Generated by All in One SEO v4.9.9, this is an llms.txt file, used by LLMs to index the site. # SolarChargedDriving.Com Where solar and electric car driving merge! ## Sitemaps - [XML Sitemap](https://solarchargeddriving.com/sitemap.xml): Contains all public & indexable URLs for this website. ## Posts - [ChatGPT: Up to 25% of EV drivers have home solar](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2025/08/28/chatgpt-up-to-25-of-ev-drivers-have-home-solar/) - Ever wondered how many EV drivers in the United States fill up on sunshine, or from a home solar system? Well, according to ChatGPT, up to 25% of US EV owners tap the power, and value, of home solar to fill up their cars with at least some electrons coming directly, or, in the case - [Hyundai Ioniq 5 performs well in first road trip](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2025/08/05/hyundai-ioniq-5-performs-well-in-first-road-trip/) - One of the main reasons I switched from my 2020 Chevy Bolt, which started experiencing serious and anxiety provoking range meter issues in February 2025 that I had never before experienced in 5.5 years with that car, was because I did not trust it enough to take it on road trips anymore. I wanted an - [Comparing the Hyundai Ioniq 5 to the Chevy Bolt](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2025/07/28/comparing-the-hyundai-ioniq-5-to-the-chevy-bolt/) - I wrote recently that I traded my 2020 Chevy Bolt in to lease a 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5. I traded EVs because of frustration I had with extreme issues with the Bolt's range meter, problems that popped up out of nowhere. I also did so because I feared that it might be my last chance - [Goodbye Chevy Bolt, hello Hyundai Ioniq 5](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2025/07/24/goodbye-chevy-bolt-hello-hyundai-ioniq-5/) - I replaced my 2020 Chevy Bolt, which I had been driving for 5.5 years, with a 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 SEL yesterday (July 23, 2025) that I leased from McDonald Hyundai in Highlands Ranch, Colo. I'd been thinking about replacing my Bolt for awhile, primarily because, in my view, it was having range meter issues. - [Spastic Chevy Bolt range meter dropping miles like a rock off Long's Peak](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2025/05/15/spastic-chevy-bolt-range-meter-dropping-miles-like-a-rock-off-longs-peak/) - I've been experiencing major range meter problems on my 2020 Bolt for the last three to four months. Two Chevy dealerships -- John Elway and Ed Bozarth here in Colorado -- have claimed nothing is wrong. But something is definitely wrong. I want to say that the heat and AC are never on for what - [A minus utility bill -- thanks to solar](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2024/07/20/a-minus-utility-bill-thanks-to-solar/) - So, my Xcel utility bill for July 2024 = -$17. That's right, minus $17. My 6 kW home solar system, installed by ARE Solar in June 2022, has been covering pretty close to 100% of all my electric use AND this includes heating my 1200 square foot townhome with high efficiency electric convention wall heaters. - [Another home solar system now up at Highline Crossing Cohousing in Littleton, Colo.](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2022/12/20/another-home-solar-system-now-up-at-highline-crossing-cohousing-in-littleton-colo/) - Solar is contagious. Once one household in a neighborhood goes solar, as I did with a 6 kW system installed by ARE Solar in June 2022, others tend to go solar as well. ☀️🙂 Les and Jacqueline Beecher, neighbors of mine and friends of mine here at Highline Crossing Cohousing Community in Littleton, Colo. recently - [Top 10+ solar electric car license plate ideas](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2019/02/16/top-10-solar-electric-car-license-plate-ideas/) - So, let's say you've got a new solar-charged driving set-up: an electric car + home solar and you're looking to let the world know just how great it is to be Driving on Sunshine. How can you do that? - [Going solar in sunny Colorado photo gallery](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2015/06/04/going-solar-in-sunny-colorado-photo-gallery/) - Ever wonder what going solar and installing a home solar system entails? Wonder no more. We took hundreds of photos of our 5.59 kW solar system being installed by REC Solar workers. We selected the best ones and put together a step-by-step photo montage of our solar system going up on our our perfect-for-solar, south-facing - [Using home solar to heat your home](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2022/12/14/using-home-solar-to-heat-your-home/) - Yes, you can use PV solar panels to heat your home, at least indirectly. That's what I've been doing for the last three months here in Littleton, Colo. During the Summer of 2022, after our 6 kW solar system went online with Xcel Energy in mid-June, the ARE Solar installed system generated about 1,500 EXTRA - [Cranking out extra solar kWh at Highline Crossing Cohousing in Colorado](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2022/08/07/cranking-out-extra-solar-kwh-at-highline-crossing-cohousing-in-colorado/) - Producing extra solar electricity annually while also charging three electric vehicles = priceless! And super green! That's what we're doing at Highline Crossing Cohousing Community in Littleton, Colo. 🙂☀️👍 We've had a 9.3 kW solar system on our community garages at Highline Crossing Cohousing Community in Littleton, Colo., since November 2020. In the year and - [It's a lot cheaper to fuel an EV](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2022/07/31/its-a-lot-cheaper-to-fuel-an-ev/) - Gas is expensive these days in the United States. Here in Colorado, consumers are currently paying about $4.50 per gallon at the pump. Meanwhile, I am paying 10 cents per kWh to fuel my all-electric 2020 Chevy Bolt. That's what I pay my community here, Highline Crossing Cohousing, for electricity in our community garages where - [New 6 kW solar system officially online in Littleton, Colorado](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2022/06/18/new-6-kw-solar-system-officially-online-in-littleton-colorado/) - Xcel Energy installed a bi-directional solar utility meter at my townhome here in Highline Crossing Cohousing Community a couple of days ago while I was in Europe on vacation. The first thing I did when I got home on the evening of June 16 was to turn on my 6 kW ARE Solar installed solar - [Solar resources](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2009/08/11/solar-resources/) - Below is an initial list of some of the online sources on solar energy that the editors of SolarChargedDriving.Com have found interesting and useful. (Last update = March 2019) American Solar Energy Society Established in 1954, the nonprofit American Solar Energy Society (ASES) is the nation's leading association of solar professionals & advocates. Its aims - [No, electric vehicles are NOT too expensive](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2022/05/22/no-electric-vehicles-are-not-too-expensive/) - The myth that all EVs are more expensive than gas cars is incredibly persistent — and also just plain wrong, as countless articles and studies have shown, including this one by Bloomberg News, published on May 22, 2022 ==> https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-05-22/electric-cars-are-cheaper-to-purchase-than-gasoline-models-in-many-states The biggest reason the myth of the "too expensive" EV is so deeply embedded and - [It's still too difficult to go solar in US, especially for condo owners](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2022/05/06/its-still-too-difficult-to-go-solar-in-us-especially-for-condo-owners/) - It is still much too difficult to go solar for millions of Americans, in particular those who live in condos -- me included, although I have swum against the tide and have persevered anyway, I hope 🤞. - [6 kW more worth of home solar now populating the world](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2022/05/19/6-kw-more-worth-of-home-solar-now-populating-the-world/) - The world now has 6 kW more worth of rooftop solar. ARE Solar completed the installation of a 16-panel, 6 kW system on my Littleton, Colo. condo rooftop two days ago. - [After 18 months of HOA process work, I'm finally going solar in Littleton, Colo.](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2022/05/14/after-18-months-of-hoa-process-work-im-finally-going-solar-in-littleton-colo-2/) - After nearly 18 months of working to get approval from my two HOAs, I am finally going solar here at Highline Crossing Cohousing in Littleton, Colo. ARE Solar began installing a 6 kW system on my condo roof yesterday. ARE Solar should be finished by Tuesday. It’s exciting, especially since it is the second “solar victory” for me — and for - [I make $66,000 per year and I can afford an electric vehicle -- because they're affordable!](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2022/03/19/i-make-66000-per-year-and-i-can-afford-an-electric-vehicle-because-theyre-affordable/) - After 13 years of advocating for electric vehicles and eight years of driving one, I am still fighting the same battles on misinformation about EVs: One of the biggest myths about EVs is that they are "too expensive." - [Want to escape high gas prices? Tap into solar-charged driving](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2022/03/10/want-to-escape-high-gas-prices-tap-into-solar-charged-driving/) - With gas prices rising to an average of nearly $5 per gallon in the United States, a lot of people are complaining. - [Climate change and the devastating 'Marshall' Denver area December fires](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2021/12/30/climate-change-and-the-devastating-marshall-denver-area-december-fires/) - The fires that have destroyed up to 600 homes on Denver's Front Range have been devastating to watch today, Dec. 30, 2021🙁. I have watched the live news coverage for two straight hours now: Really unbelievable and tragic 🙁 I am going to broach a topic here that some are going to hit me for, - [The Federal Solar Tax Credit is confusing](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2021/11/25/the-federal-solar-tax-credit-is-confusing/) - So, I just signed on to have a 6.08 kW solar system installed in March of 2022 on my Littleton, Colo. townhome roof. That is the good news ☀️ - [Going solar -- for the fourth time](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2021/11/24/going-solar-for-the-fourth-time/) - Yes, you read that headline correctly: I am going solar for the fourth time. I just signed a contract with ARE Solar of Denver-Boulder to install a 6.08 kW 16 panel micro-inverter based system on my Littleton, Colo. townhome! That's exciting, and cool, and it is also the right thing to do environmentally, which is - [Could portable EcoFlow batteries be better solar storage solution than wall batteries?](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2021/10/23/could-portable-ecoflow-batteries-be-better-solar-storage-solution-than-wall-batteries/) - As I recently wrote, I am trying to decide if when I get a solar system installed on my roof here at 1644 W. Canal Court in Littleton, Colo., which will hopefully happen sometime in the next several months, I should spend more money to get a bigger system or use some of that money to buy battery storage and go with a smaller system. - [The 'I can't afford it' excuse on the climate emergency is growing old](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2021/10/20/the-i-cant-afford-it-excuse-on-the-climate-emergency-is-growing-old/) - You know what? I often do not believe people when they claim — “It’s too expensive for me to do X, Y, or Z, to change what I am doing to reduce my impact on global heating,” e.g. “I can’t afford an electric car, I can’t afford to add solar, I can’t afford to eat - [$63,000+ to achieve an off-grid/on-grid dream?](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2021/10/16/63000-to-achieve-an-off-grid-on-grid-dream/) - I have a dream, a dream of being mostly off-grid and self-reliant while also remaining on the electric grid. That dream is one step closer to becoming reality thanks to my recent successful efforts -- which took eight months -- to persuade my HOA, Highline Crossing Cohousing Community in Littleton, Colo., to allow individual condo - [We'd be nowhere on electric vehicles right now without the environmental rationale](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2021/09/11/wed-be-nowhere-on-electric-vehicles-right-now-without-the-environmental-rationale/) - I love it when some electric vehicle advocates contend, sometimes directly, sometimes indirectly, that the environmental rationale is not the primary rationale for switching from gasoline vehicles to electric vehicles. - [Cohousing community goes solar in sunny Littleton, Colorado: A slideshow](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2020/06/27/cohousing-community-goes-solar-in-sunny-littleton-colorado-a-slideshow/) - The cohousing community that I live in -- Highline Crossing Cohousing -- here in Littleton, Colo. is FINALLY getting solar after a one-year wait for the installation and, prior to that, 18 months of me, and several other residents here in this community, working toward persuading our community to add a 20 kW solar system. - [Fossil fuel supporters foolishly try to cast the perfect as the enemy of good/better](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2021/09/04/fossil-fuel-supporters-foolishly-try-to-cast-the-perfect-as-the-enemy-of-good-better/) - It's hard to say what the most common logically fallacious and just plain bad and weak argument is that a diminishing but also ever louder --- because they are DESPERATE -- pro-fossil fuel group seeks to put forward against electric vehicles and renewable energy. - [Random reflections on a 2nd 2,300-mile road trip in a Chevy Bolt](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2021/08/29/random-reflections-on-a-2nd-2300-mile-road-trip-in-a-chevy-bolt/) - My younger daughter Kyra and I completed a 2,300-mile round-trip road trip in my leased 2020 Chevy Bolt on Friday, Aug. 27, pulling into our garage in Littleton, Colo. at 8:30 p.m. local time after finishing the final of four legs of this trip, this one a 540-mile leg from Beaver, Utah to Littleton, Colo. - [Chevy Bolt fire recall reality check: Millions of gas cars recalled for fire danger](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2021/08/23/chevy-bolt-fire-recall-reality-check-millions-of-gas-cars-recalled-for-fire-danger/) - One of the most irritating things about the current Chevy Bolt fire danger recall danger -- approximately six Bolts out of 140,000 made have burned -- is the general public's ignorance and lack of knowledge vis-a-vis a basic fact: Gas cars, millions of them across just the last several years, have been recalled for fire danger. This number INCLUDES recalls of countless ICEs for which the fire danger existed even for ICEs that were standing and not on, and for which recommendations were similar to what GM is recommending for the Bolt: Whenever possible, park your car outside, not in a garage. - [ Chevy Bolt recall kills some of my EV -- and EV road trip -- excitement](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2021/08/22/chevy-bolt-recall-kills-some-of-my-ev-and-ev-road-trip-excitement/) - I’ve been an EV advocate for 12 years, driven 100% EV for nearly eight years, solar-charged an EV for four of those eight years, and now driven two leased Chevy Bolts for more than 50,000 miles and more than four years, a red 2017 Bolt, which I drove for 32,000 miles and three years, and a blue 2020 Chevy Bolt, which I have driven for 18 months and 17,000 miles so far. - [Switching 100% of America from gas to EVs could create fueling chaos on long-distance road trips](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2021/08/17/switching-100-of-america-from-gas-to-evs-could-create-fueling-chaos-on-long-distance-road-trips/) - I recently completed a 1,200 mile drive from Littleton, Colo. to Goleta, Calif. with my teen daughter, Kyra, in a leased 2020 Chevy Bolt. I did the same road trip in a leased 2017 Bolt three years ago. - [Denver to Santa Barbara in a Chevy Bolt again, 3 years later: Cedar City, Utah to Goleta, Calif.](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2021/08/17/denver-to-santa-barbara-in-a-chevy-bolt-again-3-years-later-cedar-city-utah-to-goleta-calif/) - My daughter Kyra and I completed our two-day road trip in our 2020 Chevy Bolt from Littleton, Colo. to Goleta, Calif., where my sister and her family live yesterday at 8 p.m. Pacific Time last night. - [Denver to Santa Barbara in a Chevy Bolt again, 3 years later: Littleton, Colo. to Cedar City, Utah](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2021/08/15/denver-to-santa-barbara-in-a-chevy-bolt-3-years-later-littleton-colo-to-cedar-city-utah/) - My daughter Kyra and I drove 590 miles in our leased 2020 Chevy Bolt today from Littleton, Colo. to Cedar City, Utah. It was the first leg of a 2,400-mile round trip road trip from our home Littleton, Colo. to my sister's home in Goleta, Calif. - [Denver to Santa Barbara in a Chevy Bolt 3 years later: Is it still news?](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2021/08/14/denver-to-santa-barbara-in-a-chevy-bolt-3-years-later-is-it-still-news/) - Three years ago, my two daughters and I did a 2,400-mile round-trip road trip in my leased 2017 Chevy Bolt from our home in Littleton, Colo. to my sister's family's home in Goleta, Calif. - [Driving Denver to Santa Barbara in a Chevy Bolt again -- 3 years later](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2021/08/08/driving-denver-to-santa-barbara-in-a-chevy-bolt-again-3-years-later/) - Three years ago, I successfully completed a 2,400-mile round trip in my leased 2017 Chevy Bolt from Denver (really Littleton), Colo. to Santa Barbara (really Goleta), Calif. with my two daughters. We visited my sister and her family in Goleta and had a great time. - [Am I sacrificing my own -- and kids' -- health too much to reduce climate change?](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2021/08/07/am-i-sacrificing-my-own-and-kids-health-too-much-to-reduce-climate-change/) - I am very committed to doing many things to reduce my environmental and carbon footprint. - [Planning for an electric vehicle road trip takes more time](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2021/08/03/planning-for-an-electric-vehicle-road-trip-takes-more-time/) - No matter what some EV advocates might claim, two major disadvantages vis-a-vis gas cars still dog the electric vehicle, at least in large parts of the United States - [5 reasons parking lot solar canopies just may be the best form of solar](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2021/07/11/5-reasons-parking-lot-solar-canopies-just-may-be-the-best-form-of-solar/) - One of the most over-looked forms of solar -- one that almost inevitably fails to generate any meaningful media coverage in major as well as also surprisingly environmental media as well = solar canopy parking lot solar. - [Study: EV charge automation could reduce CO2 impact up to 14% in US and 43% in California](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2021/06/25/study-ev-charge-automation-could-reduce-co2-impact-up-to-14-in-us-and-43-in-california/) - A new study from Sense and Singularity Energy has demonstrated the potential for significant carbon reductions from electric vehicle (EV) charging using a combination of smart home automation and location -- and time-based carbon emissions data from the power grid. The study found that by automating charging to minimize carbon impact, carbon emissions from EV - [VERY discouraged -- again -- on solar + EV advocacy](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2021/06/17/very-discouraged-again-on-solar-ev-advocacy/) - I have been actively advocating for EV + PV and EVs and solar separately for well over a decade. I have not given up, and will never give up. But I do hit stretches where I get discouraged, very discouraged. I am in one of those stretches right now. The American West, where I live - [In Denver, I'm on the edge of America's electric vehicle fast-charging "desert"](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2021/06/14/in-denver-im-on-the-edge-of-americas-electric-vehicle-fast-charging-desert/) - I've been itching to do a road trip in my 2020 Chevy Bolt between the Denver, Colo. area, where I live, and Northwestern Wyoming, Southern Montana, home to Grand Teton National and Yellowstone National Park, for awhile. - [What happens when EVERYONE has an EV and is on a road trip at the same time?](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2021/06/05/what-happens-when-everyone-has-an-ev-and-is-on-a-road-trip-at-the-same-time/) - This article, "The fastest way to get more people to buy electric vehicles: America’s EV charging station infrastructure is woefully lacking" by Vox reporter Ella Nilsen, which focuses on how sufficient (DCFC) charging infrastructure is crucial to more widespread EV adoption got me to thinking ... - [The world is heading toward 100% renewable energy](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2021/05/21/the-world-is-heading-toward-100-renewable-energy/) - Loading... - [Are electric vehicles