Current Connecticut Building Codes

Any new electric vehicle charging station, as known as electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE), requires a permit. You can find the pdf application here.

As mandated by the Connecticut General Statues § 29-252, the State Building Inspector and the Codes and Standards Committee are responsible for adopting a State Building Code based on a nationally recognized model building code.

Currently Connecticut uses the 2003 International Residential Code and the 2005 National Electrical Code for building and structures. The 2013 Amendment stated the codes will be updated to the 2009 International Residential Code and the 2011 National Electrical Code along with Connecticut Code Changes. The effect was supposed to take effect October 1, 2013, but because of issues in the administration review process, there is a delay. Anticipated implementation date is now December 31, 2013.

To find out more please check the Office of the State Building Inspector website.

September 2013 Question of the Month

Question of the Month: What are the key terms to know when discussing electric drive vehicles and their fueling infrastructure?

Answer: It is important to know how to “talk the talk” when it comes to electric drive vehicles. Becoming familiar with the terms below will help you better understand these vehicles and the associated fueling (charging) infrastructure, so that you can ask the right questions and make informed decisions:

Vehicle Types
There are two main categories of electric drive vehicles:

• Hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) are powered by an internal combustion engine or other propulsion source that runs on conventional or alternative fuel, as well as an electric motor that uses energy stored in a battery. The battery is charged through regenerative braking and by the internal combustion engine, and is not plugged in to charge. Regenerative breaking is a technology by which energy normally lost during braking is captured by the electric motor and stored in the battery for extra power during acceleration. There are two different types of HEVs:
• Mild hybrid: This type of HEV uses a battery and electric motor to help power the vehicle and can allow the engine to shut off when the vehicle stops (such as at traffic lights or in stop-and-go traffic). Mild hybrid systems cannot power the vehicle using electricity alone. Example: Chevrolet Malibu Eco
• Full hybrid: This type of HEV generally has more powerful electric motors and larger batteries, which can drive the vehicle on just electric power for short distances and at low speeds. Example: Toyota Prius

          HEVs can be designed in two different configurations:

• Parallel: This configuration connects the engine and the electric motor to the wheels through mechanical coupling and allows both the electric motor and the engine to drive the wheels directly, either simultaneously or independently
• Series: In this configuration, only the electric motor drives the wheels. The internal combustion engine is used to generate electricity for the motor.
• Plug-in electric vehicles (PEV) refer to any on-road vehicle that can be charged through an external source of electricity. There are two different types of PEVs available
• Plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV): Like HEVs, these vehicles are powered by an internal combustion engine that can run on conventional or alternative fuel, as well as an electric motor that uses energy stored in a battery. The difference is that these vehicles can be plugged into an electric power source to charge the battery. PHEVs can have a parallel or series design as well. Example: Chevy Volt
• Electric vehicle, or all-electric vehicle (EV): These vehicles use a battery to store the electric energy that powers the motor. EV batteries are charged by plugging the vehicle into an electric power source. EVs are sometimes referred to as battery electric vehicles (BEVs). Example: Nissan Leaf
• Neighborhood electric vehicle (NEV): These vehicles are smaller and have less battery power than traditional EVs, and are often referred to as low-speed vehicles. NEVs are confined to roads with lower speed limits and states set specific regulations regarding their use
Infrastructure Terminology Charging equipment for PEVs is known as electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE). Charging times vary based on how depleted the battery is, how much energy it holds, the type of battery, and the type of EVSE. Before exploring types of EVSE, it’s important to first understand the basics of electricity through the following terminology:
• Current type:
• Alternating current (AC): Movement of electric current that reverses or alternates direction. AC is the form of current normally generated and delivered by an electric utility to homes and businesses.
• Direct current (DC): Movement of electric current that continuously flows in the same direction. DC is the form of current normally delivered through batteries and is essential to charging vehicle batteries. As certain types of EVSE only provide AC (Level 1 and Level 2 described below), all PEVs are equipped with onboard equipment to convert the current to DC.
• Amperage: The amount of electrical current, which can be thought of as the rate of flow. Amperage is measured in amperes, commonly referred to as amps.
• Voltage: The electric potential energy per unit charge, which can be thought of as the force or pressure that drives the electric current. Voltage is measured in volts (V).
• By multiplying amperage by voltage, you can find the unit of power, otherwise known as watts (W). There are 1000 watts in a kilowatt (kW). A typical residential three-prong outlet can supply 12 amps at 120V, or 1.44 kW based on the following equation:
                    12 amps x 120V = 1440 W / 1000 = 1.44 kW
• PEV battery pack energy capacity is measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh). A kWh is a unit of energy that indicates the ability to provide a given amount of power for one hour. In theory, a 24 kWh battery pack would take 16.7 hours to charge using a standard 3-prong outlet based on the following equation:
                   24 kWh / 1.44 kW = 16.7 hours

