Site Assessment: Once a community association has applied to and been accepted into the Charge Up Fairfax program, the county’s contractor will conduct an engineering assessment of the community’s selected site at the county’s expense. At least one member of the community association’s board of directors or management company must attend the engineering site visit. Communities should allow up to 3 hours for the site visit, though it is not likely to take that long.
The engineering firm will prepare an engineering drawing and site assessment memo that describes:
- Physical and environmental barriers
- Power sources
- Site conditions
- Estimated costs and project timeline
The site assessment memo is intended to provide enough information to members of the community association to determine whether they want to hire a contractor and move forward with the installation of EVSE.
The memo will be provided to the community association within two months of the site visit. The Charge Up Fairfax Program Manager will schedule a meeting with members of the community association about the memo and answer any questions the community may have.
Permitting, Installation and Inspection: If a community association decides to proceed with the purchase and installation of EVSE, they will then hire one or more contractors to perform necessary site preparation. Community associations will work with the contractor(s) they hire to coordinate and implement any necessary electrical upgrades, choose the charging equipment, set up an operating and maintenance plan with the charging device manufacturer, and arrange for permitting, equipment installation, and inspection.
The Charge Up Fairfax webpage includes information and links to inform members of the community association on next steps and decision points to discuss with their hired contractor.
Reimbursement Grant: Following installation and inspection, community associations participating in the Charge Up Fairfax program can seek grant funds to partially reimburse the cost of EVSE installation by completing and submitting the Request for Reimbursement form along with the necessary attachments.
In some cases, if the community has demonstrated a strong technical understanding of their project, they may participate in only the grant-only portion of the Charge Up Fairfax program.