expensive?](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2021/05/20/are-electric-vehicles-expensive/) - No, electric vehicles are not too expensive. In many cases, electric vehicles are cheaper to buy, they are always cheaper to fuel, and they are also cheaper to maintain. - [6 months with solar = 3,700 extra kWh + 11,000 Sun Miles® for 2 EVs](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2021/05/14/6-months-with-solar-3700-extra-kwh-11000-sun-miles-for-2-evs/) - Six months ago, the HOA community that I live in, Highline Crossing Cohousing Community in Littleton, Colo. went online with 19.6 worth of solar on our so-called Common House and on some of our shared garages here. I worked with other residents for 18 months to persuade residents to go solar, not an easy task in a community of 40 residents where 90% of the households have to vote in favor of a measure in order for it to pass. Yes, that is the "cohousing" ethic/approach -- cohousing is a form of living that is deliberately extra community-based and community-focuses. - [Breaking into that solar EV -- and Sun Miles® -- smile!](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2021/05/12/breaking-into-that-solar-ev-and-sun-miles-smile/) - Few things are as satisfying as knowing that your own, local rooftop solar system is actively, and 100% filling up the battery of electric vehicle! - [Does EV regenerative braking increase tire wear?](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2021/05/02/does-ev-regenerative-braking-increase-tire-wear/) - A few years ago, I wrote one of the most read entries on SolarChargedDriving.Com, "Premature tire wear appears to be the biggest maintenance issue for EVs". - [Tesla Texas crash shows off more piss-poor journalism from journalists](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2021/04/29/tesla-texas-crash-shows-off-more-piss-poor-journalism-from-journalists/) - I have to say, as a journalist and journalism teacher it is very disappointing to see pack journalism that pushes what is now clearly coming out as INCORRECT information out, and then the sheep jump on, and it’s off to the non-factual, sensationalist races. - [YouTube video provides good overview of solar panels on electric car potential](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2021/04/01/youtube-video-provides-good-overview-of-solar-panels-on-electric-car-potential/) - This 15-minute video from the YouTube channel Electric Future takes a close look at the questions of where we are at in terms of integrating solar cells into cars and whether it is worth it to integrate solar technology into several thousand pound vehicles. - [Is it 'useless' to put solar panels on an electric car?](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2021/03/28/is-it-useless-to-put-solar-panels-on-an-electric-car/) - Putting solar cells onto a car and/or using portable solar units to charge an EV are apparently a flash hot button issue for many electric vehicle advocates, some (many?) of whom patronizingly, in my view, immediately dismiss such efforts as “useless”. - [Solar power + batteries would reduce Texas-type power grid problems](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2021/02/17/solar-power-would-reduce-texas-style-power-grid-problems/) - To the right-wing folks who are INCORRECTLY claiming greening the grid caused the power outages in Texas: YOU ARE WRONG! - [Climate change's disappearing winters might feel great -- but they are dangerous](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2021/01/23/climate-changes-disappearing-winters-might-feel-great-but-they-are-dangerous/) - Yes, I know, during the winter it can be rather nice to have milder and milder winters, but the long-term repercussions of disappearing winter are rather extreme and severe. These include, but are not limited to: Less snow, less moisture, less water, more parched forests, more forest fires and, of course, more death and severe economic costs as well. - [It doesn't take much solar to charge an EV](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2020/12/26/it-doesnt-take-much-solar-to-charge-an-ev/) - You actually don't need that much solar on your home, garage, in your yard etc. to produce enough electricity to fuel an EV 100 percent with solar. - [Yes, you can charge an EV with solar](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2020/12/26/yes-you-can-charge-an-ev-with-solar/) - Charging your EV with home solar is a three-step process ==> 1) Install a solar system on your home. 2) Buy an EV or PHEV. 3) Plug it in. - [Yes, if being green is your thing, it DOES matter when you plug your electric vehicle in](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2020/12/22/yes-it-does-matter-when-you-plug-your-electric-vehicle-in/) - I have long been very interested in the question of how much it (does not) matter(s) when one plugs one's electric vehicle in, especially if, like I do, I have the choice of plugging into a home rooftop solar system. - [How I know when my electric car is filling up directly with sunshine 🌞](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2020/12/19/how-i-know-when-my-electric-car-is-filling-up-directly-with-sunshine-🌞/) - Many years ago, I wrote extensively on this web site/blog about the many intricacies and complexities of what I call "solar offset" charging of an electric vehicle vs. directly filling up with electricity that has been/is being produced directly by a (home rooftop) solar system connected to the same electrical box into which an EV charger and/or the wall-socket into which you're plugging your EV into. - [Solar-charged electric car dwarfed by SUVs and pick-up trucks parked around it](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2020/11/30/solar-charged-electric-car-dwarfed-by-suvs-and-pick-up-trucks-parked-around-it/) - Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words. I shot this picture from the 8th floor of Children's Hospital in Aurora, Colo. just now. My blue solar-charged, all-electric Chevy Bolt (roughly in the center of the photo) is dwarfed by the SUVs and pick-up trucks that are parked right next to it. - [How many solar panels does it take to charge an electric car?](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2018/02/28/how-many-solar-panels-does-it-take-to-charge-an-electric-car/) - You actually don't need that many solar panels on your home, garage etc. to produce enough electricity to fuel your electric car 100 percent with solar. - [Chelsea Sexton weighs in on EVs/PHEVs and solar](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/02/08/chelsea-sexton-weighs-in-on-evs-phevs-and-solar/) - SolarChargedDriving.Com interviewed long-time EV advocate and activist Chelsea Sexton -- perhaps best known for the starring role she plays in Chris Paine’s documentary Who Killed the Electric Car? -- on her views about the future of EVs and PHEVs and her views on the solar-EV/PHEV synergy. The interview follows below. SolarChargedDriving.Com: You’re well known for - [Beautiful drone's eye view of two rooftop solar systems in Littleton, Colo.](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2020/12/10/beautiful-drones-eye-view-of-two-rooftop-solar-systems-in-littleton-colo/) - We recently had two solar systems installed here at Highline Crossing Cohousing in Littleton, Colo. - [My electric car is officially solar-charged again](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2020/11/25/my-electric-car-is-officially-solar-charged-again/) - It's taken three long years, but, finally, I am solar-charging my electric car, a 2020 Chevy Bolt, again! - [Cool electric grid mix interactive data visualization from ElectricRate.Com](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2020/11/24/cool-electric-grid-mix-interactive-data-visualization-from-electricrate-com/) - In the more than 10 years I have been doing SolarChargedDriving.Com and advocating for solar-charged driving, the electric grid has gotten considerably cleaner in the United States -- and in many places around the world. - [Go green in your home: Replace old/aging gas home appliances with electric ones](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2020/10/20/replace-your-old-aging-gas-home-appliances-with-electric-ones/) - When you need to replace a hot water heater, your furnace and/or air conditioner, your stove/oven, consider electric options, including an electric heat pump. - [Home solar contagion continues to spread in my old Aurora, Colo. neighborhood](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2020/09/29/home-solar-contagion-continues-to-spread-in-my-old-aurora-colo-neighborhood/) - About 10 years ago, in June of 2010, my ex-wife and I became the first homeowners in our Aurora, Colo. neighborhood to install a rooftop solar system on our single family home. - [The climate emergency has our house on fire -- and we're still barely even talking about it!](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2020/09/07/the-climate-emergency-has-our-house-on-fire-and-were-still-barely-even-talking-about-it/) - Thanks to the continued, massive burning of fossil fuels, our house, the earth, is literally on fire, as the Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg noted almost two years ago . - [Why you might want to think twice before hiring a small(er) solar installer](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2020/08/27/why-you-might-want-to-think-twice-before-hiring-a-smaller-solar-installer/) - How many of you out there who have had solar installed on your residence have waited 15+ months between the time you signed the contract with your solar installer to the time that your solar system went online with your utility and was feeding electricity back into the grid? - [Doing my part to combat climate change and move toward a fossil fuel free life](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2020/08/23/doing-my-part-to-combat-climate-change-and-move-toward-a-fossil-fuel-free-life/) - I have been doing a lot to reduce my direct burning of, and support of, fossil fuels over the past decade. However, I've still got a ways to go, and I hoping to get to zero direct use of fossil fuels within the next five years. - [Busting the top three electric car myths](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2020/08/18/busting-the-top-three-electric-car-myths/) - There are a lot of myths about electric cars that are simply not true, many of them perpetrated and pushed by Big Oil and Fossil Fool interests. - [No more excuses: Electric cars have MORE than enough range!](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2020/08/11/no-more-excuses-electric-cars-have-more-than-enough-range/) - If you've been holding out for an electric car that has "enough" range, I have two words for you!: ENOUGH ALREADY! - [EV/PHEV resources](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2009/08/04/ev-resources/) - Below is a list of resources and web sites for EVs and PHEVs. SolarChargedDriving.Com is happy to consider additions to the list, which we will update, and expand, regularly. SolarChargedDriving.Com also welcomes invitations for reciprocal URL listing with relevant and related sites. (Last updated: August 2019) - [To choose an environmentally responsible mortgage, or not to?](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2020/08/04/to-choose-an-environmentally-responsible-mortgage-or-not-to/) - I am a lifelong and committed environmental activist. And I have done many different things to both reduce my environmental impact and to raise environmental awareness and effect political change to protect the environment -- and human health. - [Rooftop solar gets our meter spinning backward in Littleton, Colorado](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2020/07/14/solar-gets-our-meter-spinning-backwards-here-in-littleton-colorado/) - A couple of weeks ago, Sopris Solar completed the installation of a two-array 19.6 kW solar system on the roof of one of our garage block units and the roof of our HOA Community House here in Highline Crossing Cohousing Community in Littleton, Colo. - [Nothing beats driving an electric car on sunshine, nothing! :-)](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2020/06/17/nothing-beats-driving-an-electric-car-on-sunshine-nothing/) - So, a new 20 kW solar system with two separate arrays on two separate roof areas, including a set of garages, is going up in our Highline Crossing Cohousing Community here in Littleton, Colo. :-) - [My cohousing HOA community is getting rooftop solar -- finally!](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2020/06/11/my-cohousing-hoa-community-is-getting-rooftop-solar-finally/) - Precisely 10 years ago to this month, REC Solar workers were on the rooftop of my Aurora, Colo. home installing a 5.5 kW solar system that is still there. The system outlasted me -- or, at least my marriage -- and is still there, pumping out clean, green electricity for the residents who bought the home from me and my now ex-wife in November of 2015, which we sold following a August 2015 divorce. - [Coordinated telecommuting: A creative and new way to help keep our air clean](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2020/05/20/coordinated-telecommuting-a-creative-new-way-to-help-keep-our-air-clean/) - Have you been enjoying the cleaner air where you live? How about the reduced stress load due to having to do less driving and sit in far fewer traffic jams? Yeah, I thought so! Me too! - [Does it make sense to turn in a leased Chevy Bolt early right now?](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2020/01/27/does-it-make-economic-sense-to-turn-in-a-leased-chevy-bolt-early-right-now/) - I recently wrote about how I turned in my 2017 Chevy Bolt LT nine months early on a 39-month lease. In that blog entry, I focused primarily on how much money I would save by doing so over leasing a Tesla Model 3. I posted a link to this SolarChargedDriving.Com entry to a Chevy Bolt Facebook Group and received nearly 150 likes and more than 100 comments. My blog entry sparked a lot of interesting discussion and debate and I thank all those who posted likes and comments and feedback. - [COVID-19 stay-at-home orders were great for clean air -- while they lasted :-(](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2020/04/23/covid-19-stay-at-home-orders-were-great-for-clean-air-while-they-lasted/) - For past five years, always in the spring, I have developed a consistent, irritating dry cough. I have been tested three times for allergies across that time and the results have always showed that I have no allergies. - [COVID19 lock downs have cleaned up the air. Let's use electric cars + renewables to keep it clean!](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2020/04/17/covid19-lock-downs-have-cleaned-up-our-air-lets-use-electric-cars-renewables-to-keep-it-clean/) - Air quality has improved dramatically in ALL places around the world where lockdowns and stay-at-home orders have radically reduced the number of gasoline cars and trucks on the road. Obviously, this is NOT coincidence! ICEs (Internal Combustion Engine vehicles) spew out tremendous amounts of toxins into the air and directly into the lungs of those - [Harvard study: Air pollution increases COVID19 deaths](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2020/04/07/air-pollution-increases-covid19-deaths/) - We've known for a long time that air pollution kills. The World Health Organization estimates that seven million people a year die prematurely globally due to air pollution aggravating and intensifying conditions and heath events such as heart disease, heart attacks, asthma and strokes. Now there is MORE evidence that air pollution kills. A new - [Here's why I'm sticking with a Chevy Bolt even though I'd rather have a Tesla: It costs less](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2020/01/25/why-im-sticking-with-a-chevy-bolt-even-though-id-rather-have-a-tesla-in-one-word-cost/) - I've been driving a leased 2017 Chevy Bolt LT since Sept. 2017. It's been a great little car: Zippy, fun, quiet, fuel efficient. It's got plenty of range (238 miles), including enough range for a 2,400-mile round-trip road trip I did with my teen daughters from Denver to Santa Barbara, Calif. and back in the Summer of 2018. - [7 reasons for the slow adoption rate of EVs in the United States](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2020/01/18/7-reasons-for-the-slow-adoption-rate-of-evs-in-the-united-states/) - I have been following, writing about, and advocating for electric vehicles for more than 10 years now. And I have to admit, I am growing impatient with the extremely slow uptake of EVs in the United States. After nearly 10 years of having production electric cars available for purchase in the United States, EVs have achieved a paltry penetration rate of about 2%. - [Michigan man driving three electric vehicles on sunshine](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2020/01/11/9800/) - Craig Toepfer is one of an increasing number of Americans who are driving on sunshine, or, as we like to say at SolarChargedDriving.Com, he’s plugging in to the power of the sun by using home solar to create fuel for his electric vehicles. - [How to get better sleep while on your next long-distance road trip](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2020/01/09/how-to-get-better-sleep-while-on-your-next-long-distance-road-trip/) - If you’re taking a long road trip in your electric vehicle – something that is becoming more and more common as more and more people buy Teslas and gain access to the Tesla Supercharger network and as more and more DCFC chargers for other long-distance electric cars such as the Chevy Bolt and the Nissan LEAF Plus go up along major interstates and thoroughfares around the United States, and around the world, you never want to fall asleep when you’re at the wheel. - [10 things you can do to reduce your carbon footprint in 2020](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2019/12/31/10-things-you-can-do-to-reduce-your-carbon-footprint-in-2020/) - As we usher in a new year -- and decade -- it's a good time to reflect on what each of us can do to reduce our impact on the environment and advocate for, and build, a cleaner, greener world. We are not helpless and it is not -- yet -- hopeless. - [Texting drivers are as bad as drunk drivers](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/11/30/texting-drivers-are-as-bad-as-drunk-drivers/) - I can’t think of a single thing that gets me more hot under the collar than selfish, short-sighted drivers who spend more of their time texting and surfing the internet than concentrating on driving and who, in increasing numbers, are killing themselves, and, worse, others as a result of their stupidity. - [Oxford Dictionary picks 'climate emergency' as word of year for 2019 -- and they're right!](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2019/12/22/oxford-dictionary-selects-climate-emergency-as-word-of-the-year-for-2019-and-theyre-right/) - Oxford Dictionaries has declared “climate emergency” the word of the year for 2019, following a hundred-fold increase in usage that it says demonstrated a “greater immediacy” in the way we talk about the climate, reports The Guardian in an article published recently. - [Who will buy Tesla's Cybertruck?](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2019/11/22/who-will-buy-teslas-cyber-truck/) - t's been a whirlwind 24 hours for Tesla, Elon Musk, electric vehicles, sledgehammers and metal balls and smashed windows with Musk's much anticipated and ballyhooed Cyber Truck making its debut last night live on the Internet. - [7 fun facts about electric vehicles](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2019/12/09/7-fun-facts-about-electric-vehicles/) - There is a lot of misinformation and outright anti-Electric Vehicle propaganda circulating on the internet. After all, BIG OIL and its moneyed interests have A LOT to lose if the world converts to electric vehicles which are far more environmentally and health friendly than any gasoline vehicle ever will be. - [Tesla's tiny solar house a perfect showcase for solar-charged EV driving](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2019/11/24/teslas-tiny-solar-house-showcase-for-solar-ev-driving/) - Tesla took the promotion of solar-charged driving up a notch recently with a package that saw a Tesla Model X tow a solar tiny house with a solar system on its roof capable of charging the Model X. - [Audi charges forward with 2nd all-electric vehicle, the e-tron Sportback](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2019/11/19/audi-charges-forward-with-second-all-electric-vehicle-the/) - Audi will introduce its all-electric 2020 e-tron Sportback at Los Angeles Auto Show Nov. 20. The e-tron Sportback is the car builder's second fully electric production model from Audi of America, and, like the original e-tron, will offer a driving range of more than 200 miles per charge. - [Drowsy driving can be deadly](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2019/11/19/drowsy-driving-can-be-deadly-2/) - Many veteran drivers -- including electric car drivers -- believe that they have what it takes to keep their minds focused and alert, even when they're feeling the tug of exhaustion on their eyelids. However, the truth is that no matter how important it is to stay awake at the wheel, sleep is a biological - [Will muscle car fans continue to reject electric