EV Solar Carports Help Electric Vehicles Run on Sun0
GE Works
Take a drive through any major metropolitan city and you’ll see that electric vehicles are quickly becoming more popular. But what happens when they become too popular? What happens when everyone starts recharging his or her car at the same peak time? Will EVs overtax our grid?
Fortunately there are some helpful solutions on the horizon with new technologies being invented, tested, and put to work every day. One of these is GE’s EV Solar Carport—a product that can help meet the charging needs of EVs while reducing the strain on our nation’s power grid.
Build it and they will come
GE recently announced a partnership with Inovateus Solar for the building of EV Solar Carports. Inovateus has expertise in solar power distribution and integration as well as valuable experience in constructing large-scale solar installations for businesses and universities worldwide. Meanwhile, GE brings a wide variety of technical innovations to the project, such as award-winning charging stations, electrical distribution panels, and a new line of solar power-related safety switches.
The benefits of the Solar Carport to consumers are pretty clear—you can charge your EV while at work, reducing your household energy use while extending the practical range of your commute.
A typical carport installation would capture enough solar energy to charge up to 13 EVs a day.
Meanwhile, companies could operate a fleet of vehicles using the GE EV Solar Carport as their main source of energy, reduce their facility energy use, or sell Solar Renewable Energy Credits to others.
Inovateus President T.J. Kanczuzewski makes the point that “bringing power back to the grid and saving thousands of dollars for companies, these carports are more than just charging stations. They produce a significant return on investment.” Installing a Solar Carport could also allow many businesses to benefit from tax incentives and credits from their local, state, or federal government.
And we all benefit from the reduced impact of EVs on our nations power grid. With widespread adoption of the EV Solar Carport, we not only move away from our dependence on gasoline-powered cars, but we also reduce the need for electricity generated by power plants to power them, and that means a significant reduction in CO2 emissions.
Breaking it down
GE EV Solar Carports can range in size from two-car carports to larger commercial structures that can house 20 vehicles or more. A typical carport installation would capture enough solar energy to charge up to 13 EVs a day. Beyond the corporate sector, GE is also looking to bring the Solar Carport to universities, government offices, sports venues, and other areas that could benefit from additional clean energy and its financial implications.
A fleet of six EVs could reduce electricity usage up to 20,000 kWh per year.
The GE EV Solar Carport makes use of a suite of GE energy solutions, including GE EverGold™ Solar combiner boxes, traditional GE electrical distribution panels and switches, as well as photovoltaic disconnects—a new type of solar safety switch. For the Solar Carport GE also brings the award-winning WattStation and DuraStation electric vehicle charging stations which are attractive, easy-to-use terminals that let people charge their EVs quickly.
As for the environment, a solar carport customer with a fleet of six EVs could reduce electricity usage up to 20,000 kWh per year, avoiding 12 metric tons of associated CO2 emissions that would have otherwise been generated from charging on the U.S. grid. In addition, an installation of this size would typically save approximately $2,000 a year in energy costs compared to charging on the U.S. grid—assuming an electricity price of $0.10/kWh.
The EV Solar Carport is another step in GE’s commitment to seeing sustainable technologies succeed while improving our lives. Previously, GE announced the single largest electric vehicle commitment with an order of 25,000 EVs by 2015. By then, EVs will account for over half of all GE fleet vehicles on the road, a significant contribution to the growth and deployment of this exciting new technology. These actions and innovations show GE’s commitment to green technology as we work to build a better, stronger, smarter, and more sustainable future.