state agencies to provide input and feedback for future EV regulations in CALGreen. The proposed regulatory updates may be considered for inclusion in the 2025 California Green Building Standards Code, Part 11, during the 2024 Triennial Code Adoption Cycle. The public is invited to participate and provide input and comments.

I can tell you that from being part of the prior round, nobody involved appears to have spoken to an electrician .

They were unclear on some basic issues including if they want to mandate receptacles, EVSEs, conduit or just amps.
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On the table is the number and form of EV charging facilities for multiunit new construction & lodging.
With 25% of new car sales in California last quarter being EVs this issue takes some urgency. 30-40% of California residents live in multifamily buildings.
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Consumer advocates commenting on earlier rounds want a "right to charge" for 100% of the parking spots, installed as demand demands, at least at low power.

As of the last round the discussion was not sophisticated enough to get into EV charge management for buildings, so some fixed electrical capacity can be divided fairly among a greater number of charging EVs over time.
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There's a lot on the table about raceway and conduit. Myself I'd go with empty conduit to each reserved parking space, but opinions will differ. Current baseline requirements sit at:

Again with muddled reference to EV charge management. And there's nothing about EVSP's and markup.

 

[brycenesbitt]

That meeting took place.
The regulations are moving toward being more prescriptive: specific numbers of charging cords with specific connectors regardless of demand. It's a construction time standard, so there's no requirement to add spaces with demand, and no provision to reduce spaces without demand.
The regulations bake in J1772 though automakers are at the threshold of changing from J1772 to NACS.

 

[brycenesbitt]

California DID extend the GFCI exemption for HVAC equipment, past the NEC Sunset date of 2026.
They fixed the J1772 mandate: allowing some more flexibility in terms of EV charging heads.