vehicles?](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2019/11/16/will-muscle-car-owners-continue-to-reject-and-diss-electric-vehicles/) - There's absolutely no doubt that electric cars are quicker than gasoline cars. - [Starving the Big Oil Beast, 1 electric vehicle at a time](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2019/11/03/starving-big-oil-one-ev-at-a-time/) - One of the biggest reasons I drive electric, and have been doing so for nearly six years, is to stick it to Big Oil. Big Oil destroys the air we breathe, the planet we live on and human and environmental health. It does so all in the name of generating as much profit as it can -- for as long as it can, regardless of the consequences on humanity, both present, and future, as well as on other living beings on the planet. - [Custom software helps solar companies track solar production and use](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2019/10/29/custom-software-helps-solar-companies-and-customers-track-solar-production-and-usesolar/) - Many companies in the solar energy industry are often looking for more deals and to improve their closing rate on deals. They are also looking to best meet the needs of their customers. One of the ways these companies can stand out is by using energy management software. The use of energy management software helps - [These drivers are illegally texting while driving -- and endangering lives](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2019/10/21/these-drivers-are-illegally-texting-while-driving-and-endangering-lives/) - Whether you're driving an electric car or not, there is no excuse for endangering other people's lives by regularly texting, surfing, etc. your phone while driving. Unfortunately, at this point, it seems to me, based on admittedly anecdotal observation here in the Denver, Colo. area, as if about 50% of drivers are regularly texting. - [Gas Huggers are deliberately blocking access to Tesla Superchargers in the U.S.](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2019/09/22/backward-redneck-gas-suckers-are-deliberately-blocking-tesla-superchargers/) - So, I don't care if some people get offended by this rant. I. Do. No. Care. - [Global climate strikes underscore need to move to 100 percent renewable energy](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2019/09/20/global-climatestrikes-accentuate-need-to-move-to-100-percent-renewable-energy/) - Not all electric car advocates are motivated by environmentalism. But I am one of those greenie advocates! If we could not power electric cars with 100 percent renewable energy I would have no interest in electric cars. Seriously, none whatsoever! - [Reflecting on 10 years of SolarChargedDriving.Com -- and on 10 years of solar + EV](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2019/09/04/10-reflections-on-10-years-of-solarchargeddriving-com/) - Ten years ago, on Sept. 8, 2009, I launched SolarChargedDriving.Com into the world -- and on to the World Wide Web. A decade later and more than 1,200 articles and blog entries, thousands of photos and dozens of videos, and nearly 300,000 unique visitors from well over 100 different countries later, SolarChargedDriving.Com is still here! - [Colorado vanity license plate promotes Tesla, EVs, renewable energy](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2019/08/26/colorado-vanity-plate-promotes-tesla-evs-renewables-energy/) - On my way to work today in my 2017 Chevy Bolt, I saw an older Tesla Model S P85 in front of me with a vanity plate that probably a lot of of Tesla owners in Colorado would love to have: TSLA EV. - [Off-grid home solar system powers Australian woman's Tesla](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2019/08/23/an-off-grid-home-solar-system-powers-australian-womans-tesla/) - Yes, you CAN do it all -- power your entire home's electricity use AND all of your electric driving via home solar, as Australia's Sylvia Wilson proves. - [New video 'rocks up' the advantages of home solar PV for your EV](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2019/08/18/solar-pv-for-the-ev/) - Ok, so the music to this video promoting solar-charged driving produced by a website called PV4EVS.Com is a bit over-wrought, and the video itself is kind of goofy -- in a good (self-ironic?) way ;-). - [Home solar system plus an electric vehicle saves lots of money!](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2019/08/12/home-solar-system-plus-an-electric-vehicle-lots-of-money-saved/) - The video below is a GREAT ad for the cost savings that you can generate, right from the start, when you buy or lease an electric car and fuel it with electricity generated by a home solar system. - [Study: Renewable energy plus electric car combo is poised to kill Big Oil](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2019/08/06/study-solar-and-renewables-plus-electric-cars-poised-to-kill-big-oil/) - Solar-charged driving is on the road to taking over the world and Big Oil’s days are numbered, according to a report released by a financial analyst division of a large French banking multinational, BNP Paribas! - [General solar FAQs](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2009/08/19/general-solar-faqs/) - Why go solar? Going solar seems complicated. How difficult is it? If I’m considering going solar, where do I begin? How much does going solar cost? Isn’t solar more expensive than coal-produced electricity? Isn’t there a huge upfront cost for solar? How long will it take for me to realize savings if I go solar? - [5 electric cars all parked in one parking lot in Boulder, Colo.](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2019/07/23/5-electric-cars-in-one-parking-lot/) - So, the density of electric cars in the United States is quite variable with some states, for instance, California, seeing much more EV penetration than others, for instance, Mississippi or Kentucky. - [Tesla Supercharger stations are running on solar-generated electricity](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2019/07/18/tesla-supercharger-stations-running-on-solar-generated-electricity/) - The photo above represents THE future of "gas" stations in the USA --> The fully solar-powered fast-charging electric "gas tank". This Tesla Super Charging station, complete with a massive roof of solar panels, which generate the electricity that flows into the Tesla batteries charged there, opened recently in Las Vegas. Tesla has quite a few more of these around the USA. - [50 solar EV charging stations go up in New York City](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2019/07/16/solar-ev-charging-stations-go-up-in-new-york-city/) - New York City has 50 new solar-powered EV charging stations to green its growing fleet of electric vehicles. - [Bad guys beware: Tesla Sentry Mode is watching -- and recording -- you!](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2019/07/13/bad-apples-beware-tesla-sentry-mode-is-watching-and-recording-you/) - It still hasn't seeped into wider public awareness that many cars are now equipped with video cameras that can, and do, capture people's every move. This is true whether they are a hit-and-run driver, a vandal, a would-be car thief, or a texting driver who has just rear-ended a car with a video system. - [Overview: EVs on verge of re-making history](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2009/08/06/general-overview/) - On a basic level, today’s EVs (electric vehicles) and PHEVs (plug-in hybrid electric vehicles) are nothing new. Battery powered vehicles resembling today’s modern automobiles have been around for more than one hundred years. In fact, before the dominance of internal combustion engines, electric automobiles held many vehicle land speed and distance records in the early - [Why solar charge an electric car: An introduction](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2015/07/02/reasons-to-solar-charge-introduction/) - Assuming you have an electric vehicle (EV), there are countless reasons to solar-charge your car(s). Cleaner air, complete individual fuel independence, and greater national fuel independence are just a few of the specific reasons to run your electric car on the sun. Basically, the reasons to solar-charge your car fall into four broad categories: Environmental - [What SolarChargedDriving.Com is, and is not, about](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2015/06/30/what-we-are-and-are-not/) - We want to be clear about who we are, why we’re here, and what we are, and are not. Hence, the “manifesto” of sorts below. SolarChargedDriving.Com – What we are We are dedicated to telling the story of the synergy between solar and EVs and PHEVs. We aim to do so by creating original content focused - [Why SolarChargedDriving.Com is here](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2015/07/01/why-were-here/) - Why are we here? And why are we here now? There are a number of crucial reasons actually... - [EVs + 100% renewables could stop air pollution -- and thereby reduce allergy suffering!](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2019/04/17/evs-100-renewables-could-stop-air-pollution-and-thereby-reduce-allergy-suffering/) - I've been tested for allergies multiple times across the past few years and always the tests come up negative. Yet I have consistent problems with dry, asthma like -- and sometimes nearly uncontrollable -- coughing every spring, including this spring. - [5 reasons to lease vs. 5 reasons to buy solar](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2013/08/22/5-reasons-to-lease-vs-5-reasons-to-buy-solar/) - In the U.S., people interested in going solar are inevitably interested in the difference between buying a home solar system and leasing one as well as in the comparative pros and cons of each. - [Nissan LEAF & home solar owner touts EV + PV](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/11/12/nissan-leaf-a-home-solar-owner-touts-ev-pv/) - Tom Cotter is no ordinary car driver. After buying a Nissan LEAF last year, Cotter has stopped going to the gas station. Cotter is part of the growing segment of electric car drivers helping the environment -- and their pocketbooks. - [Web sites promote Chevy Bolt, Nissan LEAF, and Tesla Model 3 + home solar combination](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2018/09/08/web-sites-promote-solar-charged-chevy-bolt-nissan-leaf-and-tesla-model-3-home-solar-combination/) - Just by chance during a Google search, I happened to come across the fact that someone has bought the domain names ChevyBoltSolarCharger.Com, NissanLeafSolarCharger.Com and Model3SolarCharger.Com. - [Solar-charged Nissan LEAF is inspiring](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2014/11/11/solar-charged-nissan-leaf-an-inspiration/) - Sometimes when you do the right thing -- like power an electric car with sunshine, something I've been doing for about 10 months -- you get recognition for doing so. The handwritten note in the picture to the right was placed on the windshield of my 2014 Nissan LEAF this morning. My LEAF has the - [30 questions to ask a solar consultant](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2009/08/11/questions-to-ask-a-solar-consultant/) - Below is a list of questions I used for reference when solar consultants from REC Solar and Real Goods Solar came to our home to offer an estimate. - [Celebrate Independence Day by plugging into an electric car -- and leave Big Oil behind forever!](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2019/07/04/leave-big-oil-behind/) - On this 4th of July, 2019, let's celebrate the joy of fueling independence :-)An electric vehicle frees you from trips to the gas station. You will never again share gas fumes with others at a self-serve gas station near you. - [Renting a gas car a reminder of how fun EVs are -- and how we need more people to test drive electric cars!](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2019/06/24/we-need-more-people-to-test-drive-electric-cars/) - So, my 2017 Chevy Bolt is in the body shop for two weeks thanks to getting blasted by a hail storm that caused $6,000 worth of damage to it while it was parked at Denver International Airport (DIA) over Memorial Day Weekend.That means I am going to have to suffer in a lame gas car rental for the next 14 days. - [Transform your home into a solar EV charging station](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2019/06/17/home-solar-an-ev-charging-station/) - You can use home solar as your own personal EV charging station, or "gas" station. - [Top 10 reasons to solar-charge your EV](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2015/06/28/top-10-reasons-to-solar-charge-your-ev/) - 10. You help drive solar – and EVs – forward! 9. No more trips to the gas station – ever! 8. Big long-term savings – and no more money to Big Oil! 7. “Drill, Baby, Drill!” crowd eats crow! 6. G-L-O-B-A-L W-A-R-M-I-N-G 5. Complete fuel independence! 4. Cleaner air – in your garage, in your - [EV chargers an under-utilized source of parking lot monetization](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2019/04/21/ev-chargers-an-under-utilized-source-of-parking-lot-monetization/) - With so many drivers choosing to drive electric vehicles these days, it’s surprising how few level 2 charging stations are available. Travelers may have local options but struggle to find hotels, motels, and other travel organizations with readily available charging solutions. Those organizations are missing out on an easy source of passive income that is - [Does Powerwall + solar + EV charger make sense?](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2017/08/27/does-powerwall-solar-ev-charger-make-sense/) - I've been living for about a month in a co-housing condo community called Highline Crossing Cohousing in Littleton, Colo. I really like it here -- I've met lots of friendly people, gone to several events, played ping pong with my kids in the community center, even helped out on a quarterly clean-up day Saturday. It's - [Solar catamaran boat showcased in new video](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2018/04/13/solar-catamaran-boat-showcased-in-new-video/) - Soel Yachts, a company that designed the SoelCat 12, a solar-charged and solar-powered boat that runs 100 percent on sunshine generated electricity when traveling at speeds of six knots or below, recently released a YouTube video that highlights the unique solar-charged catamaran zooming around a beautiful tropical island. - [Solar-charged Bolts on Twitter](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2018/06/17/solar-charged-bolts-on-twitter/) - Two more solar-charged drivers are online in California. Good news! Thank you for sharing. - [Tesla solar shingles power a home -- and an electric car](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2019/03/23/tesla-solar-shingles-power-a-home-and-an-electric-car/) - t's amazing how much more high-tech solar-charged driving is today than it was back in 2014 when I first plugged our First Generation Nissan LEAF into solar at our home at 4000 S. Atchison Way in Aurora, Colo. - [Free gas!](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2018/07/04/free-gas/) - Yes, you can fuel your car for free -- if you invest in home solar and an electric car! How? You pay upfront for your solar 'gas station', allow it to reach so-called 'solar payback' the point in time at which the money you spent on the solar system = the amount you would have paid to a utility for your electricity, a point typically reached after five to 10 years in the United States, then you've got free gas for the lifetime of your solar gas pump which = 10, 15, even 20 years. - [2 red Chevy Bolts find 'love' in a Unitarian Church parking lot](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2019/06/11/two-red-chevy-bolts-find-love-in-a-unitarian-church-parking-lot/) - How many Unitarian Universalists does it take to park an electric car? Apparently not very many compared to many other religious denominations. Electric cars are quite common in Unitarian Universalist church parking lots. I discovered this -- once again -- last night when I pulled in to the parking lot of the First Universalist Unitarian - [EV charging network EVgo plugs in to 100% renewable energy](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2019/06/10/ev-charging-network-evgo-goes-to-100-renewable-energy/) - Charging network EVgo announced recently that it signed contracts with all its power providers to deliver clean energy to all of its chargers across the United States. - [Two thirds of Americans support 100% renewable energy by 2030](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2019/05/23/9152/) - There is strong support for 100 percent renewable energy in the United States.A 100 percent renewable energy mandate was considered the most important of several options for fighting climate change in a recent Politico poll. - [Air pollution is killing 8.8 million people a year: What you can do right now to change that!](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2019/05/17/air-pollution-is-killing-8-8-million-people-a-year/) - We have the ability to eliminate air pollution, a global killer that affects more than 90 percent of the world population. - [Another satisfying win for solar: I (finally) got my HOA to go solar!](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2019/05/11/i-got-my-hoa-to-go-solar/) - So, after a year and half of working on it, I -- along with several other hard working members of my HOA community here in Littleton, Colo. -- have persuaded our neighbors to go solar! - [Electric cars are too expensive -- NOT! Get a Tesla Model 3 for $26,250 in Colorado](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2019/03/01/electric-cars-are-too-expensive-not-get-a-tesla-model-3-for-26250-in-colorado/) - One of the great myths about electric cars is that "they" are too expensive -- and usually when someone uses "they" to refer to electric cars they mean ALL electric cars are allegedly "too expensive". - [Using home solar to charge an electric car No. 1 way to achieve fueling independence](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2019/04/21/9091/) - A solar-charged electric car is a clean, green, and efficient car, one that will save you money -- and allow you to realize the joy and satisfaction of 100 percent fueling independence. When you realize you could be skipping the gas station 100 percent and not send a penny to large oil companies, when you - [All-electric Chevy Bolt quicker than most gas cars -- a lot quicker!](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2019/04/08/all-electric-chevy-bolt-quicker-than-most-gas-cars-a-lot-quicker/) - So, those of you who drive an electric car already know this, but it's worth driving the point home again and again and again to those who hold old, tired, inaccurate stereotypes about electric cars: Electric cars are NOT "slow"! Quite the opposite, actually! - [The "little" solar train that could: Australian electric locomotive runs on sun](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2019/03/12/the-little-solar-train-that-could-australian-electric-locomotive-runs-on-sun/) - Yes, you CAN power full-scale trains with solar + a battery. This train has solar panels on its roof + solar panels on a storage building next to where it parks. These solar panels collectively generate electricity, which then fills the train's battery and powers the train. - [Nissan 18 months too late with the LEAF plus](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2019/03/08/nissan-18-months-too-late-with-the-leaf-plus/) - Nissan has recently been making a big deal out of the so-called Nissan LEAF Plus -- the LEAF that has a 60 kWh battery pack and a range somewhere in the mid-220s. - [Top 10 wins for electric vehicles in the United States in 2018](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2019/01/16/top-10-wins-for-electric-vehicles-in-the-united-states-in-2018/) - The following article is written by Gina Copon-Newfield who is director of Sierra Club's Clean Transportation for All Campaign. It is re-published here on SolarChargedDriving.Com with permission from the Sierra Club. The original article appeared on Dec. 20, 2018 at: https://www.sierraclub.org/articles/2018/12/top-10-us-electric-vehicle-wins-2018 1. We surpassed 1 million EVs on U.S. roads. Vehicles with little to no tailpipe - [Plugging into solar can pay off in UK](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2019/01/14/plugging-into-solar-can-pay-off-in-uk/) - One of the most reliable alternative energy methods is solar panels. They are used to collect sun rays and transform them into electrical energy. This form of electricity has been embraced in the United Kingdom (UK). The initiative for solar energy began in 2011 and has increased rapidly ever since due to reductions in the - [The second generation Nissan LEAF: Missing in action in the United States?](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2018/12/25/the-second-generation-nissan-leaf-missing-in-action-in-the-united-states/) - Nissan used to lead electric car sales in the United States regularly with its first generation LEAF, which became available in the U.S. in 2011. But, at least anecdotally, it does not seem to be doing nearly as well with its second generation LEAF in the U.S., of which I have seen exactly three in a full year of looking here in the Denver, Colo. area. - [Drowsy driving can be deadly](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2018/12/06/drowsy-driving-can-be-deadly/) - Drowsy driving is a widespread issue among motorists in the United States, including among drivers of electric vehicles who clearly are not immune to the effects of drowsy driving. