Recently, residents in two of our managed condo properties asked for permission to install air conditioning (AC). The conversation among board members and residents initially revolved around the potential noise that AC units could generate, which might impact the overall enjoyment of the property.
During the discussions, Key Condo asked: Can the building's electrical system handle the additional load from AC units? This question shifted the focus from noise to the site's electrical capacity.
Recognizing the importance of this question, both condo boards agreed to hire an electrical engineer to assess the load capacity of the buildings (in fact we were able to facilitate for both condos to hire the same engineer at the same time for cost savings). Given that both properties were built in the 1980s, we expected they would both have some extra capacity to accommodate ACs, or even EV chargers. But we just weren't sure how many ACs could actually be installed.
The engineer's assessment revealed that the existing transformers in both condo buildings did not have any extra capacity to support ACs or EV chargers. The transformers were already operating near their maximum capacity.
The electrical engineer recommended that before allowing any residents to install AC units, the condo corporations needed to update the transformers. We were told that even if units installed an interlock system—where only either the AC or oven could operate at a time, but not both—the current transformers could not safely accommodate the additional load. The issue was not with the individual unit breakers or panelboards but with the overall capacity of the site-wide transformers.
Condo boards looking to investigate their building's capacity for ACs and EV chargers could consider the following steps:
Hire an Electrical Engineer: review existing site transformers, distribution to units, unit panelboards, and breakers to determine capacity for ACs and EV chargers in residential units.
Coordinate with Local Utilities: The engineer suggested reaching out to Enmax, who operates electricity transmission equipment for Calgary, to check if any transformer upgrades were already planned in the next few years. Upgrading transformers during scheduled replacements can be more cost-effective than initiating standalone upgrades.
We were disappointed by the results of the engineer assessment because so many residents were looking forward to installing AC. We are very happy though that our condo board hired an engineer to confirm site limitations before implementing new policies.
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