Mass roll-out of chargepoint funding for councils increases need for competent installers
Posted by: electime 28th October 2024
George White MIET, Senior Consultant (EV Charging and Building Services) at leading compliance expert, Bureau Veritas, discusses the recent influx of funding for Zero Emission Vehicles. George highlights the distinct need for compliant and competent installation and maintenance to support this mass roll-out.
As the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles continues to deliver on its Local Electric Vehicle (LEVI) fund to support local councils to install EV chargepoints (EVCPs), more than £185 million has been made available to support 44 additional councils across the UK, which can choose where is best to install chargepoints in their local area.
With such an increase in spending and commitment to the UK’s EVCP infrastructure, it’s vital that safety and risk reduction are prioritised in the installation and ongoing maintenance of these charging units.
Installation
For installers, competence and compliance is key. An EVCP is an extremely large and high-powered piece of kit and should be treated as such when it comes to safety. Not only do they supply a significant amount of power (rapid chargers supply a minimum of 25kW), they also aren’t being handled by specialist electricians, but by any member of the public who drives an electric vehicle.
Electrical installers must also ensure they keep atop of updates to regulations. The most recent updates to the 18th Edition IET Wiring Regulations Amendment 1: (2020) state that residual current devices (RCDs) must be fitted within an EV charging point and tested every six months. An RCD provides additional protection for users safeguarding against electric shock, they connect to the live conductors within the device and will cut off the power if an electrical fault is detected. This works to prevent fatal electric shocks for charge points users and potentially protect against electrical fires.
Chargepoint installation also requires a surge protection device (SPD) to be fitted to guard against overvoltage. Without this fitted as part of an EVCP, the charger could suffer damage from a power surge – and the risks to cars connected to a chargepoint during an overvoltage is very costly too.
Maintenace
As well as the proper installation of EV chargepoints, this mass roll-out by the government of local public EVCPs also increases the requirement to maintain them. Damage to cables and charging equipment caused by wear and tear, weather damage, as well as user error and collisions with chargepoints, can all increase the safety risks of a chargepoint to its user.
Like any fixed electrical installation, duty holders – in this case, local councils – are required under the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 to ensure the safety of EVCPs, including maintaining electric vehicle systems to limit danger to users.
Whilst the industry average for inspecting an EVCP is every three years, I always recommend to our clients that to reduce potential risk and harm to the user, EVCPs should be tested every year – particularly as they are still a fairly new piece of equipment and the rate at which they are installed continues at rapid pace. The benefits of annual inspection far outweigh the potential risks caused by faulty or damaged equipment.
What can Bureau Veritas offer?
Bureau Veritas is an independent authority able to support in the transition to EVs. Its Electric Technical Services team can offer consultancy around design and technology feasibility, specification, programme management, regulatory compliance and testing and inspection of the final installed chargepoint.
We recently supported Bawtry Town Council to launch a tender process for contractors to install charging stations in the town. With no technical expertise or understanding of their own, the Council commissioned our electrical specialists to provide ongoing impartial and independent consultancy throughout the selection process to ensure effective specification and installation.
For further information on how Bureau Veritas can support your organisation’s EV requirements, please visit https://www.bureauveritas.co.uk/needs/electric-vehicle-charging-points-testing-inspection.
