Industries
Charging infrastructure for residential buildings, designed for the future
Residential buildings are designed for decades. Electric vehicles are already part of daily life. Charging infrastructure has to be built to serve a growing number of them. We design charging infrastructure exactly that way — with capacity for future growth, individual metering and one partner for the full lifecycle.
The operational reality
A residential building is not a fleet depot. Users are independent owners, the infrastructure is shared, and responsibility for it remains long after handover:
- Limited capacity: The entire underground car park runs on one shared connection from the DSO.
- Gradual adoption: The number of electric vehicles grows over time. Infrastructure has to expand step by step alongside it.
- Individual metering: Every kWh is measured and invoiced separately, without loading the common bill.
- Long-term operation: The system runs for 10+ years without the building maintaining its own energy team.
Decisions made during design determine how many electric vehicles the building can serve without expensive retrofits later.
Why the standard solution doesn't work
Installing individual chargers at full rated power exhausts the building's grid capacity after the first few installations. The outcomes are predictable:
- The first few owners consume all available capacity
- Upgrading the building connection after handover is expensive and slow
- Service, warranties and protocols get scattered across different vendors
- Responsibility for maintenance falls on the HOA or property manager
- Electricity bills get mixed with the common building expenses
The problem is not the choice of charger. The problem is how the whole system is designed.
Engineering approach
Qerra designs charging infrastructure for residential complexes as a centrally managed system that can grow with the building.
- Designed for the end state: Cable routes, conduit and transformer reserve for 100% electrification of the car park.
- Phased build-out: Equipment is added as real demand appears, without repeat construction work or wasted investment.
- Smart power management: The system automatically allocates available energy across all users and keeps operation within the building's connection.
- Individual metering and billing: Each charging session is measured and reported separately, ensuring transparency and fair cost distribution.
- Qerra Care: Continuous monitoring, remote diagnostics, preventive maintenance and guaranteed response throughout the lifecycle of the infrastructure.
Typical scenarios
New residential complex in design phase
The developer plans charging infrastructure from the start of the project. Cable routes, electrical installation and power reserves are designed once. The first chargers are installed at commissioning and future expansion happens with no construction work and no disruption to the building.
Existing building with a homeowners' association
Several owners already drive EVs. We assess available grid capacity, design a centralised system with power management and roll out individual metering and billing without extra administrative load on the property manager.
Mixed-use building
Apartments, offices and shops share one property. The system supports different rules and tariffs for different user groups on the same infrastructure.
Premium complex with charging included
Charging is part of the monthly fee or sales proposition. Management, monitoring and maintenance are handled by Qerra, while the developer and property manager stay focused on running the property.
Whatever the scenario, the principle is the same: design for the end state, build in phases.
System delivery
One engineering partner for the full project lifecycle:
- Coordination with the developer, architect and electrical engineer
- Calculation of available capacity and phased growth plan
- Electrical design integrated with the building's distribution boards
- Hardware supply and installation in phases
- Configuration of individual metering and billing
- Qerra Care across the full operating life
One partner — from the drawing to year ten of operation.
Operational outcome
Charging infrastructure for residential buildings and complexes that performs long term:
- The developer shows a vision for the future of the property
- The homeowners' association and property manager do not take on energy operations
- Every owner pays only for their own consumption
- The building's connection is used optimally without expensive upgrades
- One contract, one partner and clear responsibility for the full lifecycle of the system
Continuous reliability
Deployment is only the first step. Through Qerra Care we provide continuous monitoring, preventive maintenance and guaranteed response so every location operates to the same standards.
Learn more about Qerra CareDesign the charging infrastructure for the next 30 years — not just for the first few electric vehicles.