People going through the Los Angeles Convention Center between May 6 and 8 will come across a very stylish aluminum modular structure. The installation is a solar-powered charging carport known as isola, developed by Montreal-based renewz sustainable solutions. The carport will be erected to coincide with the EVS26 Electric Vehicle Symposium taking place in the city on those dates.
The charging station is based on the Self Energy models developed by the Italian company Giulio Barbieri, a manufacturer of aluminum car ports that integrate solar panels. The Los Angeles installation marks its North American debut.
The portable, two-car unit can be built in less than one day, since it does not require footing or foundation. Centralized electric components also contribute to the speed of the installation.
It features a standard Level 2 30-amp EVSE charger, and customers can choose from a range of colors, along with optional LED lights and LCD monitor. isola is waterproof and has been tested for wind, snow and seismic events.
The target market for isola is “auto dealers, car sharing companies, rent-a-car and fleet operators, businesses who wish to offer loyal patrons with free charging, event marketing companies as well (for our portable unit),” said Sass Peress, renewz sustainable solutions’ CEO.
Sass added that a full recharge depends on the car, but “the typical EV car will be recharged in less than five hours by sunlight power with our two car port.”
Solutions like isola have the potential to make EVs more popular by helping mitigate range anxiety. In the United States, the network of charging stations is growing and EV drivers can download applications such as PlugShare to track them through their smartphones. In the UK, drivers can access EV Network UK to find the nearest charging station. In continental Europe, Estonia is going to become home to the world’s first nationwide network of charging stations. It will comprise 200 units built by ABB, a specialist in power and automation technologies. In Australia, EV drivers can access Charge Point to find stations.
The following video by Giulio Barbieri shows how the solar carports work.
Source: renewz sustainable solutions