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), drowsy driving led to roughly 72,000 accidents, 44,000 injuries and 800 deaths in 2013 alone. - [How an electric car can save you money](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2018/11/24/how-an-electric-car-can-save-you-money/) - With more and more households averaging close to one car per family member, the transportation costs for most families are pretty high. Personal transportation has become a necessity these days with each and every family member having different priorities and schedules. With that being said, with the help of electric vehicles, now you can bring down your monthly transportation costs by a significant amount. - [Electric car mythbuster: 'Electric cars are too expensive'](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2018/11/09/electric-car-mythbuster-electric-cars-are-too-expensive/) - There is still a lot of misinformation and anti-electric car stuff being pumped out onto the internet by folks who, for the most part, have a vested interest in the continuation of #BigOil's economic -- and environmental -- hegemony. One of the biggest myths about electric cars is that they are "too expensive". Not true. Simply. Not. True. Case in point: My own experience owning, and driving, an electric car for the past five years. - [Rising gas prices mean more interest in electric cars -- and solar-charged electric vehicles](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2018/10/19/rising-gas-prices-mean-more-interest-in-electric-cars-and-solar-charged-electric-vehicles/) - Every time gas prices start to rise, interest in electric cars, and in solar-charged driving, increases. I can literally see this rising interest in increases in traffic to SolarChargedDriving.Com. In fact, gas prices, appear to be a bigger factor in creating more traffic to SolarChargedDriving.Com than putting fresh content on the site. - [Denver to Santa Barbara in a Chevy Bolt: Day 3, Las Vegas to Goleta, Calif.](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2018/07/27/denver-to-santa-barbara-in-a-chevy-bolt-day-3-las-vegas-to-goleta-calif/) - I was envisioning feeling triumphant when we got to my sister's in Goleta, Calif., three days, and 1,200 miles, after starting our long-distance road trip in our all-electric Chevy Bolt in Littleton, Colo. In fact, I did feel pretty triumphant driving the final leg of our trip from Victorville, Calif. to Goleta, Calif., which is about a 170-mile drive. Although we hit some "bumps" along the way -- including a confrontation I had with another Chevy Bolt driver at a EV-Go DC fast charger in Victorville today after he unplugged me while I was in the mall with my kids -- it felt pretty good to be zooming along California 101, on a beautiful late July evening as the sun set on the Pacific ocean. - [Flat tire in a Chevy Bolt that comes without spare = automatic tow](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2018/08/29/flat-tire-in-a-chevy-bolt-that-comes-without-spare-automatic-tow/) - So, ironically less than 24 hours after writing and posting two blog entries for SolarChargedDriving.Com on my frustrations with premature tire wear on electric cars ["Premature tire wear on electric cars" & "Tire makers need to make better tires for electric cars"], I ended up getting a flat rear right tire in my 2017 Chevy Bolt. - [Tire makers need to make better tires for electric cars](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2018/08/27/tire-makers-need-to-make-better-tires-for-electric-cars/) - So, after writing a blog entry about my less than impressive experience with tire wear and electric car driving across the past four and a half years, I've got a cadre of "fans" in a Chevy Bolt Owner's Facebook Group who are saying -- many in very patronizing fashion -- that the problem with my Chevy Bolt tires is not the tires: It's me! - [Premature tire wear appears to be biggest maintenance issue for electric cars](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2018/08/26/premature-tire-wear-appears-to-be-biggest-maintenance-issue-for-electric-cars/) - So, the standard line about electric cars and maintenance is that they require a lot less maintenance, and money, than gasoline cars. With four-and-a-half years of electric car driving under my belt, I can attest to the truth of this statement: My personal experience has shown that EVs require A LOT less money to maintain than gas cars. This is true for everything -- except when it comes to tires! - [Nissan LEAF sounds won't be just rustle in wind](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/06/16/nissan-leaf-sounds-wont-be-just-rustle-in-wind/) - Those who want artificial noises added to electric vehicles -- and to hybrids -- have momentum on their side. Automakers recently announced their support of national legislation in the U.S. requiring a vehicle sound to assist the blind in detecting nearby hybrid or electric autos. And now Nissan has contributed to that momentum, having added - [2,400-mile road trip in Chevy Bolt shows long-distance fast charging infrastructure not ready for prime time](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2018/08/05/round-trip-from-denver-to-santa-barbara-in-a-chevy-bolt-shows-long-distance-fast-charging-infrastructure-is-not-ready-for-prime-time/) - Barring the unforeseen, my two daughters and I will complete our 2,400-mile round trip road trip in our all-electric Chevy Bolt tomorrow evening in Littleton, Colo. I would definitely do this round trip again in my Bolt -- which is a joy to drive. But more DC fast charging stations along the route THAT ACTUALLY WORK are needed. - [1,200 miles in an 100 percent electric Chevy Bolt: Photos](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2018/08/01/1200-miles-in-an-100-percent-electric-chevy-bolt-photos/) - I recently completed a 1,200-mile road trip from Denver to Santa Barbara in my all-electric 2017 Chevy Bolt with my two teen-age daughters. In a few days, we'll turn around and do the reverse trip from Santa Barbara to Denver :-). - [Denver to Santa Barbara in a Chevy Bolt: Day 2, Green River, Utah to Las Vegas](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2018/07/25/denver-to-santa-barbara-in-a-chevy-bolt-day-2-green-river-utah-to-las-vegas/) - So, today was day two in our 1,200-mile journey from Denver to Santa Barbara in an all-electric Chevy Bolt. [Read about day one, Littleton, Colo. to Green River, Utah] Today proved that, yes, you can make it with an electric car on a long-distance road trip even when things go wrong/don't work out as planned -- but, honestly, the average person is not likely going to want to go through the kinds of things I, and my two daughters did, today on our long-distance leg of 400 miles from Green River, Utah to Las Vegas. - [Denver to Santa Barbara in a Chevy Bolt: Day 1, Littleton, Colo. to Green River, Utah](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2018/07/24/denver-to-santa-barbara-in-a-chevy-bolt-day-1-littleton-colo-to-green-river-utah/) - I've never done a road trip in a Chevy Bolt before, though I have done two mid-length road trips from Denver to Santa Fe, New Mexico in my brother's Tesla Model S. The family before our departure on a 1,200-mile road trip from Littleton, Colo. to Goleta, Calif. in our all-electric Chevy Bolt, which has 238 miles of range. Here are some of my more memorable impressions after driving the first leg of a 1,200-mile trip from Denver to Santa Barbara today that I am doing with my two daughters, 13 and 11, in tow. - [Denver to Santa Barbara in an all-electric Chevy Bolt -- Here we go!](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2018/07/23/denver-to-santa-barbara-in-an-all-electric-chevy-bolt-here-we-go/) - So, I will be driving from Denver to Santa Barbara with my two teen-age daughters in my all-electric 2017 Chevy Bolt starting tomorrow, Tues., July 24, with a planned arrival date in Santa Barbara of Thurs., July 26. I planned the trip out using an app called PlugShare -- plugshare.com. Three days, and two nights. Normally, the 1,200- mile trip would be done in two days, but with an electric car that is not a Tesla, one must count on taking extra time for road trips, at least out here in the wide open spaces of the American West. - [Electric cars running on 100% renewable energy would = no ozone alerts](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2018/07/20/electric-cars-running-on-100-renewable-energy-would-no-ozone-alerts/) - So, I was driving to work this morning in my electric 2017 Chevy Bolt -- which I power indirectly from Xcel Energy's so-called Windsource generated electricity --- here in Denver on I-25 north and saw that the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) was broadcasting an ozone alert on its highway flashboards. - [Why a solar garden isn't as satisfying as rooftop solar](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2018/06/30/why-a-solar-garden-isnt-as-satisfying-as-rooftop-solar/) - I had solar for nearly six years on a house in Aurora, Colo. that I lived in with my family. Life happened -- divorce, etc. -- and I no longer have the house, or the solar. A year ago, I moved into a so-called "cohousing" community, Highline Crossing Cohousing in Littleton, Colo. I moved here because cohousing is more community based than average HOAs/neighborhoods. I wanted more community, less suburban isolation and alienation. - [U.S. Congress candidate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez puts 100 percent renewables on major media map](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2018/06/28/u-s-congress-candidate-alexandria-ocasio-cortez-puts-100-percent-renewables-on-major-media-map/) - Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a 28-year-old Latina democratic socialist from the Bronx, just beat out the longtime US representative Joe Crowley in the New York Democratic primaries. She's become a media darling since. That's great for a lot of reasons -- for more empowerment of women in American politics, more empowerment for minorities, AND more empowerment for greenies like me (and hopefully you, too). - [You can get a new 2018 Nissan LEAF for $14,500 in Colorado](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2018/06/17/you-can-get-a-new-2018-nissan-leaf-for-14500-in-colorado/) - A lot of people who don't know much, if anything, about electric cars and/or "hate" electric cars (read: some ICE-heads) think they are/claim they are 'too expensive.' - [How many SOLR EV license plates are there in the USA?](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2018/06/15/how-many-solr-ev-license-plates-are-there-in-the-usa/) - Ed Knapton, who lives in Texas and has both a Chevy Bolt and a Chevy Volt, just posted a few pictures to the Facebook Volt Owners Group. He's just added a new vanity license plate to his impressive solar PV + EV setup, "SOLR EV". - [160 miles of mountain driving in an electric car? It's no problem in a Chevy Bolt](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2018/06/10/160-miles-of-mountain-driving-in-an-electric-car-no-problem-in-a-chevy-bolt/) - I've written before about how an 84-mile EV -- a 2014 Nissan LEAF for which I started a three-year lease and then saw my now ex-wife move out six months into the lease -- severely limited me and my driving possibilities here in the Denver area (although it was good enough for virtually all of my Boulder-Denver-Aurora driving). - [There's a Tesla Model 3 parked next to my Chevy Bolt](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2018/06/03/theres-a-tesla-model-3-parked-next-to-my-chevy-bolt/) - I took the Regional Transportation District (RTD) light rail from Littleton to the Colorado Rockies game last night (the Rockies got plastered by the L.A. Dodgers, 12-4, BTW). I parked at the Mineral RTD parking lot, which is the very end/beginning of the so-called "D" and "C" lines here in the Denver area. And, what do you know? The spot I found was right next to a brand new Tesla Model 3! - [Solar Rights Alliance aims to tap the power of 700,000 California rooftop solar owners](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2018/05/31/solar-rights-alliance-aims-to-tap-the-power-of-700000-california-rooftop-solar-owners/) - As you may have heard, starting in 2020, California will require that all new single-family homes include a solar power system. (At present, about one in five new homes has solar added when built.) This will help California meet its ambitious goals regarding greenhouse gas emissions, and will continue California's leadership in home energy efficiency. - [Solar power growing at a rapid rate globally: An infographic](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2018/05/24/solar-power-growing-at-a-rapid-rate-globally-an-infographic/) - Yes, solar is really taking off around the world! - [Solar + electric car vanity plates advertise Driving on Sunshine](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2018/05/08/solar-electric-car-vanity-plates-advertise-driving-on-sunshine/) - I’ve got a vanity plate that advertises solar + electric vehicle synergy on my 2017 Chevy Bolt, SOLPWRD. I thought it would be interesting to see what kinds of other vanity plates are out there for electric cars that also Drive on Sunshine and amass Sun Miles® on a regular basis. Check some of them out in the slideshow below :-) - [Renewable energy + a Tesla = A game changer](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2018/05/19/renewable-energy-a-tesla-a-game-changer/) - I'm always on the lookout for custom plates that promote electric cars and, especially, those that promote renewable energy + electric cars. I happened to come across one such plate on a Tesla Model S this afternoon parked at my ex-wife's apartment/condo complex in Centennial, Colorado. - [Electric car vanity plates from across the United States -- and the world](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2018/05/05/electric-car-vanity-plates-from-across-the-united-states-and-the-world/) - I've got a vanity plate that advertises solar + electric vehicle synergy on my 2017 Chevy Bolt, SOLPWRD. I thought it would be interesting to see what kinds of other vanity plates are out there for electric cars, hence the gallery/slideshow below. - ['Cheap' fossil fuels are a myth](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2018/04/30/cheap-fossil-fuels-are-a-myth/) - As the graphic above indicates, "cheap" fossil fuels are no such thing. In fact, fossil fuels are extremely expensive -- although their front-end price does not reflect this. - [This electric car Drives on Sunshine](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2018/04/21/this-electric-car-drives-on-sunshine/) - I have a friend from my Unitarian Universalist church who I managed to persuade to buy a Chevy Bolt and who also has solar on her home, Deena R. Deena is a longtime environmental activist and has had a 5. 5 kW solar system on her family house’s roof for about a year. She is one of many, many, many people who have plugged into solar-charged driving since I started SolarChargedDriving.Com in September of 2009. - [This PowerPoint focuses on basics of home solar + electric vehicle synergy](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2018/04/06/this-powerpoint-focuses-on-basics-of-home-solar-electric-vehicle-synergy/) -  Solar charged-driving from Christof Demont-Heinrich I put together a PowerPoint on solar-charged driving to present at my Unitarian Universalist Church on April 15, 2018. Enjoy :-) - [Your neighbor's solar system is saving utilities -- and you! -- lots of money](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2018/04/03/your-neighbors-solar-system-is-saving-utilities-and-you-lots-of-money/) - We hear a lot about the "cost" of solar when utilities attempt to weaken net metering rules. "Solar is only for the wealthy," they say. "Poorer ratepayers subsidize every rooftop solar installation out there." "Why should the poorest ratepayers help pay for a more affluent person's solar system?" - [5 winning strategies for successfully selling and marketing electric vehicles](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2018/04/01/5-winning-strategies-for-successfully-selling-and-marketing-electric-vehicles/) - Electric vehicles (EVs) have been on the market for quite some time, and most people who've driven an EV love the unique electric vehicle driving experience. In addition to the role of ‘emissions off-setters,’ EVs meet specific mobility requirements. They are also a notable innovation vector in the entire automotive industry. You probably don’t know - [New residential solar-carport displayed at Canadian National Home Show](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2018/03/25/new-residential-solar-carport-displayed-at-canadian-national-home-show/) - MONTREAL – Renewz Inc., based in Montreal, Canada, partnered recently with SmartReno, a Canadian company that provides homeowners with a trusted network of able and reviewed contractors, for its unique iSun Oasis solar power shading systems/solar EV charging carport, one of which was on display last week at the National Home Show, at Toronto’s Enercare - [Mythbuster: 'Electric cars are too expensive'](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2018/03/30/mythbuster-electric-cars-are-too-expensive/) - I can't tell you how often friends and co-workers tell me the reason they haven't considered buying or leasing an electric car is because "electric cars are too expensive." Not true! At least not in my case. - [Sono Sion a cool little solar-charged and solar-powered electric car](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2018/03/18/sono-sion-a-cool-little-solar-charged-and-solar-powered-electric-car/) - I was looking through Twitter under the hash tag #DrivingOnSunshine when I came across this (above) very cool video about a European trip the Sono Sion, an electric car that can charge itself with solar panels, posted by Thomas J. Thias, an electric vehicle + solar advocate I follow on Twitter. Check it out! - [This red Tesla S zooming around Colorado while driving on sunshine](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2018/03/16/this-red-tesla-s-zooming-around-colorado-while-driving-on-sunshine/) - So, I am working toward hopefully getting solar up in the cohousing community that I moved into just six months ago, Highline Crossing Cohousing. If I succeed (cross your fingers!) it would be the second place I would have brought solar to, with the first being my old house at 4000 S. Atchison Way, Aurora, Colo. where I had a 5.5 kW solar system installed, and which ultimately produced more electricity than I/we ever used, even with an electric car (a 2014 Nissan LEAF). GoogleMap the address in the previous sentence, and you will see the solar system on the roof of that house, which divorce forced me to sell in November 2015. - [This portable solar EV charger goes up in less than 10 minutes](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2018/03/14/this-solar-ev-charger-goes-up-in-eight-minutes/) - California’s Governor Brown recently released an executive order announcing a new Zero-Emission Vehicle Initiative. In the order, the Governor called for at least five million electric vehicles on California’s roads by 2030. The consumer will consign that initiative to the annals of history as one of the very rare worthy goals that was exceeded by a significant margin. - [Affordable home solar canopy now available online](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2018/02/23/affordable-home-solar-canopy-now-available-online/) - There's a new option for those seeking to solar-charge their electric cars: You can order a solar canopy online. Renewz, a solar-technology startup company, recently made its iSun solar canopy the "Oasis," available for online order. - [Number of solar-charged electric vehicles continues to rise](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2018/02/17/number-of-solar-charged-electric-vehicles-continues-to-rise/) - Quite frequently someone will post to a Chevy Bolt Owner's Group on Facebook that they are solar-charging their Bolt. The picture above is an example of exactly that: Sean Palmer, a Bolt driver, showing that he's driving his EV on renewable energy. In the comment stream below the post, you can see many other people with Bolts/EVs noting that they also use solar to partially/fully charge their Bolt and/or other EV(s). - [Report: Fossil fuel industry underestimating disruptive power of electric vehicles + solar](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2018/02/06/report-fossil-fuel-industry-underestimating-disruptive-power-of-electric-vehicles-solar/) - I was just surfing and Googling around on the topic of solar-charged driving, EV + PV, etc. when I came across a very interesting article summarizing a report co-authored by the Grantham Institute at Imperial College London and the Carbon Tracker Initiative. - [A Colorado rarity: Two Chevy Bolts parked next to one another](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2018/02/03/a-colorado-rarity-two-chevy-bolts-parked-next-to-one-another/) - I've been driving my 2017 Chevy Bolt LT for about 5 months all over the Denver/Boulder, Colo. area. I have seen perhaps 6 to 8 other Bolts across that time. Not very