Blog

By Caroline Selber and Breda Potter

This article first appeared in our Communicator Magazine, Winter 2026 Issue.

WHAT IS AN EVEMS AND WHY DO YOU NEED ONE?

For such a big acronym, electric vehicle energy management systems (EVEMS) are deceptively simple: They manage electricity.

But why you need one might not be so obvious. And finding out is important; to power an electric vehicle charger, your home will need enough electrical capacity.

All homes have an electric panel with breaker switches. Condos and apartments, also known as multi-unit residential buildings (MURBs) or multi-unit dwellings (MUDs), will have an electrical panel for each unit, and often only one more panel for lights and outlets in shared spaces, like a hallway. These panels commonly have a limit of 100 amps, sometimes 200 amps. This means that all of the electronics and appliances that you have running in your home must draw power less than the maximum number of amps your panel can afford, or else a breaker will ...

How to prepare for electric vehicle charger installations in common areas.

By Karen St. Onge, Esq

This article fist appeared in The Communicator, Spring 2023 Edition. 

It has been more than a decade since the Davis-Stirling Act was amended to provide for the installation of electric vehicle charging stations (EV chargers) and time of use meters in common interest developments (CIDs). Despite this legislation, installation of EV chargers in common areas has remained a rare occurrence, and the courts have not issued any appellate decisions interpreting sections 4745 and 4745.1 of the Davis-Stirling Act.

Recently, millions of dollars in rebates have become available for installation of shared EV chargers. These rebates are from the state and federal government in partnership with nonprofit organizations to further promote EV charger installations. So, how can associations take advantage of this free money and be prepared to respond to owners’ requests to install EV chargers in common ...