An Electrical Planning Report is mandated by the BC Government so as the utility (BC Hydro and/or Fortis) can plan for future demands and growth. This burden is placed on all owning stakeholders of multi-unit residential buildings (MURB). There are deadlines for this study to be performed and submitted as the province moves to eliminate gas for heat replacing with electrical systems and the continued move to electrical vehicle transportation modes. As this is government directed mandate it could be subject to charges.
The EPR would be required to be disclosed in the new 5-year depreciation report.
Depending on the strata and metering at the complex there are good, better and best protocols for achieving the demand report and summary.
All services for strata sites post 1980 would have had a service demand calculation submitted to inspection authority and/or BC Hydro. This information would be immensely helpful for baseline reference to EPR.
Purpose of electrical planning reports (EPRs)
Strata corporations with five or more strata lots are required to get an electrical planning report (EPR). The content required in an EPR is set out in the Strata Property Regulation.
An EPR can help strata corporations to understand their current electrical capacity and meet new demands for electricity including electric vehicle (EV) charging and heat pumps. An EPR also helps the strata corporation to manage within existing electrical capacity and avoid costly upgrades to obtain more electricity.
An electrical planning report must provide information about:
- the current capacity of the strata corporation’s electrical system
- a list of existing demands on the electrical system
- an estimate of peak electrical demand and spare electrical capacity
- an estimate of the electrical capacity needed to support future demands, such as electric vehicle (EV) charging and heat pumps, and
- recommendations for demand management and reducing demand. For example, freeing up electrical capacity by installing LED lighting; as LED lighting is significantly more energy efficient than equivalent incandescent or fluorescent lighting.
Shorter EPRs
Occasionally strata lots in a strata corporation are independently connected to the utility’s electrical distribution (and there is no strata corporation electrical infrastructure). For example, in some rare circumstances, single-family homes in bare land strata corporations are directly connected to the utility’s grid. However this is much more the exception than the rule, and bare land strata corporations can also be at risk of exceeding available electrical capacity.
In this rare circumstance, where strata lots are independently supplied with electricity, the electrical planning report provider must confirm this status. The report provider will then issue a shorter EPR to confirm that each strata lot’s electrical capacity is not affected by the electricity use of other strata lots.
Note: individual household utility bills are not an indicator of electricity being provided to the strata lot independently of the strata corporation.
EPR scope and limits
The electrical planning report (EPR) provides the strata corporation with an overview of electrical capacity and future demands. It is not a detailed analysis.
An EPR cannot inform the installation of electrical loads.
If a strata corporation or an owner wants to add equipment that will increase the electrical demand or make changes to the strata corporation’s electrical system, the strata corporation needs to ensure a qualified professional selects the equipment, confirms the electrical capacity and informs the strata corporation if electrical upgrades are needed.
There may be opportunities for cost-savings, as some EPR providers can provide additional services and may be able to offer a better price for “bundled” services if these services are provided at the same time as an EPR.
Electrical planning reports versus EV Ready Plans
Electrical planning reports (EPRs) are not the same as EV (electric vehicle) Ready Plans. However, there may be opportunities for cost-savings by having the same provider issue both reports.
- An electrical planning report provides a general overview. The EPR helps the strata corporation and strata owners to understand the electrical capacity of the strata corporation, demands for electricity and avoid exceeding their existing capacity.
- An EV Ready Plan details the requirements to install electric vehicle charging in every parking stall.
Electrical capacity and demands for electricity
Almost all strata corporations, including bare land strata corporations and town house complexes, have finite electrical capacity. Paying for upgrades to electrical capacity can be expensive. Electrical planning reports can help strata corporations understand and manage within their existing capacity.
Understanding demand for electricity
To produce an electrical planning report, the provider will need to understand the strata corporation’s current and future demands for electricity. To understand electricity demands and priorities, the strata corporation should consult with strata owners. The strata council can hold meetings, conduct surveys or discuss priorities at a general meeting.
The EPR provider will need to understand an estimate of the electrical capacity needed for anticipated future demands including the electrical capacity needed to power:
- heating, cooling, ventilation and other systems that the strata corporation anticipates may be modified or installed in the future and
- EV charging infrastructure that the strata corporation anticipates may be installed in the future.
Some examples of questions a strata corporation can consider when reviewing demands for electricity include:
- Does the strata corporation want to make every parking stall EV ready?
- How would an electric vehicle management system affect electrical demand?
- The strata corporation may want to consider trade-offs between competing uses. For example, do owners want to install heat pumps in every strata lot or should heat pumps be prioritized for strata lots on the south side of the building?
An EPR can also help a strata corporation avoid “brownouts”. A brownout is a temporary drop in voltage in an electrical power system that causes lights to dim but doesn’t completely cut off power. Brownouts should be avoided as they can damage items, including electronic equipment and appliances with motors such as fridges.
Brownouts usually occur during peak load demands when electricity use is higher; for example, after work on a weekday, when people are at home making dinner and using electrically powered devices such as televisions, computers, charging phones, or are doing chores like laundry. Wider brownouts can also occur across a region when electricity demands are unusually high, such as using air conditioners during a heat wave.
Timelines to obtain an electrical planning report
Strata corporations with five or more strata lots are required to obtain an electrical planning report by the following dates:
- By December 31, 2026, for strata corporations located in:
- the Metro Vancouver Regional District (excluding islands which are only accessible by air or boat such as Bowen Island),
- the Fraser Valley Regional District and
- the Capital Regional District, CRD (excluding islands which are only accessible by air or boat such as the Southern Gulf Islands)
- By December 31, 2028, for strata corporations located in other areas of British Columbia (including the Southern Gulf Islands and Bowen Island).
- New strata corporations will have five years from the deposit of the strata plan to obtain an electrical planning report.
- Phased strata corporations have specific timelines as set out in the Strata Property Regulation, 5.9.
For more information on EPRs, follow the attached link …
