BNL Employee Electric Vehicle Charging Program users group

["Van Buren, Gene" <gene AT bnl.gov>]

Hi, Sean

I appreciate your enthusiasm :-)  I'm also aware of the limited number of 
outlets for people on the east half of central campus. I will try to 
re-clarify the situation with expanding the outlets for the EVCP program as 
best I can.

_______


For 110 (120) V outlets, most of what can affordably be done is being done. 
Here are details:


(1) Identifying and including in the EVCP program all suitable existing 
outdoor outlets that can be safely used as is (modulo signage and some 
possible safety upgrades like GFCI and outlet covers) is welcomed. If, for 
example, an outlet requires the charging cord to span a walkway, that would 
not be resolvable within the scope of federally allowed spending by BNL.

I am aware of several unused outdoor outlets that do not meet these criteria 
and cannot be currently used. There is one location that I believe does meet 
the the criteria next to Bldg. 134 (northeast corner, on a light pole next to 
the small parking lot there), but wasn't included because Bldg. 134 was 
expected to be demolished a year ago. I don't know the updated timeline for 
demolition, but I can push for this outlet again (would facilitate someone 
from Physics, for example, to charge to the west instead of east). If you 
know of other candidate outlets, please contact me (I am serving as a central 
point of contact, a liaison, from the users). Please be aware that the 
outlets for the DOE EVs at Bldg. 464 are not being made available by the DOE.

An important note is that this use by employees is allowed by Section 
1413(c)(1)(A) of the FAST Act released in the fall of 2015. I have included 
the relevant sections of that Act below.


(2) Installing new outlets for other mission-support reasons (e.g. external 
building maintenance) that could be utilized by the EVCP program is something 
BNL can do (no cost to the users). The Energy & Utilities Division is aware 
and I believe will keep this in mind. If you are aware of a location that 
could benefit some other mission-support activities with a new outdoor 
outlet, you are welcome to propose it (please contact me).


(3) In the future, if the Lab purchases fleet vehicles with charging needs, 
new outlets (even EVSEs) could be installed and paid for by the Lab as that 
would be mission-supporting. Such outlets/chargers could be used by the EVCP 
whenever not in use by the fleet vehicles. There was an executive order by 
the previous presidential administration to encourage this. As an example, if 
BNL decides to build a new parking facility, they could put charging stations 
there as part of a plan-for-the-future umbrella.


(4) Section 1413(c)(1)(C) of the FAST Act clarifies that *ALL* costs for 
outlets specifically for employee charging must be born by the users (again, 
see below).

While this would allow the EVCP program to pay for new outlets (or even fixed 
EVSEs [sometimes referred to as "charging stations"]) by passing the costs 
for the effort on to us, my current understanding is that the costs would 
likely be very high for us (lots of people's time that literally must be 
compensated, in addition to the hardware). It would also be a headache for 
the Lab to re-direct money from the EVCP to multiple groups, get through 
procurement, and get all the approvals (including the Laboratory Electrical 
Safety Committee).

I understand there is also a potential conflict at BNL with the fact that 
this property is a federal enclave. That prevents employee-owned anything 
from being a permanent fixture onsite (must be removable). We can't just buy 
hardware as a group and attach it to a light post ourselves. Campuses that 
are owned by other entities (e.g. University of California) are not subject 
to this.

Given these hurdles, the general approach we've pursued has been along the 
lines of points (1), (2), and (3).


_______


Another question is whether anyone can use 220 (240) V outlets, as there are 
a group of 5 of those already available onsite at Bldg. 452. I can use those 
outlets, and I believe Tesla owners can (though we currently have no Tesla 
owners who have signed up for the EVCP program despite their presence 
onsite). They also offer higher current (20 A instead of 15 A), so its more 
than twice the power of the outlets we currently use. The LESC has currently 
denied their use by the EVCP program out of safety concerns (despite 220 V 
being the standard for much of the world). If you are prepared to be a user 
of those outlets, you can join in the effort to formulate arguments about why 
the EVSE you own passes the safety requirements of the National Electric Code 
by the National Fire Protection Association in an industrial environment, as 
is the case onsite (I can post the relevant code somewhere, though not for 
public distribution).