many. - [Three new Chevy Bolts at Colorado Unitarian church attest to Bolt's appeal](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2018/01/07/three-new-chevy-bolts-at-colorado-unitarian-church-attest-to-bolts-appeal/) - So, about four months ago I turned in a 2014 Nissan LEAF I had been leasing for three and a half years and started a new three-year lease on a Chevy Bolt. It’s been a great decision for me, especially since I am in a post-divorce, one-car household. - [Same old tired, and false, anti-electric car points recycled again and again](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2018/01/20/same-old-tired-and-false-anti-electric-car-points-recycled-again-and-again/) - So, it's 2018, and Wired, a supposedly "progressive" media outlet with supposed expertise in new technologies just published an anti-electric car article with a telling headline, 'The potential pitfalls of electric cars, in 5 charts,' that, surprise, surprise -- NOT!, recirculates the same old arguments about electric cars allegedly being "just as dirty" as gasoline cars. - [An EV tax rebate simpler, more fair than tax credit](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/01/27/an-ev-tax-rebate-simpler-fairer-than-tax-credit/) - In case you haven't heard, President Obama wants to change the $7,500 EV tax credit to a tax rebate. We hope he succeeds. That’s because, as our overview below shows, an EV tax credit is not only unfair -- only those in higher income brackets can benefit fully from it -- it’s also way too complicated, so complicated, in fact, that it’s safe to say that many people will lose money because they won’t play the EV tax credit game correctly. - [I'm down for a Tesla Model 3 -- are you?](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2016/04/01/im-down-for-a-tesla-model-3-are-you/) - So, after talking 'smack' about how I was going to get a Chevy Bolt -- because it's almost certain to arrive earlier in Colorado than the Tesla Model 3 -- I changed my mind, and I put a $1,000 deposit down on a Model 3. - [Can a family of 4 use less than 200 kWh a month?](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/04/30/can-a-family-of-4-use-less-than-200-kwh-a-month/) - Call me crazy, cool, or just plain weird, but we’re going to try and use less than 200 kWh of electricity for the month of May. - [Family of 4 uses less than 200 kWh in month](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/06/03/family-of-4-uses-less-than-200-kwh-in-month/) - Can an American family of four use fewer than 200 kWh of electricity per month? Turns out it can! - [Chevy Bolt again proves its range mettle vs. Nissan LEAF](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2017/11/18/chevy-bolt-again-proves-its-range-mettle-vs-nissan-leaf/) - So, I drove my newly leased Chevy Bolt — a red LT — from my townhome in Littleton, Colo. to Estes Park, Colo. to attend a meditation retreat this weekend. - [Check out Tesla's solar-charged car dream set-up](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2017/10/29/check-out-teslas-solar-charged-car-dream-set-up/) - The promotional video below, produced by Miysis Studio 3D, pretty much puts forward the dream house I'd like to have: Tesla solar roof shingles, Tesla Powerwalls and Tesla Model 3 and Model X. Collectively, they're kicking the monopolistic utility, gas, air pollution, and Big Oil all to the curb. - [Nebraska man battles HOA for right to solar](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/05/27/nebraska-man-battles-hoa-for-right-to-solar/) - About a year ago, we wrote about a case in which a Texas HOA sued a homeowner for putting solar on his home. As it turns out, that HOA had a change of heart and withdrew its suit, in part due to public backlash and in part because a survey of its own HOA members showed more than two-thirds were in favor of allowing solar installations on homes within HOA bounds. - [Activists send message in HOA solar battle](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/06/19/activists-send-message-in-hoa-solar-battle/) - Things are heating up again in an Omaha, Neb. HOA where a resident, Timothy Adams, is being sued for installing a solar PV system on his home’s roof. - [Georgia HOA denies couple their solar dream](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/07/30/georgia-hoa-denies-couple-their-solar-dream/) - As an electrical engineer with 35 years experience in the profession and as a consulting engineer, I have always had the dream of some day owning a solar-powered home. - [Walking the talk by going solar: Part I](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/09/12/walking-the-talk-by-going-solar-part-i/) - We’ve been thinking about solar for a couple of years, out of concern over climate change and a desire to “walk our talk” by taking meaningful action. But we knew we were going to need a new roof first. Our cedar shake shingles were starting to leak and we were finding more and more shingles in the yard after every big storm. - [Walking the talk by going solar: Weighing the bids](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/09/23/walking-the-talk-by-going-solar-weighing-the-bids/) - If you read the first installment in this series, you know that we were eagerly awaiting proposals from the three solar installation companies we had contacted. - [Solar-charged driving as easy as 1-2-3](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2009/08/13/solar-charged-driving-as-easy-as-1-2-3/) - A good friend of mine and I were about halfway into a three-hour brainstorming session for SCD.Com in July of 2009 when he turned to me and asked: “I must be dense or something, but I’m still not quite sure what solar-charged driving is. Can you run it by me again?” - [Six EV + PV developments to celebrate on SolarChargedDriving.Com's 2nd anniversary](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/09/21/six-ev-pv-developments-to-celebrate-on-solarchargeddrivingcoms-2nd-anniversary/) - SolarChargedDriving.Com celebrates its 2nd anniversary Sept. 22, 2011. An anniversary is a good time to reflect on change – and a lot has changed since we launched in Sept. 2009. Here’s a list of some of the most important and exciting changes for solar-charged driving during the past two years. - [SolarChargedDriving back on Google's good side](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/11/08/solarchargeddriving-back-on-googles-good-side/) - It’s not easy being a small guy on the web lately thanks to what seems to be an ever increasing number of web site attacks, hacking incidents, etc. As many of you perhaps noticed, SolarChargedDriving.Com was just victimized by such an attack, and promptly given the universal web site “kiss of death”, meaning the proverbial, but luckily for now at least, temporary Google “black list” status. - [SolarChargedDriving.Com hits 1,000 stories!](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/06/26/solarchargeddrivingcom-hits-1000-stories/) - We recently reached 1,000 entries on SolarChargedDriving.Com. I have to admit I had no idea when I started SolarChargedDriving.Com in Sept. 2009 that we’d achieve that number in less than three years. - [SCD.Com: Reflecting on 3 years of EV+PV change](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/09/24/scdcom-reflecting-on-3-years-of-evpv-change/) - SolarChargedDriving.Com celebrated its 3rd Anniversary this past weekend. In the three years we’ve been online, we’ve produced more than 1,000 stories and blog entries. And we’ve seen a lot change in the world of EV + PV. - [SolarChargedDriving redesigned!](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2015/07/17/solarchargeddriving-redesigned/) - In case you haven't noticed, we've got a new look! SolarChargedDriving.Com has been online since September 2009. Back then, we started with a custom designed template built by yours truly, Christof Demont-Heinrich, using the template building software Artisteer. - [Colorado Buddhists like Bolt](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2017/11/21/colorado-buddhists-like-bolt/) - In the two months I’ve been driving my newly leased Chevy Bolt around the Denver area (my Bolt replaced a 2014 Nissan LEAF I had leased for three and a half years), I’ve seen three other Bolts -- not very many. - [Solar panels rarely damaged in hail storms](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2017/11/24/solar-panels-rarely-damaged-in-hail-storms/) - In September of 2013, a megastorm that caused massive flooding along Colorado's Front Range hit. At the time, my family and I were living in a single family home in Aurora, Colo. -- complete with a 5.5 kW solar system we had had installed in June of 2010. - [Lack of fast charging in much of U.S. makes long-distance electric car travel challenging](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2017/11/26/lack-of-fast-charging-in-much-of-u-s-makes-long-distance-electric-car-travel-challenging/) - I wish that not all CCS/Level 3/"Fast" electric vehicle chargers were in metro areas, especially out here in the American West. I just decided not to drive my Chevy Bolt from Denver to my sister's in Goleta, Calif. (1,200 miles one way) for Christmas because there is not a SINGLE CCS charger along I-70/I-15 between Denver and Fillmore, Utah, 511 miles west of Denver. - [Electric car takeover: The biggest 'stealth' revolution you've never heard of](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2017/11/30/electric-car-takeover-the-biggest-stealth-revolution-youve-never-heard-of/) - It's truly amazing how little most people in the United States know about electric cars. - [Spreading the Chevy Bolt and the electric car 'gospel'](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2017/12/11/spreading-the-chevy-bolt-and-the-electric-car-gospel/) - It's fun being an earlier adopter of electric cars. I'm not as early an adopter as some electric car enthusiasts, but, having driven an all-electric car for almost four years now, I'm definitely mostly at the forefront off the EV revolution. - [Another solar-charged electric car goes online in Parker, Colo.](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2017/12/20/another-solar-charged-electric-car-goes-online-in-parker-colo/) - So, I have a friend from my Unitarian Universalist church who I managed to persuade to buy a Chevy Bolt, Deena R. - [Is it 'false' to say that short-range electric cars have severe limitations?](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2017/11/17/is-it-false-to-say-that-electric-cars-have-severe-limitations/) - So, I got into it with another electric car advocate on Facebook recently. A woman had posted a question in a Nissan LEAF owner's group about whether she should buy a used 2014 Nissan LEAF or not. She was a single mom and it was not clear whether the LEAF was going to be her - [Custom plates, bumper sticker for Chevy Bolt](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2017/11/03/custom-plates-bumper-sticker-for-chevy-bolt/) - In late September, I leased a 2017 Chevy Bolt to replace my 2014 Nissan LEAF, which I had leased for three and a half years. That was seven weeks ago. It took me until early November to get my old LEAF plates -- and a SolarChargedDriving.Com bumper sticker -- onto my red Bolt. It feels - [Why I liked the Nissan LEAF, but LOVE the Chevy Bolt](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2017/10/17/why-i-liked-the-nissan-leaf-but-love-the-chevy-bolt/) - I leased a 2014 Nissan LEAF for three and a half years, and I liked the LEAF. It was roomy, comfortable, had a nice dashboard layout, was peppy and quick, and, most important, was 100 percent electric -- which allowed me to fuel it with 100 percent renewable energy-generated electricity. But if I liked the - [A frustrating charging situation for a Chevy Bolt](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2017/10/09/a-frustrating-charging-situation-for-a-chevy-bolt/) - I just posted the following (see screen shot at end of this blog entry) to the Chevy Bolt Owners Group on Facebook and something similar to the ChevyBolt.Org forum. I'm trying to figure out if I can charge my Bolt in a cost-reasonable way at 240 volts, which, in my case, requires that a 240 - [Chevy Bolt's extra range = more freedom, less anxiety than in Nissan LEAF](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2017/10/08/chevy-bolts-extra-range-more-freedom-less-anxiety-than-in-nissan-leaf/) - I've been driving my leased 2017 Bolt for a week now, after turning in my 2014 Nissan LEAF -- which I had leased for three and a half years -- last Monday. This weekend, I did something in my Bolt that I never was able to do with my LEAF: I drove about 40 miles - [5 reasons I switched from a Nissan LEAF to a Chevy Bolt](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2017/09/30/5-reasons-i-switched-from-a-nissan-leaf-to-a-chevy-bolt/) - I've been driving a leased 2014 Nissan LEAF for three-and-a-half years, with three of those years being years in which, thanks to divorce, my LEAF has been my only car. This past Monday, Sept. 25, 2017 I signed on the dotted line to lease a 2017 Chevy Bolt for the next 39 months. This means - [If I buy a Chevy Bolt -- not lease it -- in California and register it in Colorado, what then?](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2017/09/18/if-i-buy-a-chevy-bolt-not-lease-it-in-california-and-register-it-in-colorado-what-then/) - Now that it's become clear to me that I will not get a great deal on a Chevy Bolt lease here in Colorado, primarily because Colorado is not a CARB/ZEV state and GM therefore has little incentive to lease Bolts at a consumer friendly price in the Rocky Mountain State, I have started to mull - [Dear Chevy dealer: What kind of deal can you give me on a Bolt lease?](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2017/09/15/dear-chevy-dealer-what-kind-of-deal-can-you-give-me-on-a-bolt-lease/) - Dear Chevrolet Dealer, I am looking to lease a 'kinetic blue' Chevy Bolt LT with the 'Comfort and Convenience Package'. I am writing to see if you can give me a better deal than John Elway Chevrolet in Englewood, Colo. recently offered me. This is what they offered me --> -- $2,300 down -- $428 - [$4,000 to install a 240-volt electric car outlet in an HOA garage?](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2017/09/07/4000-to-install-a-240-volt-electric-car-outlet-in-an-hoa-garage/) - So, at the end of July, I moved from a duplex in Denver, where I had had a 240-volt outlet easily installed outside for $250 and which I used to charge my 2014 Nissan LEAF for the one-and-a-half years I lived there, to a townhome I bought in Highline Crossing Cohousing in Littleton, Colo. I bought - [Goodbye Nissan: New LEAF doesn't have enough range for this one-car household](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2017/09/05/goodbye-nissan-new-leaf-doesnt-have-enough-range-for-this-one-car-household/) - Nissan, you just lost me as a customer. I've been leasing a 2014 Nissan LEAF for more than three years, and I've been extending my lease repeatedly (twice) in the hopes of getting to a LEAF with more realistic range for the single-car American household. Nissan, you just paid three months of my payments for - [Electric vehicle advocates in EV + ICE households: Please be careful with "enough range" comments](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2017/08/31/electric-vehicle-advocates-in-ev-ice-households-please-be-careful-with-enough-range-comments/) - So, there's a conversation going on on Facebook on the Nissan LEAF Owners Page about the 2018 Nissan LEAF, set to be unveiled to the public in just about a week on Sept. 8. Much of the conversation is about the anticipated range of the 2018 LEAF. Many people are writing that a 40 kWh - [More questions about a rooftop solar + Tesla Powerwall + EV charger set up](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2017/08/29/more-questions-about-a-rooftop-solar-tesla-powerwall-ev-charger-set-up/) - As I've noted in a couple of previous blog entries, I just bought townhome in an HOA in Littleton, Colo. and have a two-car garage that is not attached to my townhome or to any other buildings for that matter + the HOA owns the roof of my garage (and the roof of my townhome). - [Westport, Conn. train station hosts a solar EV charging "party"](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2017/08/17/westport-conn-train-station-hosts-a-solar-ev-charging-party/) - So, in doing research for a global map of ALL the world's solar carports/canopies and solar EV charging stations -- something for which I could really use your help in mapping -->https://drive.google.com/open?id=1MetsinNtPN6KtW-AjB2cPPIAtx8&usp=sharing -- I came across this shot of the Westport, Conn. train station parking lot with a Nissan LEAF, next to a Tesla Model - [My electric car is 100 percent wind-powered again -- sort of](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2017/08/14/my-electric-car-is-100-percent-wind-powered-again-sort-of/) - From February 2014 to November 2015, I was living the solar-charged dream: 100 percent of my EV miles and 100 percent of my home electric use were being covered by production from a 5.5 kW home solar system on my home's rooftop in Aurora, Colo. Divorce hit in the summer of 2014, and, by November - [Let's map all the solar carports and solar EV charging stations in the world](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2017/08/13/lets-map-all-the-solar-carports-and-solar-ev-stations-in-world/) - Wouldn't it be cool to know exactly how many solar carports and solar EV charging stations there are in your neighborhood? In your city? In your state? In your country? In the entire world! ;-) If we pool our knowledge of solar carports and solar EV charging stations near us, we CAN, using a special - [You read it first here at SolarChargedDriving: Big Oil, and the internal combustion engine, will be dead sooner than you think!](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2017/08/12/you-read-it-first-here-at-solarchargeddriving-big-oil-and-the-internal-combustion-engine-will-be-dead-sooner-than-you-think/) - Meanwhile, while most people slept through it, and don't even know much, if anything, about electric vehicles, EVs are on the verge of killing the internal combustion engine -- and sinking Big Oil as well (that's the best part!). I saw this already back in 2009, when I founded SolarChargedDriving.com, and I've been driving all - [Is it time to pull the plug on my 2014 Nissan LEAF -- for a Chevy Bolt?](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2017/08/11/is-it-time-to-pull-the-plug-on-my-2014-nissan-leaf-for-a-chevy-bolt/) - I've been driving all-electric in my 2014 Nissan LEAF since February of 2014. And, since August of 2014, it's been my ONLY car. I love my LEAF and I will never go back to a gas car -- not only because I can fuel my LEAF with clean, green, locally produced renewable electricity sources such as - [Solar carports are popping up everywhere](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2017/08/10/solar-carports-are-popping-up-everywhere/) - Solar carports -- which sometimes cover three uses and always combine at least two -- are increasingly popular, including places outside of California, which probably has hundreds of carports (I write "probably" because, as far as I know, no one is keeping track of the number of carports in California, in the United States, or - [Utilities fighting rooftop solar fighting a losing battle](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2017/07/17/utilities-fighting-rooftop-solar-fighting-a-losing-battle/) - I have to share the following article from Vox.Com -- it is totally on the money! Utilities fighting against rooftop solar are only hastening their own doom: https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2017/7/7/15927250/utilities-rooftop-solar-batteries Monopolistic utilities, which control the means of electricity production AND distribution -- this is basically like Comcast controlling ALL content on your internet AND the internet 'distribution' infrastructure itself -- should - [Can I charge an EV with solar in a condo community?](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2017/07/13/can-i-charge-an-ev-with-solar-in-a-condo-community/) - So, for the past year and a half, I have been renting an apartment in Denver near the University of Denver – where I work – and paying an extra two cents per kilowatt hour for Xcel Energy “Windsource” energy to cover all the electricity use in my two bedroom, 800-square foot apartment plus ALL - [Up to 40 percent of EV owners have home solar](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2017/06/27/up-to-40-percent-of-ev-owners-have-home-solar/) - The amazing synergy between solar energy and electric cars hasn't escaped the attention of a size-able number of electric car owners. In fact, according to a Cleantechnica.Com survey, in some places in North America and Europe, up to 40 percent of EV drivers also have solar panels on their roof. As Cleantechnica.Com puts it, "Yet - [U.S. has 15 times more solar than in 2010](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2017/06/14/u-s-has-15-times-more-solar-than-in-2010/) - Given that we installed solar on our now former house's roof in 2010 (http://solarchargeddriving.com/category/going-solar/going-solar-a-photo-gallery/; the home still has solar, but we do not own it anymore) this is a particularly interesting, and encouraging, statistic --> "Today, the