Dock 5 unveils electric vehicle charging project

Residents at Dock 5 can now join the electric vehicle (EV) revolution with confidence following the completion of a state-of-the-art charging project in its building – the first of its kind in Docklands.

City of Melbourne Lord Mayor Sally Capp joined residents on August 23 to officially open the project, which marks a significant step forward in sustainability not only for the Dock 5 community, but as an example for other apartment buildings in Docklands to follow.

With construction of Dock 5 completed in 2006 well before the emergence of EV technology, the challenge of retrofitting EV charging facilities to existing buildings has been well documented in recent years.

A report released earlier this year by peak property body Strata Community Association (SCA) outlined the unique issues that strata buildings face in Australia, highlighting current emissions reduction targets and net-zero commitments wouldn’t be possible without the integration of “the one in five” Australian residents who live in strata complexes.

While the National Construction Code now requires that new buildings must be “EV ready” as of October 1, 2022, almost all older buildings in Australia have not been built with the level of electrical infrastructure sufficient to support additional load for EV charging.

“Unique in its breadth” and “highly innovative”, the Dock 5 OC has been able to implement an EV charging system available to all residents, which it said stood apart for its “innovative active load management”.

“This cutting-edge technology ensures that the building’s total power capabilities are never exceeded,” a statement from Dock 5 building management said.

“Through seamless interaction between individual EV chargers and a central load management computer, power to the EV chargers can be dynamically adjusted when the building approaches its maximum electrical power demand.”

This ensures that all residents can charge their electric vehicles efficiently without compromising on other electrical needs.

The project has been delivered in collaboration with Wattrix, JetCharge, ChargeFox and Focused Facilities Management.

Speaking at the opening, Lord Mayor congratulated Dock 5 for its far-reaching project and its alignment with the City of Melbourne’s commitment to achieve net zero emissions by 2040 and boost jobs. •