One last little outlet is an atypical 110 (120) V 20 A outlet at Bldg. 97. It 
requires a different plug than the usual 110 V plug (NEMA 5-15) given its 
higher amperage. Most users can't take advantage of it (for example, at the 
cost of a $20 adapter for my EVSE, I can use it, but will only draw 12 A), so 
it hasn't been pursued for the EVCP program. Getting the LESC to approve it 
would require convincing them your EVSE will appropriately throttle the 
amperage and not cause a safety hazard.

_______


Hope that helps,
-Gene

___________________

Fixing America’s Surface Transportation ("FAST") Act (Bill H.R. 22) Section 
1413(c)(1) and (2):

OPERATION OF BATTERY RECHARGING STATIONS IN PARKING AREAS USED BY FEDERAL 
EMPLOYEES.—

(1) AUTHORIZATION.—
(A) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator of General Services may install, construct, 
operate, and maintain on a reimbursable basis a battery recharging station 
(or allow, on a reimbursable basis, the use of a 120-volt electrical 
receptacle for battery recharging) in a parking area that is in the custody, 
control, or administrative jurisdiction of the General Services 
Administration for the use of only privately owned vehicles of employees of 
the General Services Administration, tenant Federal agencies, and others who 
are authorized to park in such area to the extent such use by only privately 
owned vehicles does not interfere with or impede access to the equipment by 
Federal fleet vehicles.

(B) AREAS UNDER OTHER FEDERAL AGENCIES.—The Administrator of General Services 
(on the request of a Federal agency) or the head of a Federal agency may 
install, construct, operate, and maintain on a reimbursable basis a battery 
recharging station (or allow, on a reimbursable basis, the use of a 120-volt 
electrical receptacle for battery recharging) in a parking area that is in 
the custody, control, or administrative jurisdiction of the requesting 
Federal agency, to the extent such use by only privately owned vehicles does 
not interfere with or impede access to the equipment by Federal fleet 
vehicles.

(C) USE OF VENDORS.—The Administrator of General Services, with respect to 
subparagraph (A) or (B), or the head of a Federal agency, with respect to 
subparagraph (B), may carry out such subparagraph through a contract with a 
vendor, under such terms and conditions (including terms relating to the 
allocation between the Federal agency and the vendor of the costs of carrying 
out the contract) as the Administrator or the head of the Federal agency, as 
the case may be, and the vendor may agree to.

(2) IMPOSITION OF FEES TO COVER COSTS.—
(A) FEES.—The Administrator of General Services or the head of the Federal 
agency under paragraph (1)(B) shall charge fees to the individuals who use 
the battery recharging station in such amount as is necessary to ensure that 
the respective agency recovers all of the costs such agency incurs in 
installing, constructing, operating, and maintaining the station.

(B) DEPOSIT AND AVAILABILITY OF FEES.—Any fees collected by the Administrator 
of General Services or the Federal agency, as the case may be, under this 
paragraph shall be—

(i) deposited monthly in the Treasury to the credit of the respective 
agency’s appropriations account for the operations of the building where the 
battery recharging station is located; and

(ii) available for obligation without further appropriation during—

(I) the fiscal year collected; and

(II) the fiscal year following the fiscal year collected.







> On Nov 27, 2017, at 2:01 PM, Sean McCorkle <sean.r.mccorkle AT gmail.com> 
> wrote:
> 
> 3 people for 2 positions @ Instrumentation, and I know Nick D'Imperio
> uses the one charger between the old and new light source.
> 
> I have a new EV (plug-in hybrid) - others will soon - its inevitable
> at this point.   Non-plugin hybrids are on their way out.     We're
> going to need more plugs.  What can I do to try get this to happen?
> 
> 
> --
> 
> Sean R. McCorkle
> sean.r.mccorkle AT gmail.com
> 
> "The Enlightenment must never bow to the Inquisition" - Charles M. Blow, 
> 2017
> _______________________________________________
> EVusers-l mailing list
> EVusers-l AT lists.bnl.gov
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