Salt River Project (SRP) recently announced that its ENERGY STAR Homes program now features a new EV Ready option that incentivizes home builders to prewire Phoenix-area home communities for electric vehicle (EV) charging needs.
18.7 million EVs are predicted to be on U.S. roads by 2030. Starting as early as 2023, several cities across the Valley will begin requiring new homes built have EV wiring installed per proper building codes. As part of SRP's ENERGY STAR Homes program, builders will be offered a US$300 incentive for each home wired for EV charging along with marketing support to advertise these communities to potential buyers. This incentive cuts the cost roughly in half for home builders' EV wiring installation.
"Prewiring homes for EV charging capabilities adds value for all individuals involved," said Rebecca Smout, SRP program manager. "This includes home builders who will soon be required to install this wiring and home owners who now have the option to charge EVs without putting in expensive infrastructure themselves. Home owners will also see increased resale values as EV charging will soon be an expectation of home buyers in the Valley area moving forward."
ENERGY STAR homes prewired for EVs will be able to accommodate Level 2 EV charging, which is able to recharge EVs twice as fast as Level 1 charging. Level 2 charging also supports the most advanced charging technology now available, including smart chargers and Amazon Alexa-enabled charging.
SRP recently conducted a survey of customers part of its EV Community in 2020 and found that among more than 1200 EV drivers in Arizona, 70% have Level 2 chargers at home.
"There is no denying this is the way of the future for the greater Phoenix community," said Smout. "SRP found that 84% of surveyed EV drivers living in our service territory would recommend buying an EV to a friend or colleague, and 40% said costs associated with charging their vehicles are lower or much lower than expected."
ENERGY STAR-certified homes are recognized as higher quality, more consistent homes that meet more than 150 critical construction details and ensure better process control and greater return on building investment. SRP provides builders who participate in this program advanced technical, sales, and marketing trainings focused on building science.
As part of SRP's 2035 Sustainability Goals, the utility plans to support the enablement of 500,000 EVs in its service territory and manage 90% of EV charging through price plans, dispatchable load management, original equipment manufacturer integration, connected smart homes, and behavioral and other emerging programs.
Home builders interested in learning more about this program and how they can qualify for SRP's EV Ready incentive can visit here and fill out the Request Rebate Info form.