U.S. has nearly 15 times more solar energy capacity installed than in 2010, with enough solar to power the equivalent - [Solar-charged boating has arrived](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2017/06/07/solar-charged-boating-has-arrived/) - This is very cool (see pics at top and below): A solar-charged and solar-powered pontoon boat that runs 100 percent on sunshine generated electricity when traveling at speeds of six knots or below. Designed and produced by Soel Yachts and Naval DC, the SoelCat 12 is an autonomous solar electric pontoon. It's equipped with storage batteries - [Red states worst, blue states best for solar](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2017/06/02/red-states-worst-blue-states-best-for-solar/) - SolarPowerRocks.Com evaluates U.S. states according to their overall solar "friendliness." According to SolarPowerRocks.Com, the Green states in the map above have created conditions favorable for homeowners to go solar. Meanwhile, the red states above are least favorable for going solar. Notice how the green states line up with states that typically go "blue" (Democrat) in - [EPA and California agency promoting electric vehicles plus solar synergy](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2017/06/01/epa-and-california-agency-promoting-electric-vehicles-plus-solar-synergy/) - I happened to be Googling a bit this afternoon and ran across this very interesting initiative: The Electric Vehicle and Solar Initiative The initiative brings the EPA and South Coast Quality Management District (in California) together to promote the synergy between electric vehicles and solar energy :-) That's exactly what we've been doing here at SolarChargedDriving.Com - [Colorado Tesla owner says 'Bye Gas' -- with a custom license plate](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2017/03/14/colorado-tesla-owner-says-bye-gas-with-a-custom-license-plate/) - Above is a picture of another Tesla Model S Colorado vanity plate that I saw recently: 'Byegas'. And the owner has the custom renewable energy plate for his/her Model S as well. Nice :-) - [Solar-charged vanity plates](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2017/03/09/solar-charged-vanity-plates/) - I've been driving around in a 2014 Nissan LEAF with the vanity plate SOLPWRD -- to signify the fact that my LEAF is fueled by sunshine -- for a bit more than three years now (actually, technically my LEAF is now fueled by wind: I had to sell my house with 5.5 kW solar system - [Dear Nissan: Why a Chevy Bolt, not a Nissan LEAF, will be my next car](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2017/03/08/dear-nissan-why-a-chevy-bolt-not-a-nissan-leaf-will-be-my-next-car/) - I just got the following email from Boulder Nissan, where I leased my 2014 Nissan LEAF. I began what was originally a two-year lease in February 2014. I extended my LEAF lease in February 2016 for another year. I extended it again in February 2017 for another six months -- to give myself enough time - [IKEA bringing solar power, electric vehicle charging together](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2017/03/07/ikea-bringing-solar-power-electric-vehicle-charging-together/) - IKEA has long been renewable energy friendly -- and it's pairing EV charging with renewable energy, albeit indirectly. By 2020, IKEA says its stores will be 100 percent powered by renewable energy, meaning presumably, so, too, will the dozens of EV chargers it has installed for customers. IKEA US is in the process of installing - [Calif. Chevy dealer using solar to power Bolt test drives](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2017/01/17/calif-chevy-dealer-using-solar-to-power-bolt-test-drives/) - Envision Solar International's EV ARC™ product will be featured during a promotional event for the new Chevrolet Bolt in Dublin, Calif. on Jan. 18, 2017. The EV ARC™ unit will be equipped with an outdoor advertising panel, which will display Chevrolet promotional materials while the new Chevrolet Bolts are charged using clean solar energy. Visitors - [Swedish company designs solar + wind EV charging station](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2016/11/03/swedish-company-designs-solar-wind-ev-charging-station/) - If solar-charging your EV isn't clean or green enough for you, now you can add wind to the equation and simultaneously charge your electric car with sunshine and wind. The Swedish firm InnoVentum has created the so-called Giraffe 2.0, a combined carport and charging station harvesting green energy from the wind and sun to power your - [California students aim to break world solar-powered car speed record](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2016/10/31/california-students-aim-to-break-world-solar-powered-car-speed-record/) - SAN LUIS OBISPO (CA) - Students from Cal Poly’s Prototype Vehicles Laboratory (PROVE Lab) have designed a car to break the international land speed record for solar vehicles. The team intends to smash the 11-year-old official (FIA) record of 23.5 mph and the more recent Guinness World Record of 56.75 mph. The record attempt is scheduled for June 2017 in the Mojave Desert. - [Rooftop solar benefits grid, lowers costs for everyone](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2016/10/31/rooftop-solar-benefits-grid-lowers-costs-for-everyone/) - Utilities like to claim rooftop solar owners cost their neighbors more money. Not true. According to a report by Environment America Research and Policy Center, solar panels on homes, schools and businesses often provide more benefits than they receive through programs like net metering, counter to utility claims that solar owners don’t pay their fair - [Half of electric car owners have home solar](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2016/10/24/half-of-electric-car-owners-have-home-solar/) - This is something I saw coming way back in the summer of 2009: Electric cars and solar would create a powerful and attractive synergy with one another. That is, those with solar would be more likely to buy electric cars, and those with electric cars more likely to buy solar. New research by the Smart - [XsunX plugging more electric vehicles into solar](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2016/10/22/xsunx-plugging-more-electric-vehicles-into-solar/) - ALISO VIEJO, Calif. -- XsunX, Inc., a solar and energy saving technologies provider, is helping more people plug their cars into the sun. The California-based company announced recently it is adding EV charging to some of the solar canopies, or solar carports, it produces. Adding electric vehicle charging resources to solar canopies allows environmentally conscious clients to charge - [Netherlands to use electric vehicles to store solar energy](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2016/10/17/netherlands-to-use-electric-vehicles-to-store-solar-energy/) - By turning itself into one huge Living Lab for Smart Charging of electric vehicles, the Netherlands are fast becoming the international frontrunner for smart charging EV's, using them to store peak power production of solar and wind. Already 325 municipalities (including Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Utrecht and The Hague) have joined the Dutch Living Lab Smart Charging - [Bolt will kill LEAF - unless Nissan adds range](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2016/10/14/bolt-will-kill-leaf-unless-nissan-adds-range/) - Random thought --> You'd think/hope that with Colorado's first of its kind $5k up front state tax rebate set to start Jan. 1, 2017: 1. Chevy dealers would get it and be real about growing electric car demand; 2. There will be a lot of interest in the Bolt here in Colorado; 3. Nissan will - [SunRun promotes solar-charged driving](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2016/08/28/sunrun-promotes-solar-charged-driving/) - It's good to see a major solar company, in this case, SunRun, actively promoting the awesome synergy between home solar and electric cars! SunRun lists four reasons to solar-charge: Charge it for cheap Fuel on your own terms Cash in on incentives Save on maintenance They should also add: The self-satisfaction of fueling independence, which - [Driving into the future with solar-charged electric cars](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2016/06/22/driving-into-the-future-with-solar-charged-electric-cars/) - The 20th century's love affair with the automobile saw billions of vehicles deployed around the world, making ordinary people's lives more convenient and enhancing their mobility. These benefits came with a heavy cost though: Harmful pollutants were spewed into the atmosphere in great quantities, contributing to the phenomenon of global warming. New technology promises to - [Heating our home with solar electricity](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/10/12/heating-our-home-with-solar-electricity/) - So, here I am in my basement office debating whether or not to turn on one of our 400-watt electric wall heaters. It’s a chilly 62 degrees Fahrenheit and we’re sitting on more than 10,000 kWh of extra banked solar electricity that our 5.59 kW solar PV system has cranked out in the past 27 - [Top 10 reasons 400k+ skipping Nissan LEAF for Tesla Model 3](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2016/05/16/top-10-reasons-400k-skipping-nissan-leaf-for-tesla-model-3/) - So, yeah, getting on this a bit late -- but, hey, Nissan is WAY late on understanding why 400k+ people would bypass a LEAF for a Model 3 ;-) Here's SolarChargedDriving's Top 10 reasons Why Hundreds of Thousands Would Bypass A LEAF -- yes, even a 2016, or 2017 LEAF -- For A 2018 (if - [Quebec gets new solar EV charging station](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2016/04/12/quebec-gets-new-solar-ev-charging-station/) - Two Quebec companies, renewz inc. and Roulez Électrique have signed an agreement to install an iSun solar carport at the "Station Roulez Électrique" of Trois-Rivières in Quebec. The companies say this facility will be the first of its kind in Quebec. The station aims to offer all the services surrounding the fueling of electric vehicles. - [Electric cars part of smarter and more energy efficient living](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2016/04/11/electric-cars-part-of-smarter-and-more-energy-efficient-living/) - For centuries, urban planners have sought various methods for making cities more efficient, from managing resources to tackling logistical issues to reducing the tremendous amount of waste generated by a typical urban center. As populations around the world continue to gravitate toward cities, the need for cleaner, more efficient energy solutions is more pressing than - [5 reasons affordable 200+ mile EVs will slowly kill the Volt](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2016/04/03/5-reasons-affordable-200-mile-evs-will-slowly-kill-the-volt/) - The arrival of affordable 200+ mile electric vehicles such as the Tesla Model 3, the 2017 Nissan LEAF, and, yes, GM's own Chevy Bolt, combined with outrageously low gas prices -- which hurt EREVs/PHEVs and hybrids more than pure electrics -- mean a limited future for GM's extended range EV (EREV) the Chevy Volt. Why? - [My LEAF lease is done -- what should I do?](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2016/01/12/my-leaf-lease-is-done-what-should-i-do/) - My two-year lease on my 2014 Nissan LEAF runs out on Feb. 22, 2016. I want to continue driving electric, but I can't continue with a car with so little range because the LEAF is my only car (I've twice run out of charge, both times in winter). I really want a 2017 LEAF, or - [An electric car doesn't make economic sense anymore](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2016/01/29/an-electric-car-doesnt-make-economic-sense-anymore/) - Thanks to absurdly low oil prices ($30 per barrel or less), one of the primary arguments in favor of electric cars -- that they are cheaper to fuel -- is losing its luster. As a long-time electric car advocate, and as someone who's driven a 2014 Nissan LEAF for the past two years, including 20 - [Will I be able to get a Chevy Bolt a year from now?](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2016/01/22/will-i-be-able-to-get-a-chevy-bolt-a-year-from-now/) - So, I'm still trying to figure out what to do after my two-year lease of a 2014 Nissan LEAF ends on Feb. 22, 2016. I was thinking a used Chevy Volt, or, possibly, or leasing a BMW i3 REX -- until I read that the Chevy Bolt, GM's new 200-mile pure EV, will start production - [An overview of self-driving cars in 2015](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2016/01/05/an-overview-of-self-driving-cars-in-2015/) - The hottest new trend in automotive circles is self-driving cars: vehicles that can operate themselves without having to be controlled manually by a human. Although there are no completely driverless models on the open market today, a handful of manufacturers are currently working hard to bring them into the mainstream. The past year saw considerable activity in - [Tesla racing down road to self-driving cars](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2015/11/23/tesla-racing-down-road-to-self-driving-cars/) - While Google fiddles around with its self-driving car project, rival Tesla Motors may have just gotten a leg up in this market segment. The Palo Alto, California, electric car manufacturer has released a software update that adds many automated features to its Model S series of vehicles. This upgrade is completely free-of-charge to North American - [Self-driving cars offer many benefits](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2015/09/27/self-driving-cars-offer-many-benefits/) - Self-driving automobiles are one of the most exciting developments in the automotive field and are expected to be ready for public release within a few years. These futuristic cars can operate themselves, determining when to speed up, when to brake and when to turn without relying upon the judgment of a human driver. The way - [Thrill of solar-charged driving has faded](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2015/09/10/thrill-of-solar-charged-driving-has-faded/) - When I launched SolarChargedDriving.Com in September of 2009 exactly six years ago, I was 100 percent stoked about solar-charged driving, or the fact that you could fuel an electric car with solar panels installed on the roof of your home. I still strongly believe that electric cars fueled by electricity produced by renewable energy are crucial to - [A solar expert compares leasing to buying](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/01/08/a-solar-expert-compares-leasing-to-buying/) - SolarChargedDriving.Com interviews Brian Sharpe, a solar consultant for REC Solar's Colorado office, about the comparative advantages and disadvantages of a residential solar lease vs. buying a solar system outright. Brian Sharpe. A solar energy consultant for the greater Denver area, Brian has been at REC Solar since 2008. He came REC Solar with a diverse - [Questioning the buying-is-better-than-leasing view](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/02/06/questioning-the-buying-is-better-than-leasing-view/) - U.S. states with solar leasing (as of Feb. 2010): Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Oregon, Texas. Conventional wisdom holds that it’s better to buy a solar system than to lease one. It isn’t that simple. While buying might be better for some people in some circumstances – mostly for people with lots of - [What’s your gasoline car's range?](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/05/13/whats-your-gasoline-cars-range/) - Chalk this one up in the “You’ve Got To Be Kidding Me!” category. According to a statoid published in a recent issue of USA Today, 37% of Americans polled in a Deloitte survey querying people on their attitudes toward electric cars said that an EV would need to have a range of 400 miles or - [Thousands to celebrate electric driving in USA](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2015/09/03/thousands-to-celebrate-electric-driving-in-usa/) - SAN FRANCISCO, CA, Sept. 2, 2015—An oil field worker, a “hippy chick” race car driver, high school students, celebrities, secretaries of energy, congressmen, mayors and moms will all unite for the fifth annual National Drive Electric Week, boasting more events this year than ever. More than 170 events in 165 cities coast-to-coast, in Canada and - [A Nissan LEAF runs completely out of charge](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2015/01/19/a-nissan-leaf-runs-completely-out-of-charge/) - I finally pushed it too far with my 2014 Nissan LEAF last night. My SV and me and my two daughters came up 300 meters short of our home, running out of charge just about 50 meters beyond a very dangerous left turn we have to make across three lanes of traffic with cars traveling - [Solar Leasing Police say buy your solar -- or else!](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/04/15/solar-leasing-police-say-buy-your-solar-or-else/) - Look out! The Solar Leasing Police are on the prowl and they think you’re an idiot for leasing a solar system instead of buying it. Are you? Well, first, we absolutely detest the condescending paternalism of the anti-leasing crowd many of whom we’re guessing probably don’t even have solar themselves (could it be because they - [Neighborhood walk reveals allure of solar leasing](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/07/27/neighborhood-walk-reveals-allure-of-solar-leasing/) - I was walking through Denver, Colorado’s Park Hill neighborhood yesterday afternoon when I saw an REC Solar truck on the side of the road. Sure enough, it was parked in front of the house that I’d noticed a couple of days earlier had what had seemed, back then, like a rather strange sign given that - [A dozen tips for getting snow off solar panels](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/01/04/a-dozen-tips-for-getting-snow-off-solar-panels/) - Snow cover can shut down your solar system for days and days, even in blue-sky, sunny conditions, as our own experience in Aurora, Colo. has repeatedly shown us. We haven’t come up with the ideal solution yet – and clearly neither has the solar industry – but below are some different approaches to dealing with - [Grid parity won't grow rooftop solar much](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2015/05/31/grid-parity-wont-grow-rooftop-solar-very-much/) - If you follow solar energy closely, and even if you do not, chances are, you've heard that solar will soon be reaching, or already has reached, "grid parity" in multiple places in the United States and around the world. Basically, "grid parity" means solar-generated electricity costs the same, or less, than natural gas generated electricity, - [Charging infrastructure biggest EV problem](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2015/06/01/thin-charging-infrastructure-biggest-ev-problem/) - I used to think that electric cars needed more range. I still do. But it's not range that's the biggest problem, it's a lack of EV charging infrastructure. Personal experience has gotten me to change my view. I got hit by a divorce six months into a two-year Nissan LEAF lease, and was left with - [Split EV/gas car homes hurt charger growth](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2015/06/28/6920/) - The one (pure) electric car + one ICE crutch household is putting a serious crimp on EV charging infrastructure growth and expansion. How so? When 98 percent of EV owners have a gas car crutch in the garage too -- this estimate might be a tad high, I don't know; sadly, no one is keeping - [3 steps to making leap from gas to solar](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2015/06/29/3-steps-to-making-leap-from-gas-to-solar/) - Yes, solar can, and DOES, replace oil, despite what the so-called "expert" energy analysts claim -- which is that solar is not in direct competition with oil. The video above, which I produced today (June 27, 2015), illustrates that solar does indeed replace oil! I've been using solar energy to replace oil for 18 months - [Solar-charged driving: Plug into sun & go!](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/12/14/solar-charged-driving-plug-into-the-sun-and-go/) - Sometimes it's just easier to picture how something works when you can actually see it. That's why we put together a video (see above) that shows you exactly what solar-charged driving is -- and just how easy it is to do. All you need is a solar system on your home's rooftop, in the front - [Why solar is an electric car game-changer](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/02/11/why-solar-is-an-electric-car-game-changer/) - I have a confession to make: I wouldn’t be all that charged up about plug-in cars without the solar-EV/PHEV connection. SolarChargedDriving.Com's interview with Chelsea Sexton Don’t get me wrong, the more I’ve learned about EVs and PHEVs since I jumped on the solar-EV/PHEV bandwagon a little over six months ago, the more clear it has - [Denver to Santa Fe in a Tesla](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2015/08/26/denver-to-santa-fe-in-a-tesla/) - I had a chance to drive my brother's Tesla Model S P85 from Denver to Santa Fe Monday, and, I have to say, hats off to Tesla for: a) creating an electric car for long-distance driving; b) for establishing a long-distance charging network that ensures an electric car can do