Case studies·East Danforth, Toronto

Project snapshotEV charging100 A service

48 A EV charger on a 100 A panel
no upgrade, room to spare

An older home on a full 100 A panel. A year of meter data showed a peak of just 18 A, so a full-speed 48 A charger went straight in, installed in a day, with nearly 30 A still to spare.

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Grizzl-E EV charger hardwired on a brick wall of a 100 A home, East Danforth, Toronto — 48 A charger, 100 A panel

18 A

Highest demand in 12 months

70.5 A

Calculated load with the charger

29.5 A

Left over on the 100 A service

1 day

On site, inspected the next day

1The challenge

A new EV with an 11 kW onboard charger, and a house on a 100 A service. The owner wanted to know whether the panel could take a full-speed charger, or whether a service upgrade or a load management device would be needed first.

2What we did

Reviewed 22 Toronto Hydro billing periods of interval data, about two years and 13,800 kWh
Code check under ESA Bulletin 8-3-15: 18 A x 1.25 = 22.5 A, plus the charger at its full 48 A = 70.5 A, within the 100 A service
The panel had no free spaces, so four single breakers were combined into two tandem breakers to open a spot for a new 60 A two-pole breaker
Armoured #6 copper cable run through the basement ceiling to the front wall, and a Grizzl-E charger hardwired at 48 A to match the car's 11 kW onboard charger
Installed in one day, with the ESA permit, inspection and Certificate of Acceptance

3The result

A direct install at the full 48 A, no service upgrade and no load manager, with 29.5 A left over for a heat pump or induction later. With most of the house's use already overnight, a switch to the ultra-low overnight rate makes charging cheaper still.

The load check

The numbers, by the Code method

Highest demand from a year of meter data, the 1.25 factor, then the charger added at its full rating.

Highest demand in 12 monthsFrom Toronto Hydro interval data

18 A

Calculated house loadPeak x 1.25

22.5 A

Plus a 48 A chargerAdded at its full rating

70.5 A

The service100 A at 240 V

100 A

Most 100 A homes are not as full as they look. The panel rating says what the service can carry. The meter data says what the house actually uses, and here it left room for the charger and more. A full panel is a space problem, not a capacity problem: tandem breakers solved it.

On site

48 A EV charger on a 100 A panel

Load assessment first

Then the right install

Send your address and 12 months of Toronto Hydro data. We will tell you if a charger goes straight in, and send a fixed quote within 1 to 2 business days.

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Straight Answers

The kind we would give before you commit a dollar of capital. Tap a question.

Do I need a 200 A upgrade for an EV charger?

Often not. Many Toronto homes on 100 A peak well under half their rating. With 12 months of Toronto Hydro data, the Code method shows whether a full-speed charger fits as is, fits with load management, or needs an upgrade.

My panel is full. Do I need a new one for an EV charger?

Not always. If the service has capacity but no free spaces, some single breakers can often be combined into tandem breakers, where the panel is rated for them, to open a two-pole spot. That is what we did here.

What size EV charger should I install?

Match it to your car's onboard charger. A car that accepts 11 kW charges fully at 48 A. A bigger charger than the car can use adds cost without adding speed.

Is the ultra-low overnight rate worth it with an EV?

Usually, if most of your use and your charging happen overnight. Ontario's ultra-low overnight plan prices 11 pm to 7 am well below standard off-peak, and you can switch back if it does not suit you.

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