In Greater Vancouver's strata communities, keeping up with evolving standards is key to smooth operations. Among the recent mandates is the Electrical Planning Report (EPR), a report aimed at helping stratas understand where they are with respect to Gas & propane energy consumption and how to move toward electricity consumption.
1. Understanding the EPR
The Electrical Planning Report (EPR) is a one-time assessment mandated for strata communities with five units or more. To comply, Greater Vancouver's strata corporations must have an EPR by December 31, 2026. The EPR would be attached to a strata unit’s Form B.
2. Scope and Purpose
The EPR aims to equip strata communities with a strategic plan, primarily focused on transitioning from natural gas and propane to electric systems. This includes evaluating HVAC, hot water, and EV car charging infrastructure.
3. Key Components of the EPR
The EPR includes critical elements:
Current Electrical Capacity: Assessing existing capacity.
List of Existing Electrical Demands: Identifying current demands.
Peak Demands and Spare Capacity: Determining peak demands and assessing spare capacity if any.
Capacity Requirements for Conversion: Outlining the electrical capacity requirements for transitioning to electricity.
Requirements for Conversion: Outlining the required steps to meet that capacity.
Steps to reduce current electrical consumption: Recommending strategies like switching to LED lighting.
Current available Upgrade Capacity: Exploring available enhancements.
4. Implementation and Compliance
Strata corporations must attach the completed EPR to Form B, ensuring transparency. Exemptions are only granted to strata of 5 units or less. Stratas must have a majority vote for the report to be created.
5. Risk of Non-Compliance
The absence of an EPR can lead to non-compliance, posing challenges in responding to owner requests for electrical upgrades. Stratas must address owner requests for EV charging, with a mandated response window of three months, and no unreasonable requests can be denied. So a strata will need an EPR in hand to respond quickly, thus avoiding disputes with owners.
6. Differentiating the EPR from EV Ready Plans
EPRs and EV Ready Plans are two different things, although some overlap might exist.
In conclusion, the Electrical Planning Report (EPR) offers strata communities in Greater Vancouver a strategic roadmap towards transitioning from gas and propane to electric systems, ensuring compliance, sustainability, and smoother operations in the face of evolving energy standards.
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