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Environment

BMW and SOLARWATT team up for solar carport system

By Adam Williams
April 30, 2013
BMW and SOLARWATT team up for solar carport system
The SOLARWATT Carport System
The SOLARWATT Carport System
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The SOLARWATT Carport System
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The SOLARWATT Carport System

BMW’s sustainable mobility-focused sub-brand BMW i has announced it is to join forces with German photovoltaic firm SOLARWATT GmbH, in a bid to supply consumer-friendly solar-powered carport and rooftop charging systems to future i3 and i8 owners.

The latest collaboration is part of a wider push by the German automotive giant to ensure owners of its upcoming i3 and i8 electric vehicles have ample charging options open to them. BMW has already established partnerships with Naturstrom, Schneider Electric and The Mobility House, and this new deal will give EV buyers the opportunity to purchase SOLARWATT's Carport System alongside a BMW i vehicle, or separately over the internet.

The system utilizes glass-glass PV modules – which the company cites as offering an increased lifespan and durability, compared to glass-foil modules – to provide solar-based battery charging for BMW EVs, as well as micro power generation for the household.

“This is the next step in the BMW i 360-degree package for customer-friendly electric mobility,” enthused Marcus Krieg, head of BMW’s 360-degree ELECTRIC project. “With SOLARWATT, we are delighted to be working with a premium partner for customized solar solutions who will cater to our customers’ high standards of quality and style.”

Source: BMW

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EnvironmentBMWPhotovoltaicElectric Vehicles
14 comments
Adam Williams
Adam Williams
Adam scours the globe from his home in Spain in order to bring the best of innovative architecture and sustainable design to the pages of New Atlas. Most of his spare time is spent dabbling in music, tinkering with old Macintosh computers and trying to keep his even older VW bus on the road.

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14 comments
S Michael
Another example of how other countries are moving ahead of the U.S. in innovation and technology. We are fast becoming a welfare 3rd world country.
ei3io
It's another example of fools, regardless of the country, who fail to do logical structural design. This pictured frame loading system appears clueless.
This folly structure is embarrassing to BMW and SolarWatt once they take notice if its to be built as they say with normal wood carpentry. Only if it were welded steel or steel reinforced concrete could you have the main rafter loaded header chopped up with rafter spliced joints as shown. Or are they silly fake ornaments? This is not a good image for a hi tech engineered manufacturers.
Rohn
ei3io seems to have a significant unfounded bias against wood. Nowhere in the article do I see the that wood was used as the construction material. However, the word sustainability is used which means that wood probably was used instead of steel or concrete. Wood can be very "high tech", after all, the first airplanes were made with composites i.e. wood and would not have flown if they were not made from that material at the time. So perhaps BMW does know what they are doing.
Slowburn
Assuming you want a extremely expensive car with a part time power source and a shelter that doesn't offer much shelter for the car, good.
holdenmidfield
It figures that Slowburn would come up with something negative...as usual. Auto companies should finance BOTH the car and the solar carport in one package. No more gasoline stops or costs for most commuters. Cars could be a back-up power supply in an emergency or at the campsite.
Slowburn
re; fleming
Your electric car won't take you to a good campsite, and there are far more cost effective hybrid designs than using the very expensive electric system with its capacity loosing energy storage system.
JF-
re: Slowburn
I am confused, I think you are referring to range issues when you mention the fact that the BMW EV will not get you to a good campsite. I don't think in this article that BMW was claiming that the i3 or i8 were designed for that function. Second, in the recent past you have said that you think hybrids are stupid. Have you changed your position on that drivetrain option for vehicles?
ei3io
Robin, I have absolutely no bias against wood,, if you read their website 'they' say its to be built with wood and normal carpentry.
Even if it is ex$pen$ive and less sustainable Steel Reinforced Concrete or Welded Steel it is laughably dumb illogical design..
What is painfully clear is how unaware most folks are in Architectural Design Values. It is inexcusable for a hi tech company to be that brain dead ignorant to be doing their PR with tacky and foolish looking design.
Slowburn
re; JF-
Read fleming's comment to put my response to his in context.
I think that electric hybrids are a bad idea because the batteries are extremely expensive and loose capacity with use. I have always liked pneumatic and flywheel hybrids that if given the same level of subsidies that the EV and EV hybrid are receiving would cost less than the pure ICE equivalent.
re; ei3io
While I think that carports are a pretty silly idea your comments appear to mean that the carport should have a Tec/Modern hideous form That no one sane would put in there yard not to be an embarrassment. If being aware of Architectural Design Values means not having good taste I treasure my ignorance.
ei3io
Slowburn Sorry to have offended you,, you are correct about batteries alone as very short sighted in being short tripped. Can I assume now where you might sit in the Hydrogen fuel cell vs Battery debate?
On Architectural Design you shouldn't relish ignorance,, but relinquish it to evolve your mind don't stifle it.
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