Commercial EV charging for Canadian businesses.

Level 1 uses a standard 120V outlet and delivers 1.4–1.9 kW — roughly 8–12 km of range per hour. No electrical upgrade required. Suitable only for very small fleets with long overnight dwell times. Rarely specified for commercial installations. Level 2 uses 208–240V AC and delivers 3.3–19.2 kW — typically 50–80 km of range per hour in commercial configurations. It is the standard for C&I facilities: employee parking, fleet vehicles, warehousing, retail. Qualifies for the federal Clean Technology Investment Tax Credit. May require a panel upgrade for larger deployments. Level 3 (DC fast charging) delivers 50–350+ kW of DC power directly to the battery — 100–350 km of range in 30 minutes. Requires significant electrical infrastructure, typically a dedicated transformer. Best justified for high-throughput public charging, transit depots, or fleets requiring fast turnaround. For most C&I facilities, Level 2 is the right starting point. Electrical infrastructure installed for Level 2 can often accommodate DC fast charging later without a full rebuild.

Without load management, EV charging can trigger peak demand charges — particularly when multiple vehicles charge simultaneously during high-demand periods. Charge scheduling software distributes charging across lower-demand periods, preventing the demand spikes that increase monthly billing. For facilities with battery storage, the storage system can buffer EV charging demand during peak hours. A properly designed charging system does not materially increase a facility’s demand charges — but an unmanaged one can. This is why the electrical profile is assessed before any charger is specified.

Ontario’s Building Emissions Performance Standard sets carbon intensity limits for large commercial buildings. EV charging infrastructure supports BEPS compliance by enabling fleet electrification — reducing on-site fossil fuel use and documented scope 1 emissions. Buildings where EV charging is powered by renewable electricity from rooftop solar can document a direct emissions reduction relevant to BEPS reporting cycles.

The incentive stack for commercial EV charging in Canada typically includes: Federal Clean Technology Investment Tax Credit — up to 30%, refundable, on eligible EV charging infrastructure capital costs. Accelerated First-Year Capital Cost Allowance — 100% first-year CCA on eligible clean energy assets, enhancing depreciation in the year of acquisition. Utility & regional incentives — utility, municipal, and provincial funding programs that vary by region and availability. All applicable incentives are identified and built into the project financial model as part of the assessment process.

Yes—but commercial EV charging systems are not typically powered directly from solar panels alone. Because solar production is intermittent, it may not align with when vehicles actually need to charge. Instead, rooftop solar, battery storage, EV charging infrastructure, and the building electrical system usually operate together in parallel as part of a broader energy system. During daytime hours, on-site solar generation can offset a portion of the facility’s electrical consumption—including EV charging demand—reducing grid consumption and helping lower peak demand charges. Battery storage adds additional flexibility by storing excess solar generation for later use during higher-demand charging periods or evening fleet charging windows. This integrated approach provides a larger long-term benefit because the solar and battery systems continue supporting the building’s overall energy profile even when EV charging demand is low or inactive. When EV charging, solar, and battery storage are all in scope, the systems should be designed and financially modelled together to optimize electrical infrastructure sizing, operating costs, demand management, and long-term expansion planning.

The number depends on fleet size, vehicle dwell time, and how much charge each vehicle needs per session. A Level 2 charger running for 8 hours delivers roughly 50–80 km of range — one charger per two or three vehicles is typically adequate for overnight fleet charging. For employee parking or retail, charger count is based on the proportion of EV drivers and projected growth. The electrical assessment establishes how many chargers the existing infrastructure can support before upgrades are specified.

A typical installation of 4–12 Level 2 chargers at a single site takes two to four weeks from permit approval to commissioning. Panel upgrades, if required, add two to four weeks. DC fast charging installations requiring transformer upgrades may take six to ten weeks. For multi-site fleet programs, installations are sequenced to minimize disruption at each location. All permits, utility notifications, and ESA inspections are managed as part of the project scope.