EVSE Categories There are five different types of EVSE outlined in the table below.

Category	Basic Information	Connector(s)	Charge Time
Level 1	120V AC plug Typical for residential charging; uses a standard household outlet All PEVs come with a two-ended Level 1 EVSE cordset. One end has a standard three-prong plug and the other has a connector that plugs into the receptacle on the vehicle.	SAE J1772, NEMA 5-15 or NEMA 5-20	2 to 5 miles of range per hour of charging time to a light-duty PHEV or EV
Level 2	240V AC plug (residential applications) or 208V AC plug (commercial applications) Typical for residential, workplace, fleet, and public facilities Most homes have 240V service available but require equipment installation and a dedicated circuit of 20 to 80 amps, depending on EVSE requirements	SAE J1772	10 to 20 miles of range per hour of charging time to a light-duty PHEV or EV
Level 3	Pending industry consensus on definition	Undefined	Undefined
DC Fast	480V AC input with AC-DC converter Enables rapid charging along heavy traffic corridors and at public stations	Three types: CHAdeMO SAE J1772 Combo Tesla Supercharger	60 to 80 miles of range to a light-duty PHEV or EV in 20 minutes
Legacy "Paddle" Inductive	Uses an electromagnetic field which transfers electricity without a cord Today’s available PEVs do not use this type of charging	Small paddle or large paddle inductive	Varies
Wireless Inductive	Uses an electromagnetic field which transfers electricity without a cord Currently in planning and testing stages, not yet available	SAE J2954 (pending)	Undefined

Additional information on electric drive vehicles, infrastructure, and batteries can be found on the Alternative Fuels Data Center Electricity website (http://www.afdc.energy.gov/fuels/electricity.html).

Clean Cities Technical Response Service Team
technicalresponse@icfi.com
800-254-6735

Incentives for Electric Vehicle Chargers in CT

A DEEP and DOT partnership: www.ct.gov/deep/evconnecticut

The state of Connecticut is offering funding incentives to double the number of electric vehicle charging stations!

EVSE LLC is offering our stakeholders a discount on electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSEs). Contact Dan Shanahan at dshanahan@controlmod.com.

To find out more about the state program visit EVConnecticut.

Last week on July 9, 2013, the DEEP held an electric vehicle expo that kicked off an EVSE initiative to increase the number of EVSEs in the state. One of our stakeholders was there and wanted to follow up with information on their EVSE manufactured in Connecticut…

It was great seeing everyone at Middlesex Community College this week. EVSE LLC, an EV charger manufacturer based in Enfield was impressed with the attendance and is extending discounts to help Commissioner Dan Esty and the state in doubling the number of EV chargers in CT.

Businesses and municipalities that are interested in participating in the EV Incentives program should email EVConnecticut@ct.gov. More information is available at www.ct.gov/deep/evconnecticut.

If you have employees with electric vehicles and need EV chargers please feel free to contact me at 860-916-7162 or dshanahan@controlmod.com.

In addition to some funds from the state, EVSE LLC chargers can be purchased directly off CT DAS Contract 09PSX0014. This simplifies purchasing for cities, towns, state agencies, schools, state colleges and universities and quasi-public entities. For all Clean Cities coalition members we offer deep discounts! Call me at 860-916-7162.