what a gas car does, - [Nissan LEAF sees premature tire wear](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2015/08/20/nissan-leaf-sees-premature-tire-wear/) - Count me among the many people who are very disappointed in the Bridgestone Ecopia tires that come with the 2014 Nissan LEAF, and, presumably, other years of the LEAF as well. [See this long MyNissanLeaf.Com forum thread for evidence of how many people are unhappy with the LEAF's OEM tires.] The tires are wearing at a - [Germans love renewables, not electric cars](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2015/08/16/germans-love-renewables-not-electric-cars/) - A global leader in renewable energy, ideally, Germany should be a leader in electric cars as well. Instead, it's a laggard -- at least from my own anecdotal perspective. I just finished a fantastic four-week vacation with my two wonderful -- bilingual :-) -- daughters in Deutschland. We drove 2,000 kilometers during that time and - [Study: Solar leasing starting to outstrip buying](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/01/27/study-solar-leasing-starting-to-outstrip-buying/) - Solar leasing – which allows homeowners to go solar without the large upfront costs that have for so long have discouraged many from going solar – is quickly taking over as the preferred pathway to solar in the U.S., according to a new study produced by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, Colo. - [Solar leasing available in 11 states + D.C. by Feb.](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/01/27/solar-leasing-available-in-11-states-dc-by-feb/) - Americans in nearly a quarter of all U.S. states will be able to go solar while skipping the big upfront costs of buying a system thanks to SolarCity's recently announced expansion of residential solar leasing to Maryland and Washington, D.C. The California-based company will open up shop in those locations in mid-February. Buying vs. leasing: - [SolarCity brings solar leasing to Northeast](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/02/18/solarcity-brings-solar-leasing-to-northeast/) - SolarCity is acquiring the East Coast’s largest residential solar installer and is expanding to serve Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. The company will acquire the residential solar installation division of groSolar, and bring its popular solar lease to the Northeastern United States. While solar leasing is already available in some parts of Massachusetts, - [Car sharing goes all electric in Colorado](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2015/07/05/car-sharing-goes-all-electric-in-colorado/) - Want to drive a cleaner, more environmentally friendly vehicle and want to go one "greenie" step further than your electric car owning/leasing buddies? Why not give electric car sharing a try? It's got the electric car, but without the extra work -- or monthly payments -- of a purchased or leased car. The catch? You - [Solar Impulse 2 flies 4,500 miles on solar](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2015/07/03/solar-impulse-2-flies-4500-miles-on-solar-alone/) - Congratulations to Solar Impulse 2, the 100 percent solar-powered/solar-charged plane flying around the world that, today, successfully finished a record-breaking 4,480-mile, 5-day, non-stop, flight from Japan to Hawaii powered by nothing but the solar-electrons of the sun! - [Oil & gas where real subsidies are](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2015/06/01/6914/) - Ah, gotta love Tesla Motors CO Elon Musk! He always has a comeback, and it's always spot on. Not much more I can say about the advocacy graphic above than that. In fact, the graphic, and Musk's quote, speak for themselves :-) Cheers, Christof - [Powerwall excites electric car owners](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2015/06/02/teslas-powerwall-excites-electric-car-owners/) - What if you threw a revolution and nobody came? That is the opposite of fun. When people talk about Elon Musk, adjectives such as fun, merry and entertaining may not be at the tip of the tongue. However, he is poised to throw a party of enormous dimensions for the purpose of growing green energy - [Battling utilities' war on rooftop solar](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2015/05/17/battling-against-utilities-war-on-rooftop-solar/) - I've written widely on Big Utilities' War on Rooftop Solar, and on the ways in which Big Utilities seriously constrain individual consumer choice and freedom. Indeed, vertically integrated (meaning utilities control the electricity production AND the distribution network for that electricity) utility monopolies are among the most anti-American, anti-free-market entities we have in the United - [Flashing a solar-charged EV grin on Long Island](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2013/03/01/flashing-a-solar-charged-ev-grin-on-long-island/) - SolarChargedDriving.Com frequently gets e-mail, pictures, videos, etc. from people around the U.S., and around the world, who've plugged into EV + PV. Below is a great e-mail from Joe in Long Island, New York. Joe's been flashing the solar-charged EV grin a lot lately thanks to a Mitsubishi iMiEV and a 5.6 kW home solar - [It's 'Smart' to solar-charge an electric car](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2013/03/14/its-smart-to-solar-charge-an-electric-car/) - Want to win a solar-charged All-Electric Smart Car? Then you might want to consider entering the Real Goods Solar Smart Electric Sweepstakes. Real Goods will hand over the keys to an Electric Smart Car and install a 1.5 kW solar system to fuel the car to one lucky winner of its sweepstakes. The contest shows, - [Just .02% of U.S. drivers solar-charge an EV](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2013/03/30/just-02-of-us-drivers-solar-charge-an-ev/) - So, how many solar-charged drivers are there in the United States right now? No one knows. Not even us. That’s because no one is keeping track of this statistic, though SolarChargedDriving.Com has an ongoing, totally unscientific poll on our site (across the 2 ½ years our poll has been running, 205 people have either indicated - [Analyst: EV and PV producers should team up](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2013/04/07/analyst-ev-and-pv-producers-should-team-up/) - An interesting article surfaced this week in PV.Tech, a web site devoted to covering the solar industry. In it, PV.Tech picks up on research conducted by Pike Research last fall that illustrates what SolarChargedDriving.Com, and, yes, others, have been saying for awhile: There’s a lot of potential for synergy between electric vehicle producers and the - [Nissan needs to offer free 30-day LEAF test drive](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/08/04/nissan-needs-to-offer-free-30-day-leaf-test-drive/) - No matter how you spin it, the Nissan LEAF is selling in depressingly low numbers in the United States – U.S. consumers bought or leased just 395 LEAFs in July. That’s right, just 395 in the entire USA! There are a lot of reasons for this: Gas prices are too low; the LEAF is too - [Colorado plugs into National Plug In Day](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/09/29/colorado-plugs-into-national-plug-in-day/) - Denver was one of 65 cities in the U.S. to plug into National Plug In Day last weekend. Over the course of a perfect early fall blue-sky Colorado day, hundreds of people took an electric “pit stop” at Denver’s Forney Museum of Transportation. National Plug in Day brought together EV lovers from across America to - [Better deals boost LEAF, Volt sales in U.S.](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/11/05/better-deals-boost-leaf-volt-sales-in-us/) - Nissan LEAF and Chevy Volt sales – which the mainstream and EV press tend to use as the barometers of EV demand in the U.S. – rose in October with the monthly sales volume for the Volt hitting a record high of 2,961. Nissan sold a much more respectable number of LEAFs than it did - [Nissan gives Google car some EV competition](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/11/16/nissan-gives-google-car-some-ev-competition/) - Electric cars recently took a leap into the future when Nissan unveiled a prototype for an all-electric LEAF that can operate almost completely by itself at Japan’s largest showcase of electronics and information technology, CEATEC. Not only can the LEAF park itself but, as Nissan explained to EarthTechling.Com, the car has a remote monitoring system - [Anti-EV friend refuses to be persuaded](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/12/17/anti-ev-friend-refuses-to-be-persuaded/) - You win some and you lose some on the EV persuasion front. Here’s one I won – sort of: A beaming work colleague came to me last Friday and said she’d just bought a brand new Ford C-Max, the standard hybrid version, that is. And she said, “Christof, you get some credit for this because - [Another memo to Mitt: America wants solar](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/10/28/another-memo-to-mitt-america-wants-solar/) - Mitt Romney has been going out of his way to cast himself as Mr. Oil, Mr. Coal and Mr. Gas and doing what he can to paint Barack Obama as an out-of-touch greenie for supporting solar. But it's a bit difficult to undersand exactly why given the tremendously high percentage of Americans who support solar - [Americans get it: Solar creates jobs at home](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/11/01/americans-get-it-solar-creates-jobs-at-home/) - Most Americans apparently recognize that solar -- whose installation is actually highly labor intensive -- creates jobs, as this infographic indicates. Now, if only we could more of America's politicians -- large numbers of whom are clearly in bed with Big Oil and Dirty Coal -- to recognize the same thing... - [President Obama, unite America with solar](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/11/07/president-obama-unite-america-with-solar/) - A couple of years ago the Obama Administration said it would put solar panels on the White House. So far, they haven’t followed through. Now is the time to do so. Americans of all political stripes support solar in overwhelming numbers. Most Americans also want a more united America. So, President Obama, congratulations on your - [Solar EV duo uses solar to aid Sandy victims](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/11/25/solar-ev-duo-uses-solar-to-aid-sandy-victims/) - Columbia University graduate students Rob van Haaren and Garrett Fitzgerald have been working to put together a solar-charged EV journey across America for a couple of years now. In fact, SolarChargedDriving.Com has been following the pair faithfully as they prepare for their historic journey, which looks like it will take place in the Summer of - [Germany and Italy surpass U.S. on solar](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/12/19/germany-and-italy-surpass-us-on-solar/) - Not much more to add to this infographic other than: Hey, America, c'mon! We've got way more land than Italy and way more sun than Germany. Yet, sadly, we've got less solar than both. With all due respect to the Germans and Italians -- actually, a hats off is in order :-) -- there's no - [Your choice: Renewables here, or wars abroad?](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2013/04/05/your-choice-renewables-here-or-wars-abroad/) - What would you rather see America invest in -- wars abroad to protect fossil fuel interests, or clean, locally and domestically produced, limitless energy here at home? Enough said, right? - [Don't text and die](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/12/12/dont-text-and-die/) - I'm on a roll on the don't text and drive thing, sorry. In fact, I could do a whole web site on texting/surfing and driving and I've actually contemplated starting one -- but then reality hits: There's no way I'd have time for that. I struggle to get new content up on SolarChargedDriving.Com as it - [Texting and driving like playing Russian roulette](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2013/01/26/texting-and-driving-like-playing-russian-roulette/) - Imagine losing a loved one or a friend in a car accident caused by someone else who was texting/surfing while driving. Imagine being severely injured by such a driver -- and losing all of your life savings to medical bills you never expected you'd have to pay that resulted from someone else's irresponsibility and selfishness. - [Texting solar-charged drivers just as dangerous](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2013/03/28/texting-solar-charged-drivers-just-as-dangerous/) - I’ve written frequently about the texting/surfing while driving epidemic (‘Texting and driving like playing Russian roulette’; ‘Time to put brakes on texting & driving epidemic’; ‘Don’t text and die’; ‘Computerized cars answer to texting epidemic’). And, without fail, I never get a single comment on those entries. It’s as if the life and death issue - [Living a year without a car](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2013/07/08/living-a-year-without-a-car/) - So, we're going to Germany for a year on July 21 (it takes a ton of work to get things in order for a family of four to do this; hence, the lack of posts to SolarChargedDriving.Com lately). And -- get this -- we'll be living a full year without a car. A lot of - [After 21 years, goodbye to my Acura](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2013/07/16/after-21-years-goodbye-to-my-acura/) - 1992 ACURA INTEGRA: SOLD FOR $1,600. TODAY. JULY 15, 2013. Okay, I know I already said I was looking forward to a car-less year in Germany. But I have to admit to feeling a bit wistful after selling my 1992 Acura Integra about an hour ago. I bought my Integra new 21 1/2 years ago - [Keep an eye on that AC](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2009/08/15/keep-an-eye-on-that-ac/) - Yes, we have central air-conditioning in our home, a modest, three-bedroom, 1,600 foot home in Aurora, Colorado, where, unfortunately, the last decade or so, summers have typically seen long, extreme hot spells, for instance, up to five weeks in a row of daily highs that exceed 90 degrees Fahrenheit, as well as a considerable number - [Your biggest solar-charged miles thief: Central AC](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/07/20/your-biggest-solar-charged-miles-thief-central-ac/) - After seven consecutive days with highs in the 90s, including a 101-degree scorcher two days ago, we turned on our central air conditioner for the first time of the summer 2010 last night -- and for the first time since we had a 5.59 kW solar system installed on our Aurora, Colo. roof. Yikes! Here’s - [TED tracks energy use down to the last watt](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/09/05/ted-tracks-energy-use-down-to-the-last-watt/) - If you’re an energy conservation geek, or if you just like to save money -- or both, chances are you may have heard of TED. TED (The Energy Detective) is an electronic device that allows you to monitor your home energy use and, if you have a home solar system, home energy production in real - [What are Sun Miles®?](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2009/08/06/what-are-sun-milesatrade/) - Sun Miles® (Sun•Mīlz): Miles driven by an electric vehicle (EV) or plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) whose batteries have been charged using solar energy and/or using electricity from kWh credits amassed via solar offset generation. SolarChargedDriving.Com has coined the term Sun Miles® -- miles driven by an electric vehicle (EV) or plug-in hybrid electric vehicle - [Submit an FAQ](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2009/08/19/how-to-submit-an-faq/) - We recognize that we haven't covered all the questions that you might have. We also recognize that, hard as we try to do solid research, we are not experts on every aspect of solar energy and solar-charging your EV and/or PHEV. If you have a question you'd like to see on our FAQ pages, please - [EV/PHEV FAQs](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2009/08/20/evphev-faqs/) - What’s an EV? What’s a PHEV? Why EVs & PHEVs (and not hydrogen, biogas, ethnanol, natural gas, etc.)? How much do EVs/PHEVs cost? Are there government rebates and tax credits available? When, and where, can I get an EV/PHEV? How fast can EVs/PHEVs go? How quick are EVs/PHEVs? What kind of mileage do EVs/PHEVS get? - [Solar-charging FAQs](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2009/08/20/solar-charging-faqs/) - Why should I solar-charge my EV/PHEV? Who can solar-charge their EV or PHEV? How much electricity will I need to solar-charge my EV/PHEV? How big of a roof area will I need to solar-charge my EV/PHEV? How powerful a solar system will I need to solar-charge my EV/PHEV? I want to solar-charge my EV/PHEV. What - [Key terms](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2009/08/25/key-terms/) - Below, we offer a few short definitions and explanations of key terms that tend to be tossed around in discussions about solar and electricity and EVs and PHEVs. As elsewhere on our pages, our primary aim is to help push solar-charged driving into the mainstream, by reducing, as much as possible, the perception of solar-charged - [Turn on the heat? No way!](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/10/30/turn-on-the-heat-no-way/) - Heat? Who needs it? We don’t – at least not until November this year, a record for us here on Colorado’s Front Range. We’ve lived in our Aurora home for six years, but we’ve never made it this far without turning on our natural gas furnace. Pretty often, there’s a snowstorm here in October, or - [How much gasoline can a load of laundry save?](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/09/09/how-much-gasoline-can-a-load-of-laundry-save/) - When you’ve got a home solar system and a current and/or future electric car you’ll be powering with that system, you start to look for ways to squeeze out every extra kWh hour you can for the electric car. Where do you look first for electricity savings? Central air conditioning. Even the most energy efficient - [Heat with solar PV -- or drive on it?](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/11/01/heat-with-solar-pv-or-drive-on-it/) - We’ve produced 2,300 kWh of electricity more than we’ve used since we went online with our 5.59 kW home solar system in late June 2010 here in sun-soaked Aurora, Colo. Thanks to our utility’s ‘indefinite rollover option,’ this means we’ve been able to bank these extra kWh hours for future use. With winter approaching, thankfully, - [Sometimes it's better to be below average](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/11/30/sometimes-its-better-to-be-below-average/) - Ever wonder how your household electric use and costs stack up against those of others in the U.S.? Wonder no more. SolarChargedDriving.Com stumbled across a great electric use and cost resource on the web recently: ‘The U.S. Energy Information Administration’s Average Monthly Electric Bill page’. OK, so the title is kind of dry. But, if - [Solar PV pick: Microinverters over central inverter](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2013/03/16/solar-pv-pick-microinverters-over-central-inverter/) - I'm definitely a fan of microinverters, or tiny inverters -- inverters, which convert the DC electricity produced by your solar panels to the AC electricity needed, are necessary components of all solar PV systems -- installed on the back of each solar panel. Studies have shown they are more efficient than central inverters. Moreover, unlike - [Utilities need to stop whining about home solar](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2013/06/12/utilities-need-to-stop-whining-about-home-solar/) - Are you as sick and tired as I am of Big Utilities complaining about distributive rooftop solar threatening their monopolistic, centralized, and, frankly, thoroughly un-American business model? There's more and more talk about Big Utilities trying to undercut net-metering, a key provision that allows people like me to push extra solar we produce with our - [Are squirrels a serious threat to a solar system?](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2013/06/17/are-squirrels-a-serious-threat-to-a-solar-system/) - So, what do a home solar system, squirrel/critter guard (more commonly known as chicken wire) and way too much yard work have to do with one another? In my case, quite a lot, unfortunately. Three years ago, when REC Solar installed our 5.59 kW home solar system (which has been working great, having pumped out - [3 reasons home solar still rocks after 3 years](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2013/07/01/3-reasons-home-solar-still-rocks-after-3-years/) - Yes, it’s been awhile since I’ve posted something new to SolarChargedDriving. It’s not easy holding down a full-time job, being a full-time father of two young girls, and doing all the things that need to get done for an upcoming year-long adventure in Germany, which will see us jet off to Hamburg exactly three weeks - [Running our electric car on sun in Colorado](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2014/05/20/running-our-electric-car-on-sun-in-colorado/) - Took a trip from Aurora, Colo. to Boulder, Colo. today in our 2014 solar-charged Nissan LEAF -- and racked up 114 Sun Miles in the process. That's the most I've driven in the LEAF -- which