This is part of a collection of case studies that focus on creative charging solutions for EV drivers in multifamily housing. For more information and the full collection, visit our Charging Solutions for EV Drivers in Multifamily Housing hub.
Challenge
Convenience is key for EV charging. In dense urban areas where installing home chargers is impossible or cost-prohibitive, drivers need a different option. Curbside charging close to residential and commercial areas is the best solution – the cost is shared among community members, and residents can ideally walk five minutes or less to charge their cars. Location is also a key element: data-driven location scouting can find underserved community areas where public chargers are most needed and appreciated. How can cities install public charging that is accessible and affordable for all residents?
Objectives and solutions
Green Edge Tech, a green technology company based in Pittsburgh, PA, assists municipalities with installing and operating accessible and convenient public charging. The company’s pilot project in Swissvale (a borough of Pittsburgh) resulted in five currently active public chargers. The decision to install chargers in this location was informed by equity-minded location scouting, which aims to put chargers in areas with lower-income residents who are less likely to have access to home charging. Green Edge Tech’s location scouting has been supported by students at Carnegie Mellon University’s Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy. Through two capstone projects, students built a mapping system with layers for average household income, points of interest such as stores and places of worship, and the percentage of the population that is non-white. The students used this demographic data to create Equity Scores, which can be customized to give certain demographic factors a higher priority over others and represent zones within a five-minute walking distance. Students also worked on an additional capstone project to calculate equitable cost structures for charging while accounting for the cost of ownership and demand costs from utilities.
As a technology-agnostic company, Green Edge Tech analyzed several manufacturers and selected 6.2kW Level 2 chargers for the Swissvale site. The local electric utility’s, pricing structure changes dramatically based on charging demand, so determining the price of charging has been challenging. The municipality owns the charging equipment, and after the company’s lengthy 10-year contract with their local utility, the city will own the entire system. The city received the chargers for free, with some funding from Driving PA Forward, a grant and rebate program designed to improve air quality. Green Edge Tech hopes to incorporate equitable location scouting into more partnerships with municipalities in the future.
Elements for Success
- Location scouting is critical for determining the most useful and practical charging area, using demographic information and points of interest.
- Grassroots community engagement ensures that chargers are desired and placed in approved locations so that their impact is maximized.
- Data collection and analysis help to determine the current impact of the project and lessons for future installations.
References
- Green Edge Tech
- Green Edge Tech / CMU Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy Capstone Presentation
Recap:
Average charging cost: $1 to start, $0.35/kWh after
Charging type: Public
Problem addressed: Access
Solution type: Technology
