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A Glen Allen homeowner had just bought their first electric vehicle, a 2024 Tesla Model Y. They were trickle-charging on the included Level 1 charger for the first month, which was working but topping the car off from 20 percent to full was taking close to two days at a time. They wanted a Level 2 charger in the garage so the car would be full every morning, and they wanted to be set up for a heat pump conversion they were planning for the following spring.
The home was built in the late 1970s and still had the original 100 amp main panel. Every slot was used, the bus bar was showing some heat discoloration from years of working at or near capacity, and the existing loads (central air, electric water heater, electric range, and a few large appliances) were already pushing the panel to its limit. A 50 amp EV charger circuit was not going to fit, and even if we found a way to squeeze it in, the planned heat pump conversion would have pushed the panel past safe operating loads. The meter base was also showing signs of age and was a generation behind what Dominion Energy requires for new service.
We pulled the permit through Henrico County and coordinated the meter pull and reset with Dominion Energy. On install day we upgraded the service from 100 amps to 200 amps, replaced the meter base with a current-spec model, and installed a new main panel with extra slots for the upcoming heat pump conversion and any future loads (induction range, solar inverter, and so on). Every existing circuit was reconnected and labeled in the new panel. We grounded and bonded the new service per current Virginia code, including a supplemental ground rod and a water-pipe bond. Then we ran new 6-3 cable on a dedicated 50 amp circuit from the main panel to the garage, installed the EV charger on the wall in the location the homeowner preferred, and tested charging at full Level 2 rate. Henrico inspected and passed the work the next week.
200 amp main panel from Eaton (CH series), Tesla Wall Connector for the EV charger (the homeowner already had a Tesla), and 6-3 NM-B cable for the dedicated circuit run. The whole project was permitted, inspected, and labeled.
The homeowner qualified for the federal 30C Alternative Fuel Refueling Property Credit on the EV charger portion of the project (30 percent of the charger plus installation cost, capped at $1,000), since their Glen Allen address sits in a qualifying census tract. The panel upgrade and meter base work did not qualify for tax credits, but when the heat pump conversion happens in the spring, the homeowner will be in a position to claim the federal 25C credit (up to $2,000 for qualifying heat pumps) since the panel will already be ready to support it.
Older Richmond-area homes very often need a panel upgrade before they can support modern electrification: EV chargers, heat pumps, induction ranges, solar, or any combination of those. If you are planning more than one of those over the next few years, doing the panel upgrade once is usually $400 to $900 cheaper than going back twice, because the permit, inspection, and trip charge are shared. It also future-proofs the home for whatever the next round of electrification looks like.
Fresh Air carries Virginia license 2705143403 (electrical, gas, and plumbing) plus 2710051155 (HVAC). That means the same company that upgrades the panel will install the heat pump in the spring, and we already know the panel layout, the home's load profile, and the homeowner's plans. One crew, one set of records, and one phone number for the life of the project.
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