Capacity-path matrix
Compare control-based management and service-upgrade paths by goal, evidence, compatibility, future loads, approvals and proposal detail.
Decision file
State which EV, heating, suite or appliance loads must operate, their expected overlap and the owner's priorities before choosing equipment. Include acceptable charging delays or controlled-load interruptions. A capacity path should solve that documented operating need rather than target a familiar service size by default.
Use a qualified load calculation and actual service information, including planned equipment and acceptable meter data where applicable. Avoid treating 200 amperes as a default target or assuming historical consumption alone proves the service can accept a new load.
Record monitored loads, circuit priorities, control logic, communications, loss-of-signal behaviour, user impact and exact listed equipment compatibility. Ask how commissioning demonstrates the expected response and who can change or maintain settings after handover.
List panel, main equipment, service conductors, meter work, BC Hydro scope, outage, trenching or overhead access and finish restoration. Separate confirmed utility work from allowances that remain subject to design or field review.
Compare how each option supports the dated EV, heating, suite and appliance queue, including the next likely project. Record limits, incompatible combinations, expansion headroom and the equipment, occupancy or operating change that would require another calculation or utility request. Include the owner’s intended project horizon.
Assign licensed-contractor verification, City of Surrey electrical permit, inspection, BC Hydro request, strata or building approval and closeout responsibilities. Require final calculation, panel schedule, equipment settings, inspection and utility evidence in the owner file.
Complete this record from the qualified assessment and proposed equipment documents. Identify what the controls monitor, how loss of signal is handled and who maintains settings. Record acceptable charging delays or load interruptions explicitly; a management device is not a universal substitute for service work.
Use the same property, loads and project horizon as the management record. Identify the proposed service rating and affected equipment from qualified findings. Separate confirmed BC Hydro work from pending utility design or customer prerequisites, and record exclusions before comparing the complete installed scope.
Log missing equipment compatibility, service evidence, utility design, access or approval answers with the party responsible for resolving each one. Keep an allowance or conditional answer distinct from confirmed scope. Reopen both option records if the answer changes loads, work, user impact or timing.
Review the two completed records with the qualified electrical reviewer against the owner's operating priorities. Identify the evidence behind the selected path and the tradeoffs accepted for charging, maintenance, outage and future projects. Attach the dated calculation and written clarifications to the proposal. Agree the assessment fee and deliverables before ordering that service; a web enquiry does not include them automatically. Update the decision when equipment selections, occupancy or the project sequence change. Keep utility design and authority responses conditional until the responsible organization confirms them for this property.
Primary references
Links checked in the approved research packet on August 26, 2026. Applicability still depends on the property and proposed scope.