EVSE LLC’s offers ceiling, wall and curbside Level 2 chargers with cable management that protect pedestrians from tripping accidents, are ADA compliant and protects cables from weather, vehicles and vandals. We are also a partner with ABB, a leading Fast Charger company with both SAE Combo and Chademo receptacles. Both EVSE and ABB chargers are networked on the Open Charge Protocol to ensure any EV drivers can access the chargers without a proprietary member cards. Open charging system networks are crucial to the Commissioner’s goal of reducing range anxiety; current charger networks are closed to members only which will leave many EV drivers stranded.

EVSE has installed chargers throughout CT and US—and our chargers are manufactured right here in CT. Some of our customers include Executive Valet near Bradley Airport, cities of New Haven and Bridgeport, United Illuminating, Norwich Public Utilities, Northeast Utilities, Goodwin College, Yale, Manchester Honda, Crowley Nissan, So. CT. State University, UCONN-Storrs, Westport Train Station and many others.

If you are planning to participate in this initiative feel free to contact me.

Remember to buy from a CT manufacturer to keep jobs here in CT.

Proterra All Electric Bus Visits CT DOT

Proterra EcoRide™ BE35 is an all electric bus.

Newington, CT – Today at the Connecticut Department of Transportation Office, a new type of bus was shown and test driven. The Proterra EcoRide™ BE35 is an all electric bus. It will be expanding its public service this year to six transit authorities. It has already been in use for about a year now at Foothill Transit in the San Gabriel Valley northeast of Los Angeles, and it has been featured on Jay Leno’s Garage channel. Also the Worcester (MA) Regional Transit Authority will receive three transit buses along with the on-route charging station provided by a $4.4-million Federal Transit Authority Clean Fuels grant.

Proterra’s on-route fast charge system allows the bus to “automatically connect to an overhead system that links the bus to a high-capacity charger without driver involvement. The bus is then rapidly charged in 5-10 minutes while passengers load and unload,” as stated on the company’s website.

The composite body of the bus reduces the weight of the bus by 20-40% of a traditional steel or aluminum transit bus while still being crash and element resistant meaning more batteries can be added without going over weight. The battery cells sit on the bottom of the bus to give even weight distribution and a low center of gravity.

The ride on the bus was very quiet. The noise only noise came from the air conditioner’s compressor, which the company says they are working to reduce that noise as well. There was absolutely no diesel smell, in fact, one rider said “it has a new car smell.”

The bus is the first of its kind to pass the rigorous testing of the Altoona Bus Research and Testing Center. “The technology is proven; out company is performing and winning orders as a result,” says Garrett Mikita, president and CEO of Proterra, Greenville, SC.

EVConnecticut state program and EVSE LLC discount

DEEP and DOT partnership

The state of Connecticut is offering funding incentives to double the number of electric vehicle charging stations!

EVSE LLC is offering our stakeholders a discount on electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSEs). Check out the flyer EVConnecticutLaunch for more details and contact Dan Shanahan at dshanahan@controlmod.com.
To find out more about the state program visit EVConnecticut.

EVSE LLC cable management
at Southern Connecticut State University

CT Clean Cities Future Fuels Update

Greater New Haven Clean Cities was awarded an American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) grant. The grant included $13.1 million in federal funding through the U.S. Department of Energy and $16.6 million in non-federal funds provided by over 30 partner organizations. The collaboration will lead to development and implementation of a state-wide fuel neutral effort that will deploy 267 alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs) and 5 public access and 5 private fleet access fueling stations as part of the Connecticut Clean Cities Future Fuels Project. You can learn more at the project’s website, http://www.ct-futurefuels.com/.

If you are interested in finding out more about what alternative fuels are best for your fleet visit http://www.afdc.energy.gov/ or email Lee Grannis at grannis@nhcleancities.org.

Below are graphs and charts that illustrate the Connecticut Clean Cities Future Fuel results as of June 30, 2013.

