Delaware county may implement ordinance that could shape future of home construction
(The Center Square) – Tuesday night, New Castle’s County Council is set to consider the adoption of an ordinance that could substantially alter new home construction as more and more electric vehicles enter the market.
Delaware Public Media first reported on the ordinance that is designed to amend the building code as it pertains to “natural environment and ecological protection” as electric vehicles are more environmentally friendly, are less complex to build, are cheaper to maintain, and last longer.
The ordinance reads, “residents of New Castle County will increasingly demand that our housing stock be outfitted with the equipment necessary to re-charge electric vehicles” and retrofitting existing homes “to install electric vehicle charging stations is time consuming and expensive.”
The ordinance cites Howard and Montgomery counties in Maryland, the city of Atlanta and the state of California as currently requiring new construction to include installation of electric vehicle charging stations.
With more and more electric vehicles entering the market, New Castle County “has an interest in making the future installation of electric vehicle charging stations as inexpensive and simple as possible.”
Homeowners who purchase electric vehicles have two options for recharging the batteries. Normal household outlets can charge the vehicles, known as Level I charging, which is not very efficient. Level II charging, which a home would have to be either built with or refitted to, allows for a more efficient charge.
In an interview with Delaware Public Media, Willet Kempton, a professor at the University of Delaware’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and College of Earth, ocean and Environment said, “You get home with an empty battery on Sunday night from your nice long weekend. You’re not gonna have a full battery until Wednesday.”
“It’s cheaper to do it ahead of time than after the fact,” Councilwoman Dee Durham, the legislation’s lead sponsor, told Delaware Public Media. “It also makes the system much more available to everyone.”
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