(J01) The Impact EV Charging Has on the Future of Building and Energy Conservation Codes

This panel will explore the increasingly common requirement of “EV Ready” provisions in commercial and residential building and energy conservation codes across North America, including ways that electric vehicle (EV) energy management systems and “smart” charging can significantly lower the electrical capacity necessary to support increasing adoption of EVs. The U.S. transportation sector accounted for 29 percent of the nation’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in 2019 (second to emissions from the built environment at 37%). In August of 2021, the Biden-Harris Administration issued an Executive Order that one-half of all new vehicles sold in 2030 are to be zero-emissions vehicles, including battery electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles; many states are pursuing yet more aggressive targets. To meet these goals, commercial and residential building codes must consider how the transportation sector increasingly overlaps with the building sector. More than 80% of EV charging takes place at home and at work over longer periods of time, with other destination locations offering EV charging as an amenity when drivers visit (e.g., retail, hospitality, community centers). It is essential to note that the overwhelming majority of passenger vehicles need to be zero emissions EVs by the 2040s, well within the lifetime of existing buildings and buildings that will be constructed to the current and subsequent code cycles. All new construction needs to be future-proofed for the near-universal EV adoption necessary in the coming decades, and as it is very costly and complicated to renovate/retrofit EV charging infrastructure into existing buildings, we must also find solutions to bring them along on the road to transportation electrification in cost effective ways. Panelists will include representatives from the Building Owners & Managers community, Government, EV Ready Code experts, and the EV Charging Industry. We look forward to a lively discussion.