leangreen.org recycled renovation on a low-budget ration

The order is in to PG&E and we’re waiting for our electric hookup. We’ve already decided that we only need 125 AMP service panel(most builders/electricians opt for 200 AMP as standard). Our logic was: shouldn’t we be using less and less energy as innovations take hold? Here’s the wrench. According to the recent NYTimes article, Cities Prepare for Life with EV, battery-powered motors are more efficient than gasoline engines, costing only 2.5 cents per mile for fuel. Some predict a surge in EV-adoption over the next few years, especially in techie-meccas like the Bay Area. In our case, our Ford Sport Trac, runs at about $1 per mile (and just hit 100k on the odometer). Several loans and a few solar panels later, we could be driving for “free.” Our mileage is so low, payback might take awhile. But fast forward to 2020, are we prepared for this onslaught of power usage?

It’s not too late. The walls are not yet closed up in the garage. Apparently, an EV car can plug-in to standard 110 volt service, but the battery will take a long time to fully charge, maybe 24 hours. The new Chevy Volt might require a 240 volt quick-charging station that runs off a 50-amp circuit, speeding charging time to something more like a few hours. Claims of a 5-minute, 500-mile recharge sound like they’d require a whole new electric infrastructure of high tension wires running through your neighborhood. Our service is being upgraded from 110 to 220 volts which is done by PG&E as standard practice with a remodel of this nature (110 volt service is fairly dated). Certainly a better option for plugging in your wheels but seems like it still might not pass the cut.

For one, I’m glad that our outdoor outlet will be behind a locked gate. Someone once siphoned gas out of our truck while parked in the driveway. Late-night electric feeding may not be too far off. According to the NYTimes article, outages may also follow this trend if folks don’t also early-adopt some solar panels to help feed the local grid. Perhaps that’s one reason that PG&E is installing smart meters in our neighborhood.

Should we dedicate a 50-amp circuit to the future? We’re not sure what our electric load will be or if our 125-amp service panel will be able to juice an EV. Our panel is rated for 200-amps. Popping in a new main breaker, adding a new circuit and wiring the two feet down to our first outlet should not be a major outlay. We are future-proofed to some degree.