DOE "Free" Charging Station - Use Own Electrician for Installaton?

[BOSSFO]

Just managed to sneak under the deadline for the ChargePoint America program and qualified for a "free" Coulomb CT500 charging station. Local incentives will provide $1,200 toward installation. Based on what I have read, SPX will contact me and give an insanely overpriced quote well beyond what a reasonable electrician would charge. Can I use my own licensed electrician and have him paid through the program? This person currently does all electrical work for the property I would rather go with someone that knows the building inside out.

EDIT 8/27/2012: Update in post #14. Short version, it wasn't worth it.

[ahaer]

There are many other paper-pushing and device configuration options required for the SPX program other than connecting the electrical supply (its a government program - you can imagine the forms). The best way to reduce SPX cost is to have a sub-panel in the garage that will support a 40A breaker. I had a subpanel installed separately so the SPX portion of my install was "only" about $650.

Why 40A when the volt only draws 12A you may be wondering???? The CT500 is capable of delivering the full amount of power supported by the J1772 spec (7.2kw or 30A) and there is supposedly an update that will allow it to provide 9.6kw) later...

[focher]

I qualified for the free EVSE but not the $1200 installation. After SPX's authorized electrician quoted $2800 for the installation, I paid a separate electrician $1500 to do the heavy work of installing a sub-panel in the garage next to where I would hang the EVSE. SPX still charged $500.

[drbruns]

You would probably have been better off having your first electrician to the whole job. Did you have to pay for a separate permit or was it included in either the $1500 from the first guy or the $500 from SPX?

edit: I forgot that you get the extra warranty if SPX installs.

[focher]

You would probably have been better off having your first electrician to the whole job. Did you have to pay for a separate permit or was it included in either the $1500 from the first guy or the $500 from SPX?

edit: I forgot that you get the extra warranty if SPX installs.

Exactly. SPX needs to "hang" the unit for the final step to get it treated like an SPX install. While I obviously didn't like spending the extra money, I consider it ok because it's a higher capacity EVSE that I can most likely use for future EVs ... which I definitely will have.

[SMBoss]

I had several estimates from SPX contracted electricans AND non-SPX licensed electricians. The stipulation to get the 'free' charging station was the need for proof any existing 240V outlet or sub-panel had the proper permits when installed. In the end, SPX returned with a $471 installation cost above the $1,200 DOE allowance -- just under what it would cost for the lowest priced 240V charging station I could buy independently. I had what SPX considered a 'special' installation that involved me providing a 35-foot trench for the conduit to run from the main panel to a detached garage...so if your install is less complicated there's a higher likelihood you may have smaller or even no out-of-pocket expenses.

[BOSSFO]

Thanks for all the replies. Sounds like SPX will be involved in one way or another.

Here is a more in depth explanation. My significant other has been given an apartment as part of her employment contract. The facilities person has always gone with a local licensed electrician for all the work on the property. He comes with great references and has done some pretty big projects. He knows the building well and I would rather have him do the work. PG&E is coming out for a site survey and their part of the work looks straight forward. The pole carrying electricity to the property is right my parking space in the carport. The electrical meters and power panel are 15 feet in front of where the Volt will be parked. The facilities person, electrician and I have already identified a perfect location for the charging station.

I would like to find a way for the charging station sent to the electrician and he be paid to install the charging station.

[islander]

Please continue to keep us posted on your progress. I think there have been very few installations in common type parking areas.

That is the situation I am in but I have not purchased my Volt yet. I hope by next year - we will see how things go. Good luck with your efforts.

Thanks for the information.
Dave.

[drbruns]

I would just go buy the $490 Voltec station, pay the local electrician the $300 to install it, claim the 30% federal tax credit, and sell the finished installed equipment to the apartment owner for $553.

What 30% tax credit are you referring to?

[drbruns]

http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f8911.pdf

If I'm not mistaken, this credit expired Dec 31, 2011.