As utilities across the United States raise demand charges by 40% to 65% during the summer months, commercial EV charging sites face significant financial exposure from unmanaged power spikes. EVready Energy, the company behind the Energy Guardian platform, highlights that its load management solution can prevent these costly peaks without requiring charger brand changes or equipment replacements.
Demand charges are calculated based on a site's single highest 15-minute interval of power consumption each month. During summer, when air conditioning and other loads are high, a DC fast charger drawing 150 kilowatts at the start of a session can set a peak that drives up charges for the entire billing period. "If that lands during your building's afternoon peak in July, you've just set a charge that follows you for a month - at the highest rate of the year," said Chris Nihan, CEO and Co-Founder of EVready Energy. "Guardian's job is to make sure that spike never registers."
The platform's effectiveness is documented in a published customer report from Berger Chevrolet, a dealership in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Over a single billing period, Energy Guardian managed the loads of ChargePoint and Blink chargers alongside the building's base consumption. Without intervention, the site would have recorded a peak of 149.8 kW, but Guardian held the actual peak to 116.9 kW. This reduction saved an estimated $680.94 during that period and cut the dealership's single largest demand event by approximately 75%. The system intervened in only 7.1% of the period's 15-minute intervals to achieve that outcome, and no charging sessions were turned away.
Mike Ohlman of Berger Chevrolet noted, "The Guardian software enables us to take advantage of opportunities to reduce costs, and the EVready Energy team is there providing friendly, expert guidance every step of the way."
Energy Guardian is network-agnostic, meaning it can manage energy costs regardless of charger brand without requiring equipment replacement. For commercial operators heading into the summer rate season, EVready Energy recommends reviewing utility tariffs before the first heat-driven peak establishes the financial baseline for the quarter. The platform is designed for dealerships, fleets, multifamily properties, parking operators, and public sector clients nationwide. To learn more about how demand charges work and how to manage them, visit EVready Energy.