This is total fuel sales from the beginning of the Connecticut Clean Cities Future Fuels Project
Q1 of FY 2011 through Q3 FY 2013.

The project consists of 7 compressed natural gas (CNG) stations of which 4 are public access stations and 3 are fleet only access stations, 1 liquefied natural gas (LNG) with CNG station where the LNG side is fleet only access, but the CNG is public access, 1 fleet only access biodiesel station of B20, and electric charging stations with 4 as public use and 4 for fleet only use.

Fuel sales for natural gas separated into CNG and LNG sales of in-project vehicles and out-of-project vehicles.
Data from the Connecticut Clean Cities Future Fuels Project.

The graph above illustrates how much fuel was used by vehicles that were obtained as part of the project and fuel used by vehicles that companies outside of the project purchased because it made economic sense to do so. This graph shows that businesses are finding it beneficial to switch their fleet from traditional petroleum fuel to alternative fuels. Below are the numbers as to the number and type of vehicles obtained through the project.

Connecticut Clean Cities Future Fuels Project vehicles by type and class.

The graph below gives the number of miles driven by in project vehicles by quarter. Thus far in the project over 20.2 million miles have been driven by these alternative fuel vehicles.

Connecticut Clean Cities Future Fuels Project vehicles cumulative miles driven by quarter.

If you would like to find out more, please visit the project website: http://www.ct-futurefuels.com/index.html. If you are interested in finding out more about what alternative fuels are best for your fleet visit http://www.afdc.energy.gov/.

January 2013 Question of the Month

Question of the Month: What provisions in the enacted “fiscal cliff” legislation relate to alternative fuels and advanced vehicles?

Answer: On January 2, 2013, President Obama signed Public Law 112-240, the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012. In addition to averting tax rate increases and postponing government spending reductions, this legislation extends several tax credits and other incentive programs related to Clean Cities portfolio items. Updated information on these incentives is available on the Alternative Fuels Data Center (AFDC) Federal Laws and Incentives page. The changes are also summarized below.

The American Taxpayer Relief Act retroactively extends several tax credits that had expired on December 31, 2011. The following incentives are now effective through December 31, 2013:

• Alternative Fuel Excise Tax Credit: (Public Law 112-240, Section 412)
• Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Tax Credit: (Public Law 112-240, Section 402)
• Alternative Fuel Mixture Excise Tax Credit: (Public Law 112-240, Section 412)
• Biodiesel Income Tax Credit: (Public Law 112-240, Section 405)
• Biodiesel Mixture Excise Tax Credit: (Public Law 112-240, Section 405)

The legislation expands the tax definition of second generation biofuel (previously referred to as cellulosic biofuel) to include biofuel from cultivated algae, cyanobacteria, or lemna, and extends two incentives related to these fuels through December 31, 2013:

•   Second Generation Biofuel Plant Depreciation Deduction Allowance: (Public Law 112-240, Section 410)
• Second Generation Biofuel Producer Tax Credit: (Public Law 112-240, Section 404)

Section 403 of the Act expands the Qualified Plug-In Electric Drive Motor Vehicle Tax Credit to include a credit for eligible two- and three-wheeled plug-in electric drive vehicles, valid through December 31, 2013.

In addition, Section 701 extends discretionary funding for the following U.S. Department of Agriculture programs through September 2013:

• Advanced Biofuel Production Grants and Loan Guarantees
• Advanced Biofuel Production Payments:
• Biodiesel Education Grants:
• Biomass Research and Development Initiative:
• Ethanol Infrastructure Grants and Loan Guarantees:

To view the full text of the American Taxpayer Relief Act, select the Enrolled Bill version from this website.

The changes outlined above became effective immediately. It may take time, however, for the relevant agencies to update documentation to reflect these extensions and changes. For further information, please refer to the following websites:

• U.S. Internal Revenue Service, Forms & Publications
• U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rural Development Energy Programs     

Clean Cities Technical Response Service Team

technicalresponse@icfi.com

800-254-6735