Solar charging stations mark dawn of new era

hershey-park-solar-ev-chargingThe solar-powered EV charging station revolution continues to pick up momentum. Late last month, GE unveiled a state-of-the-art solar-powered EV charging station capable of charging up to 16 EVs at once at its Plainville, Conn. plant.

Two additional solar-powered EV charging stations have recently gone online in the U.S.

Hershey’s Park
Chocolate and sun don’t mix. But solar and Hershey’s chocolate – as in the world-famous Hershey’s Chocolate Company – do.

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Hershey’s recently completed an expansive solar-powered EV charging canopy at its parking facilities at Chocolate World in Hershey Park, Penn.

The company will produce 318 megawatt hours of electricity a year via the 1,092 module array at the company’s visitor center and via the 187 module array at its nearby technical center.

“The canopy provides shade for cars, and under those canopies, we installed Pep electric car charging stations. Two of them,” Hershey Spokesperson Jeff Beckman told Clean Energy Authority.Com.

Visitors to Chocolate World or Hershey’s Park can plug their EVs into the sun. However, they’ll have to be about $1 per hour for the privilege to do so.

solar-ev-charge-orePortland Development Commission
A new solar-powered EV charging station is now online at the Portland Development Commission in Portland, Ore.

The solar-powered station – which area EV owners can use free of charge — can charge two electric cars at once. A full charge takes up to four hours. However, the PDC is hoping that car owners will drop into the parking lot and charge up while visiting nearby businesses.

“This is the future, my friend,” Jeff Cogen, chair of the Multnomah County Commissioners told OregonLive.Com. “This is a tremendously hopeful moment for all of us. The upside of transporting ourselves this way is momentous. We really are at the dawn of a new era.”

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