Solar Powered Electric Car Charging Station

I recently pulled in to the parking lot of the Town Hall in East Haven, Connecticut.  I was pleased to see that the building's roof had an impressive array of photovoltaic solar panels.  As I looked for a parking space, I discovered that they had also installed a GE solar powered electric car charging station.  Impressed, I took out my cell phone and snapped a few pictures.  

View of charging station's solar panels from below.  There are ten panels.

The station consists of ten solar panels mounted on a metal support structure.  Beneath the panels there is a concrete pad upon which the vehicle charger is mounted.  There is a box mounted to the support structure that probably has other functions, but it had an LCD display on it that stated how many pounds of carbon dioxide have not been released into the atmosphere thus far thanks to the installation of this charging station.

 

















I think the way these things probably work is as follows...
The charging station is connected to the grid so that while it is not being used, it can feed the electricity it produces into the grid for consumption by anyone.  When a driver plugs his or her vehicle into the station, the panels divert their electricity from the grid to recharge the vehicle.  In the event that there is insufficient energy from the sun at the time, electricity from the grid will be used instead.

Note the additional photovoltaic array on the East Haven, CT Town Hall's roof.

Kudos to the town of East Haven, Connecticut for its forward looking vision.  Not only do they have the solar car charger and the panels on the town hall roof, but they also have huge photovoltaic solar panel installations on the roofs of four local schools.  Imagine if every town followed this example!  Yes it requires a lot of money up-front to begin, but down the line it winds up paying for itself, and then some.

Close-up of the underside of the solar panels.

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Categories: Car, Charging, Electric, Powered, Solar, Station

SOLAR POWERED TINY HOME BY VODAPHONE

Vodaphone, a London-based telecommunications company devised a unique showcase for its technology, and called it "La Casa Movil."   It's a modern tiny home on wheels with a clear wall of polycarbonite panels and an awning featuring three huge photovoltaic solar panels. Based on the photos they provided, I'd say that this clear wall provides a good deal of relief from the potential claustrophobic sense that a house of this size might otherwise have.

Exterior view.

Kitchen detail (refrigerator concealed below counter).

Kitchen

A few additional features that set this tiny home apart are its three fixture bathroom (sink, shower, and toilet), and a winding staircase to the loft with sleeping for three.  All this in a home within an 8'wide x 20'long x 12.5' high box.  I guess that makes it 160 square feet, plus the loft.

Folding dining table/desk.  Kitchen, stairs, and bathroom door in background.

Bathroom showing shower and sink.  Toilet (not shown) is on far right.

View from kitchen toward living area.

The loft has two beds, a single and a double, plus three clothes closets with sliding doors and additional storage.  Because the loft is not located in a gable roofed structure, it is quite roomy compared to many other tiny home designs.  Since the loft is only above the kitchen/dining/bath  area, it overlooks the living area.  

The living area has an extraordinarily high ceiling, creating a more spacious feeling.  This layout also creates a second means of egress from the loft bedroom, something many tiny homes lack.  In the event of a fire, not only could you escape down the stairs, but you could also jump down into the living area.  As a last resort, you could kick-out the polycarbonate panel and escape directly to the outside.  A major drawback to many tiny homes I've looked at is the lack of proper egress from the sleeping loft.  Whether intentional or not, this design seems to have solved that common problem.

View from living area toward kitchen.

Loft sleeping area.

One concern this design might raise is the possibility for overheating because the clear wall and solar panels are on the same side, which of course would need to be the sunny side.  Perhaps this could be mitigated by having the solar panels and clear wall on opposite sides, or by having the clear panels only extend down to say, chair rail height, instead of all the way to the floor.  Incorporating operable blinds into the clear wall might also be a possibility.

Take a detailed virtual tour of this home by watching this neat video of the Vodaphone tiny home below.  It is cool and it has pretty cool music too.  Enjoy!

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Categories: by, Home, Powered, Solar, Tiny, VODAPHONE

SPACE Solar Powered Adaptive Container for Everyone

SPACE (Solar Powered Adaptive Container for Everyone)


Employing patent-pending design and material innovation, SPACE is a sustainable workspace and mobile solar generator made up of four major components: 


an up-cycled 20’ x 8’ shipping container housing a climate controlled work/ storage space
a proprietary solar rack capable of producing up to 5 kW of solar power
a self-contained battery end-cap with 5 days of battery backup
an advanced renewable energy power management system. 
Fully integrated, SPACE units are capable of accommodating job site activities, special events, and emergency response operations.


http://www.adaptivecontainer.com/ 

Categories: Adaptive, Container, Everyone, for, Powered, Solar, SPACE