Load Management Systems

What is an EV Charging Load Management System – and Why Do Apartment Buildings Need One?

Thinking about installing EV chargers in your apartment building? You’ve probably come across the term Load Management System (or LMS)—but what exactly is it, and why is it so important?

We’ll break down what an LMS is, how it works, and why it’s a game-changer for safe and efficient EV charging in Apartment buildings.

The Challenge

Limited Electrical Capacity

Here’s the issue: EV chargers can draw a lot of power—sometimes as much as an entire apartment. That’s a big deal, especially in older buildings where the electrical infrastructure wasn’t designed for this extra load.

Without a smart system in place, installing multiple EV chargers can overwhelm your building’s power supply, leading to power outages or expensive infrastructure upgrades. And that makes it tough to roll out a fair, scalable solution for all residents.

Key Consideration:

Building Load Data Logging & Analysis

We can monitor and log real-time electrical load data across your building to accurately assess available capacity for EV charging infrastructure. This analysis is critical for designing efficient, compliant EV charging solutions that align with your energy usage patterns and load limits

The Solution

Load Management Systems (LMS)

This is where an EV Charging Load Management System comes in. LMS technology monitors your building’s real-time power usage and automatically adjusts the charging load across all EV chargers based on how much spare capacity is available.

In simple terms, the LMS acts like the brain of your EV charging setup:

• When building power usage is high – the LMS reduces the power going to EV chargers to avoid overload.
• When demand is low – it boosts charging speeds to make the most of available energy.
• Smart sharing – it can even queue and rotate charging across vehicles, allowing up to five times more EVs to charge on the same infrastructure.

The result? A smooth, efficient charging experience—without tripping the building’s power.

Key Consideration: Use the Common Property Meter

For optimal performance and ease of management, EV chargers should be powered via the Common Property Electricity meter—not individual apartment meters. This setup makes billing, load management, and maintenance far simpler, especially in a shared environment.

Choosing the Right EV Chargers for Your Apartment Building

If you're part of an Owners’ Corporation or Strata Committee, one of the first steps in enabling EV charging at your building is choosing the right Load Management System (LMS) and billing software. Why? Because these systems only work with certain Smart Level 2 AC chargers—and picking the right setup early on makes everything smoother down the line.

Start with Compatibility in Mind

When selecting your EV charging infrastructure, it’s important to choose a solution that’s compatible with multiple charger brands. This gives residents flexibility, helps control costs, and makes long-term upgrades easier.

Can Residents Install Their Own Chargers?

One of the most common questions we hear is:“Can I just install the charger that came with my EV?”
The short answer? Usually not.

Most manufacturer-supplied chargers are designed for single homes—not multi-residential buildings. They often lack the smart tech needed to work with your building’s shared systems, and using them could require expensive infrastructure upgrades.It’s also essential to check compatibility with your building’s LMS and billing platform. There’s usually a list of approved chargers available—our team can help you with that.