Solar Powered Parking Structures

Solar powered parking structures

Over the past few years, we’ve been posting about solar powered parking structures. These include parking garages or park-and-ride facilities that use solar panels to either power the lighting and other electricity needs and/or re-charge electric vehicles (EVs) that are stationed there.

With more consumers considering EVs, there is a need for people using parking structures to re-charge batteries quickly and at a low cost. That’s where solar powered parking structures come into play. Using solar panels to shade vehicles while generating electricity, drivers can plug in, then go shop, work or commute and return to a fully charged electric vehicle.

One of the best known options is the Solar Tree, made by Envision, which has experienced sales growth to $2 million in the first half of 2011. Used in commercial parking lots, each of these “trees” provides shade for 6 parking stalls at the same time it generates 28,000 kilowatt hours (kWh) of solar electricity – enough to charge six electric cars each day. In addition, the solar power can be used to power lighting for the parking lot or garage.

Saving municipalities or other property owners money on utilities, while providing necessary infrastructure to help people transition to electric vehicles, solar powered parking structures soon will be found in more and more locations.

Ratings: