Scalable, safe, cutting-edge – a cost-efficient charging solution for housing cooperatives.

Those living in one of the newly built apartments at Eikelijordet in Ski municipality, just outside Oslo, can easily get a charging station at their parking space. The charging facility, set up earlier this year and featuring the award-winning DEFA Power, is scalable.

“We believe that DEFA Power is well-suited for housing cooperatives,” says Per Th. Magnor, CEO and co-founder of Movel – one of Norway’s leading charging operators and the company responsible for operating the new facility.

Modern charging facility – scalable for future needs. 

The housing cooperative has over 50 parking spaces with just under 30 next-generation system chargers – DEFA Power – installed. The reason there aren’t charging points at every parking spot in OBOS and Block Watne’s new development project is not due to a lack of capability. It’s simply because not all residents need them today. However, when a new resident gets an EV, it only takes a moment to have a functioning home charger in place.

The parking spaces at Eikelijordet that are not yet equipped with charging stations, are prepared for DEFA Power. Essentially, everything is ready: fuses, cabling, and power supply. All a resident need to do is order a DEFA Power from the installer and then activate an account with Movel – specialists in charging systems for housing cooperatives.

Choose the right solution – save money

“This setup is very convenient for those transitioning to an EV. The infrastructure that has been set up and DEFA Power’s design make it both easy and very cost-effective to expand the charge system,” says Movel’s CEO Per Th. Magnor, adding: “Unfortunately, many housing cooperatives have chosen solutions that are not as flexible. We encounter this from time to time; a housing cooperative set up charging points a few years ago and then suddenly need more charging stations. They then must replace the entire charge system, resulting in wasted money.”

Competitive charging station

The scalability and flexibility of the DEFA Power solution at Eikelijordet is not all; the charger is also intuitive for end-users, according to Magnor.
“We have great confidence in DEFA chargers. It’s convenient to have a fixed cable since it’s just one plug to connect – not one in the car and one in the charger. Also, the display, which provides relevant information to the user, is customer friendly. All other chargers have lights blinking in different colors and few customers understand what the different colors mean. DEFA Power is truly a competitive charging station!”

 

When asked “What are the three strongest reasons to choose DEFA Power for a facility?” he replies:
“The display that provides useful information, having DEFA employees available in the markets where the charger is sold, and that this is a competitive charger with all the necessary features. OCPP 2.0.1 ensures DEFA Power is future-proof and meets all the needs we foresee soon.”

Charging in housing cooperatives made easy

There is no need to worry about management and administration of charging costs and invoicing. Several oerators are making this process easier.

Movel – Norway’s largest technology neutral charging operator – is one of two suppliers used by OBOS. “They chose us because we offer great solutions and because we are experts in managing facilities in housing cooperatives. Working with charging in housing cooperatives is complicated on many levels. Different cars that react differently, different amounts of power at different times of the day, grid fees, electricity subsidies and incentives. Each part on its own is simple, but when all parameters are combined into one invoice, it becomes more complicated. Everything must be precise, and you need to have absolute control over all details, and that’s what we have at Movel.”

 

About the project:

• Eikelijordet Housing Cooperative, at Ski outside Oslo, Norway
• Number of charge points: 30 DEFA Power (wallmounted in garage)
• Installer: AA Elektro AS
• Property developer: OBOS Block Watne
• Management system: Movel

Read more about  DEFA Power and housing cooperative here.