The Harpers Square Cluster in Reston celebrated the installation of their two new single port electric vehicle chargers on Dec. 18.

They are the first community association to install EV chargers with support from the county’s Charge Up Fairfax program.

Fairfax County launched this program thanks to alert Reston residents who requested my help. Many residents don’t have private driveways or parking garages — especially in Reston — so it can be difficult to install or access EV chargers.

Charge Up helps homeowners associations install charging stations to be shared by residents and their guests. It offers both technical and financial assistance, providing a free engineering and feasibility assessment and up to $12,000 for installation costs.

Harpers Square was among the first five communities selected for the program’s pilot last spring. Before now, EV charging was a challenge for this 50-unit townhouse community that doesn’t have driveways or garages, but they are proof this program can help. Through Charge Up, they received a no-cost feasibility study last summer to get them started, and now that their project is complete, they're eligible for a $5,000 grant from the county.

“As a pilot community, our experience was overwhelmingly positive,” said Harpers Square Cluster Association President Stan Beyderman in a video about the program. “We had excellent support from the county.”

The program helped them in two key areas, he said. It provided them with the feasibility study, and it connected his HOA other communities installing EV chargers, allowing them to collaborate on solutions to shared challenges.

Since Charge Up Fairfax began, 20 communities have been accepted into the program —10 in the Hunter Mill District!

If your association wants to participate, stay tuned. Applications will be accepted again in 2025.