E-cars: Pioneers develop charging infrastructure for entire terraced housing estates
Created: 07/03/2022, 11:00 am
By: Manuel Eser
They did it: (from left) Katharina Frenzer-Welle, Dirk Hoops and Nikolaus Peller have implemented a self-developed concept on the Eisvogelweg in Freising with great commitment that does not yet exist in Germany: an e-charging infrastructure for carports and garages whole townhouse settlement.
© Lehmann
Charging stations for e-cars in settlements usually fail due to costs and technology.
Pioneers have now overcome all obstacles in Freising.
Freising
- your project could serve as a role model for the whole of Germany: apartment owners in Freising have designed a fully functional charging infrastructure for an entire row of houses.
On the way to the wall boxes for electric vehicles, the pioneers have overcome all obstacles - creatively and solution-oriented.
The success story of the Eisvogelweg begins with a defeat.
As early as 2017, an apartment owner in the terraced housing estate in Lerchenfeld wanted to create charging options for e-mobility - and was put in the place.
"His application was rejected in the owners' meeting - with reference to the high costs and technical complexity," reports Nikolaus Peller, who also belongs to the homeowners' association (WEG).
"If you don't have an e-vehicle yourself, you can understandably not make it palatable to advocate for an appropriate infrastructure."
Five masterminds break new ground
The topic was dormant for years and only picked up speed again with the new WeMog.
Behind the dynamic short form is the Housing Ownership Modernization Act, which came into force at the end of 2020.
"For the first time, there is a legal right to the construction of a charging facility that co-owners and tenants can assert against WEG," explains Peller.
"From then on it was no longer a question of 'if', but only of 'how'."
A project group was commissioned with the "how".
Five enterprising apartment owners sacrificed their free time to find a viable concept for wall boxes in the carport and duplex parking facility on the estate.
The five members put a lot of thought into the project, which ultimately also benefits environmental protection.
"We would have wished that there had already been a successful model that we could have used as a guide," says Katharina Frenzer-Welle from the project group.
"But as it was, we had to break new ground and acquire the know-how ourselves."
Decision made by vote
The project group conducts countless discussions - with politicians, specialist electrical companies and electricity suppliers, regionally and nationally, by telephone, e-mail and on site.
It's about financing models, funding pots and technical feasibility.
The effort that the five make is great, but it's worth it.
Your concept convinces the WEG.
In the vote, in which 32 owners take part, there is only one against and one abstention.
The overwhelming majority commissioned WEG to implement the wall box system.
"The more people take part, the cheaper it will be for everyone involved."
Nikolaus Peller, association "Wallboxen in the Eisvogelweg"
also read
After a fatal swimming accident near Freising: Expert explains – "Seahorse is no guarantee"
A quarter each of Eching and Allershausen: How the new pastor divides her work
Katharina Frenzer-Welle gives two reasons for WEG's groundbreaking vote: "Firstly, only those who actually use the charging station have to pay.
And secondly, the infrastructure can be expanded.” Every apartment owner can have a wall box installed in their carport or garage at a later date and will then share in the costs of the basic infrastructure.
“The more people take part, the cheaper it will be for everyone involved,” emphasizes Peller (see box).
Neatly installed: From the central cable duct in the garbage house, the electricity is routed to the individual wall boxes via rails.
It was important to the project group to make as few structural interventions as possible on the communal property.
© Eser
Another highlight: WEG can fall back on an existing connection for the required electricity, which until now has supplied the lanterns and the electric garage doors with energy.
"By converting the street lighting to LED, we were able to reduce power consumption by 80 percent," explains Dirk Hoops, the technical specialist on the project team.
Capacities that are now available via a separate meter for the charging infrastructure.
The current flows from the connection box via a cable duct attached to the outer wall of the garage to the individual charging points via busbars.
The inhibition thresholds are already sinking
An association was founded specifically to look after, maintain and manage the infrastructure: Wallboxen im Eisvogelweg eV, whose members are residents with wallboxes, also acts as a legal entity vis-à-vis the electricity provider, the installation and maintenance company and third parties.
The first eight wall boxes have been in operation for around six months.
With success.
"I connect my vehicle to the electricity in the evening and can drive off in the morning with a full battery," reports Katharina Frenzer-Welle.
A personal chip card records the individual power consumption and, thanks to a code, also ensures that no unauthorized person can access the wall boxes.
"It would be as if the cell phone owner always had to charge his cell phone when he was away."
Katharina Frenzer-Welle, association "Wallboxen im Eisvogelweg" on charging e-cars solely at external filling stations
Lo and behold: the success is having an effect.
“In the spring, two other apartment owners had a wall box installed.
"When people notice that it works, their inhibitions go down," says Frenzer-Welle.
"And of course the incentive to buy an e-vehicle is greater if the necessary infrastructure is already in place." Because always having to go to an external e-charging station is tiring in the long run.
"It would be as if the cell phone owner always had to charge his cell phone when he was away."
Well under ten percent of the possible capacity is currently being used, says Hoops.
“For the foreseeable future, the connection will be sufficient.
Should upgrading be necessary later, the corresponding costs will be spread over significantly more shoulders.”
(By the way: everything from the region is now also available in our regular Freising newsletter.)
With their pilot project, the pioneers of the Eisvogelweg have now become a role model for others themselves.
"We believe that our concept could be interesting for other owners' associations and are happy to be available as contacts." The neighboring settlement has already expressed an interest.
Good to know:
The first eight pioneers of the row house settlement on Eisvogelweg invested a total of around 10,000 euros in the realization of the infrastructure for the e-vehicle charging stations.
The costs per wall box, which each person pays themselves, amounted to around 2000 euros.
The approximately 10,000 euros for the central infrastructure were divided among the eight users.
This proportionate investment in the future of 1300 euros per person is reduced the more the more convinced people also connect to the system.
KfW promotes private charging points
KfW supports the construction of private charging points with up to 900 euros.
For inquiries and information about the concept, the board of directors of the “Wallboxen im Eisvogelweg eV” association are available by email: vorstand-wb@eisvogelweg.de.
