Raymond Dickey recently asked Michelle Baldry, PE, PRA, RS from Reserve Advisors.
“Should your reserve study have assessed the actual capacity of your existing electrical infrastructure relative to modern and future usage—like EV charging stations, heat pumps, or solar?”, asked Ray.
Michelle said “No” and explained that reserve studies are visual, non-invasive inspections. They’re not designed to evaluate electrical capacity or determine whether your systems can support new technologies. Instead, they document the existing infrastructure, estimate when components may need to be replaced, and plan for like-kind replacements—not upgrades.
The takeaway?
If your community is considering electric vehicle charging stations, energy-efficient heat pumps, or solar energy systems, you’ll need a formal electrical study—not just a reserve study—to assess the infrastructure’s capacity and plan for any necessary upgrades.
Once those upgrades are determined, that information can be incorporated into your reserve study, but it needs to be provided to the reserve specialist by your team or engineer.
Contacts:
Michelle Baldry, PE, PRA, RS
Reserve Advisors, Inc.
mbaldry@reserveadvisors.com
www.reserveadvisors.com
Raymond Dickey
AssociationHelpNow
ray@brainerdcommunications.com
www.AssociationHelpNow.com
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