Project Spotlight: Commercial EV Charging Station Installation

TCA Installed EV Chargers at Whistler Blackcomb! closeup of the SWTCH EV charger

Our Project Spotlights blog series highlights some of our favourite electrical projects over the years. In today’s Project Spotlight: a commercial EV charging station installation we completed in a very unique location! This project saw our team travel up to Whistler, BC to install EV chargers at Whistler Blackcomb, one of the most popular ski resorts in Canada—let alone the rest of the world! Let’s take a look at how the TCA Electric team completed this project.

Our client: AWM Alliance

For this project, we were working once more with AWM Alliance. AWM is a property management company based in British Columbia that we have collaborated with on several projects over the past two years. Some of these past projects have included upgrading many of the resort’s homes to smart homes. 

We’ve always worked well together with this client, and because of our pre-existing relationship with this client, they knew just who to call on to meet their EV charging needs!

The project: Commercial EV charging station installation

Our goal for this project was to install two public EV chargers for guests at the Whistler Blackcomb ski resort to use. Over the years, there had been an increase in demand for EV charging options as more and more guests purchased electric vehicles. Adding public charging stations would lend these visitors greater convenience with charging options located within the resort, rather than leaving them to exit the resort just to charge their vehicles. 

This commercial EV charging station installation was to include additional lighting as well, so that visitors would be able to more easily use these chargers at night. Because of these unique needs, we recommended the LITE-ON charger from SWTCH

The challenges: Internet troubleshooting

There were two main challenges for this project. As with all EV chargers higher than Level 1, the device we were to install would need to connect up to an electrical panel. Of course, it’s best to make this connection as unobtrusive as possible, especially at a busy ski resort that welcomes many visitors throughout the year. This meant the TCA team would need to find the best route from the electrical room to the EV parking locations on the property.

In addition to this, we also faced another interesting challenge: There wasn’t enough conduit existing that went directly to the EV charger locations to provide a networking cable for them to connect to the internet. An internet connection is required for this charger to come online and enable the user to charge their EV. We would need to find a solution for this as well!

The result: A successful installation!

After pulling a permit from Technical Safety BC, the TCA team worked together to start planning out our solutions for this project. We consulted with our clients on the best route for the power cables, investigating much of the existing pipe in the ground to plot out the best route to reach the parking stall locations. 

With this resolved, we worked to solve the internet issues. In the end, we were able to create an internet connection by installing a wireless networking system to connect to the EV chargers by using the cellular network. 

This project came together beautifully in the end, and it was all the result of a combined team effort! Project managers Warren and Brad coordinated with lead electricians Sean and Matt to work efficiently to complete this commercial EV charging station installation. Since Whistler is located more than 100 km from North Vancouver, our team stayed onsite for multiple days at a time, and their time management was integral to the success of this project. Good work, team!

the SWTCH EV chargers installed by TCA

TCA Electric: Your EV Charging Experts

At TCA Electric, we’re proud to be part of the EV revolution here in BC. We’ve helped many homeowners and business owners make EV ownership an even better experience by installing both residential and commercial EV chargers in Vancouver—and beyond!

Whether you’re looking to add one EV charger or several, TCA Electric has the experience and skill to complete the installation efficiently and safely. Our licensed and qualified electricians can overcome a variety of electrical challenges to ensure that your vision comes together just as you imagined. Contact us today to tell us about your EV charging needs!

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