we've had about 2 months -- on a single day. Plugged into a solar-charging station (check out the photo - [Bill McKibben: Climate change = Story of our time](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2013/04/10/bill-mckibben-climate-change-story-of-our-time/) - Journalists tend to be obsessed with novelty. Unfortunately, climate change has long since ceased to be a novel problem. But, novel or not, according to long-time environmental journalist and activist Bill McKibben, no story is more significant to global humanity. This was the primary message McKibben put forward during a recent speech at the University - [U.S. energy laboratory gets 2nd solar EV canopy](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2013/04/21/us-energy-laboratory-gets-2nd-solar-ev-canopy/) - The U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) now has a second Envision Solar International Solar Tree array at its Vehicle Testing and Integration Facility. Envision completed the installation of the solar EV charging canopy at NREL's Golden, Colo. facility in mid-April. "I'm proud that we have been chosen again by NREL. They are delighted the - [This earth is the only home we have](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2013/04/22/this-earth-is-the-only-home-we-have/) - The graphic to the right, produced by the Facebook-based group, I Love Climate Scientists, pretty much says it all, don't you think? - [New solar EV charging canopy online in Michigan](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2013/04/24/new-solar-ev-charging-canopy-online-in-michigan/) - Renewz sustainable solutions inc. recently collaborated with Eaton and the Lansing Board of Water & Light (BWL) to construct a solar powered electric vehicle carport at the riverside Lansing City Market. The event was headlined by Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero, whose presence signified the importance of this initiative to the Lansing area. Developed by renewz, - [Spring means more solar-charged EV miles](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2013/05/17/spring-means-more-solar-charged-ev-miles/) - Now that spring has rolled in the temperature isn't the only thing that's going up: So is my solar electric production. My 8.775 kW system can produce up to 60 kWh a day under ideal conditions. That's enough to power my all-electric ActiveE over 200 miles, or enough to power it about 100 miles and - [Testing a Twizy at EV 'Disneyland' in Paris](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2013/06/15/testing-a-twizy-at-ev-disneyland-in-paris/) - I recently had the pleasure of visiting the Renault Z.E. Center located on Ile Seguin, (Boulogne-Billancourt) just a few minutes outside of Paris. The Z.E. stands for Zero Emissions – a reference to Renault’s popular line of Electrical Vehicles (EVs). At the Center, Renault showcases all of the vehicles which make up their Z.E. line - [Tesla's solar Supercharger network gets better](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2013/05/31/teslas-solar-supercharger-network-gets-better/) - You gotta hand it to Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk: He knows how to make Tesla look good, and the competition look, well, just plain behind the times. Tesla's quickly building out its network of solar-powered EV charging stations at which Tesla Model S owners can fill up on clean, green sunshine for free. In - [Mr. President: We can drive our cars on sunshine](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2013/06/03/mr-president-we-can-drive-our-cars-on-sunshine/) - If you had something important to say to the President, how much would you spend to get his ear? On June 7, I'll be eating lunch with President Obama for $32,400. Two dozen other high-dollar donors will be there, but I'll be the only one in the room who does his own laundry. I'm not - [Celebrating one year of SolarChargedDriving.Com](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/09/21/celebrating-one-year-of-solarchargeddrivingcom/) - It's been exactly one year since we launched SolarChargedDriving.Com. In that time, we've written and published hundreds of articles and columns, interviewed dozens and dozens of people and covered some fascinating stories. We've also gotten to know some extremely interesting and just plain nice individuals. All of them have one thing in common: They're committed - [Two new interns join SolarChargedDriving.Com](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/09/16/two-new-interns-join-solarchargeddrivingcom/) - SolarChargedDriving.Com is excited to welcome two new interns this fall, Claire Teylouni and Brooke Way. Teylouni and Way are both sophomore journalism studies majors at the University of Denver. SolarChargedDriving.Com founder and editor Christof Demont-Heinrich teaches at the University of Denver in the Media, Film & Journalism studies department. Teylouni and Way are the second - [SolarChargedDriving.Com bios](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2009/08/26/scdcom-bios/) - Christof Demont-Heinrich. Demont-Heinrich is founder, creator and editor of SolarChargedDriving.Com, which he launched in September 2009. A journalism professor at the University of Denver (DU), Demont-Heinrich is a lifelong environmentalist who loves to bird, hike, camp, and bike. As passionate as he is about the environment -- and about promoting the synergy between solar - [Top 10 clean energy states to plug in an electric car](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/06/16/top-ten-clean-energy-states-to-plug-in-an-electric-car-2/) - What exactly will you be plugging into if you buy an EV or PHEV? Top 10 Clean Energy States to Plug in an EV 1. Idaho 2. Washington 3. Oregon 4. Maine 5. California 6. South Dakota 7. Montana 8. Minnesota 9. New Hampshire 10. New York Companion piece: The Top 10 dirtiest U.S. states - [Ten worst U.S. states to plug in an electric car](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/06/20/ten-worst-us-states-to-plug-in-an-electric-car-2/) - In this installment of our overview of the best and worst states to plug in a plug-in, we list the Worst 10 States to live in the U.S. if you’re plugging a car into the grid. Ten Worst States to Plug in an Electric Car 41. New Mexico 42. Missouri 43.Ohio 44. Utah 45. Hawaii - [Should West Virginians skip an electric car?](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/06/21/should-west-virginians-skip-an-electric-car-2/) - Related articles: - The 10 best U.S. states to plug in an electric car - Ten worst U.S. states to plug in an electric car Now that you know where your state stands in terms of how its electricity is produced thanks to our two-part series on the Best and Worst U.S. States to plug - [Editor's solar story: Solar a lifelong interest](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2009/08/11/editors-solar-story-solar-a-lifelong-interest/) - I’ve wanted to “go solar” for a long time. In fact, for as long as I can remember, I’ve been drawn to solar energy. It seems so much more sensible than virtually any other kind of energy. After all, the sun is the original source of energy for all the other forms of energy on - [Do HOAs impede green progress? Part II](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/03/28/do-hoas-impede-green-progress-part-ii-2/) - A quick follow-up to my original post on HOAs (homeowner's associations) and solar. Pressure is clearly mounting on HOAs which try to prevent homeowners from going solar, including, for example, the Flower Mound HOA (Texas), which recently sued a homeowner for installing solar panels on his home (see this story for more on this lawsuit). - [An HOA (ours) gives go-ahead to go solar](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/04/17/an-hoa-ours-gives-go-ahead-to-go-solar/) - Check out our series on HOAs & Solar Thank you Cherry Creek HOA Professionals, LLC. for approving our application to install a 5.5 kW solar system on our perfect-for-solar, south-facing, Aurora, Colo. roof! I apologize for being so anxious about this a couple of weeks ago. Back then, I had just read about a case - [Texas HOA drops suit against solar homeowner](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/04/17/texas-hoa-drops-suit-against-solar-homeowner/) - A few weeks ago, SolarChargeDriving.Com wrote about the case of a Texas homeowner whose HOA was suing him for installing a solar system on his roof. Well, the Flower Mound of Wellington HOA recently withdrew its lawsuit against the homeowner. Why? Public opinion within the HOA itself was overwhelming for solar. A poll conducted by - [Ford drives Michigan plant with solar power](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/03/27/ford-drives-michigan-plant-with-solar-power/) - Ford launched a solar energy system to help generate electricity at its Michigan Assembly Plant earlier this month. A portion of the renewable energy from the solar energy system will be used to help power the production of fuel-efficient cars—which includes an all-new battery-electric version of the Ford Focus, the C-MAX Hybrid, and the C-MAX - [Going solar in Littleton, Colorado](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/02/15/going-solar-in-littleton-colorado/) - Pete Dignan, a homeowner going solar in Littleton, Colo. writes about his experience in the third of three installments in this guest column for SolarChargedDriving.Com. -->Link to Part I -->Link to Part 2If you read the first installment in this series, you know that we were eagerly awaiting proposals from the three solar installation companies - [Littleton, Colo. plugs into Drive Electric Week](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2014/09/21/littleton-colo-plugs-into-drive-electric-week/) - Brought my 2014 Nissan LEAF to a National Drive Electric Week event in Littleton, Colo. today (Sept. 20). About 30 other area EV owners zipped over to the event -- including many on electricity generated by home solar systems. LEAFs were highest in number, but there were several Volts and half a dozen Teslas on - [10 things I love about our Nissan LEAF](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2014/11/25/10-things-i-love-about-our-nissan-leaf/) - Though the number is surely growing , not many people in the United States -- or the world -- can say they’ve driven an all-electric Nissan LEAF 10,000 miles 100 percent powered by home-solar generated electricity. I’m one of those fortunate people. And I figure 10,000 Sun Miles® in a 100-percent home-solar charged electric vehicle - [Goodbye central utilities, hello home solar!](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2014/12/01/goodbye-central-utilities-hello-home-solar/) - Imagine a world in which the Big Utility monopoly on energy production and distribution and storage was no more. In its place is a world characterized by you-and-me, localized energy production and distribution and storage. Thinking about this makes me absolutely giddy! That's the way I felt today when I read a report by Greentechmedia - [Support electric cars? Don't buy a Toyota](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2014/12/03/support-electric-cars-dont-buy-a-toyota/) - While there are other car makers who've been critical of electric vehicles, among them Honda and Hyundai, Toyota has clearly been the leader in EV disparagement. Well, I've had it with the Toyota approach -- which is to diss EVs at the same time as promoting fuel cell vehicles powered by hydrogen (you could do - [When the Nissan LEAF is your ONLY car](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2014/12/17/when-the-nissan-leaf-is-your-only-car/) - I did not plan on having an all-electric Nissan LEAF as my ONLY car. But that's the situation I've got now -- and had for the past four months thanks to a marriage separation that happened in the beginning of August. (I apologize for the caps on "ONLY" -- sort of. I bet 90 percent, - [5 reasons electric vehicle lovers hate hydrogen](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2014/12/30/5-reasons-electric-vehicle-lovers-hate-hydrogen/) - No, not all EV lovers hate hydrogen. But a lot of them do -- and I think I know why so many other EV lovers, including me, view hydrogen so darkly. Reason No. 5: The hydrogen fairy. For some reason, media accounts of hydrogen frequently fail to ask an obvious question: How is that supposedly - [Utilities shouldn't control production & grid](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2015/01/03/utilities-shouldnt-control-production-a-the-grid/) - It's pretty clear what the problem is with the Big Utility Model in the United States, where utilities are trying to throttle down on homeowners' right to generate their own (solar) electricity by pushing back against net metering --> The same guys who produce the electricity ALSO own the distribution network over which that electricity - [Public buying into Hydrogen Fairy Myth](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2015/01/07/public-buying-into-hydrogen-fairy-myth/) - I've been saying for awhile in this space that people seem to think hydrogen for fuel cell vehicles will be made from thin air. Now, I've got some hard evidence that I'm right. Check out some of these Facebook responses to an article posted by ClimateProgress.Org about how Toyota is going to release its patents - [Home solar more expensive than 5 years ago](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2015/01/13/home-solar-more-expensive-than-5-years-ago/) - I hope the headline for this blog entry attracts some attention -- because I'm frustrated about all the headlines on how solar is coming down in price. Solar is coming down in price -- BUT solar rebates are dropping, typically faster than the price of solar itself. That's what's happened here in Colorado in Xcel - [Distributive solar will take down utility monopolies](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2015/01/01/distributive-solar-will-take-down-utility-monopolies/) - So, I've been getting into with a commentator, "Dig Deeper", in a comments stream below an article on TransportEvolved.Com comparing hydrogen fuel cell cars to EVs. "Dig Deeper's" been pushing the typical EVs and solar are too expensive, innefficient, etc. compared to a centralized fueling/electricity system argument. "Dig Deeper" thinks he's right about hydrogen, - [Our story: A new solar system, but no EV yet](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2009/08/11/our-scd-story-a-new-solar-system-but-no-ev-yet/) - My own solar-charged driving story is an ongoing one that in some ways has only partly begun. As of June 2010, we have: A brand new, 5.59 kW solar system on our home! But still no EV (electric vehicle) or PHEV (plug-in hybrid electric vehicle) in our garage. We also have: A tremendous amount of - [Environmental reasons to solar-charge an EV](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2009/08/13/environmental-reasons-to-solar-charge-an-ev/) - There’s no disputing that running an EV or PHEV fully, or partially on the sun, is far more environmentally friendly than using gasoline. First, in contrast to gasoline, the sun is a clean, direct, renewable form of energy. And you generate sun fuel for your EV and/or PHEV locally. Sun doesn’t have to travel thousands - [Independence reasons to solar-charge an EV](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2009/08/13/independence-reasons-to-solar-charge-an-ev/) - An EV frees you from trips to the gas station. You will never again share gas fumes with others at a self-serve gas station near you. Let’s repeat that, because it is a very radical concept – one that surely has Big Oil quaking in its boots, or at least those Big Oil companies who - [Energy reasons to solar-charge an EV](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2009/08/13/energy-reasons-to-solar-charge-an-ev/) - Even the loudest, most obnoxious proponents of fossil fuels as the answer to powering modern industrial society are forced to concede one thing: Eventually, the supply of oil -- and natural gas, coal, and so on, will run out. Yes, there is debate – significant debate – about when, for instance, oil, which is obviously - [Political reasons to solar-charge an EV](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2009/08/13/political-reasons-to-solar-charge-an-ev/) - For far too long, far too many people have claimed renewable energy is “impractical,” “too costly,” and that it simply “can’t” be done. What they really mean, of course, is that it “shouldn’t be” done, or that they don’t want it to be done. It can be done, and it is being done. They claim - [An open letter to the pro Big Utility hypocrites](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2015/01/20/an-open-letter-to-the-pro-big-utility-hypocrites/) - I've totally had it with the hypocritical people out there who allegedly support free-marketism and consumer choice, and who then slam home solar and net metering and people with home solar as free loaders and anti-free-marketers. Come again? So, here's an open letter to the allegedly pro-free-market types who hypocritically stand up for the electric - [Why are some libertarians so anti EV + PV?](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2015/01/31/why-are-some-libertarians-so-anti-evpv/) - Amazing how many people are (willfully?) ignorant about the billions in tax breaks fossil fuels and Big Oil get. And I'm supposed to feel bad because I've gone solar and drive a solar-charged EV? Gimme a break... See the comment stream below this Grist.Org article -- 'Now is the time to invest in solar, because - [Enjoy superior EV quickness while you still can](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2015/02/07/enjoy-superior-ev-quickness-while-you-still-can/) - One of the greatest things about driving electric vehicles is their quickness of acceleration. Press on the gas pedal and you get immediate and impressive torque, even in a "lame" 2014 Nissan LEAF such as mine. I call it "lame" because its official 0-60 m.p.h. time is somewhere between 8 and 9 seconds, hardly stellar, - [We lead with the sun!](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2009/07/26/we-lead-with-the-sun/) - We are devoted to telling the story of the synergy between solar and EVs and PHEVs. We aim to do so by creating original content focused on interesting and important developments within the solar and EV and PHEV worlds that is relevant to solar-charged driving and by serving as a unique portal to coverage of - [The myth of the 'affordable' Tesla](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2015/05/09/the-myth-of-the-affordable-tesla/) - I'm a huge fan of Tesla, and I am very happy for all Tesla owners out there -- especially those powering their Teslas with home solar. But can we stop with the ridiculous claim of a Tesla Model S being anything other than WAY too expensive for anyone with a household income of fewer than - [Even $10k won't get me to buy out my LEAF](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2015/05/23/even-10k-from-nissan-wont-get-me-to-buy-my-leaf/) - So, apparently Nissan is offering some people who've leased a 2012, 2013 LEAF and who have come to the end of their lease terms $5,000 off of the cost of the car -- if these LEAF lesees offer to buy out Nissan on their LEAF lease. Not a bad idea, Nissan. But it's not enough, - [Does using solar offset to 'fuel' an EV make it a zero air pollution car - or is that lying?](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2015/04/12/does-using-solar-offset-to-fuel-an-electric-car-make-it-a-zero-air-pollution-car-or-is-that-lying/) - Yes, I know, the headline for this entry is pretty charged, and, I will say, right up front, I don't think solar-charged driving is a lie. However I do concede that after more than five years of promoting solar-charged driving on this web site and more than one year of doing EV + PV myself, - [10 things Nissan should change about LEAF](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2015/03/06/10-things-nissan-should-change-about-leaf/) - I've driven my 2014 LEAF SV 14,000 miles in Colorado, USA, all of these miles solar-charged :-) via my home's 5.6 kW solar system. Generally, I'm quite happy with my LEAF. That noted, here are 10 things I'd change/add for the next generation LEAF --> 1) More Range. My LEAF is my ONLY car, and - [Why everything is political -- including EVs](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2015/04/20/why-everything-is-political-electric-cars-included/) - I'm a political activist at heart. Have been since the age of 11, and always will be for better and/or for worse -- depending on your perspective. I'm literally incapable of being a follower or of swiming with the mainstream -- though I might be a happier person if I had this capacity. I don't - [The world's most practical solar-powered car](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2015/04/24/stella-worlds-most-practical-solar-powered-car/) - For years, genuine solar charged driving or in-situ solar charged driving, took place relatively unnoticed on back roads and special racetracks far removed from the main highways and byways of America. Sleek, aerodynamic (mostly teardrop shaped) cars covered in solar panels silently zipped along in competitions with vehicles mostly piloted by university students and weekend - [Tesla delivers the tools for #griddefection](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2015/05/01/tesla-delivers-the-tools-for-griddefection/) - Yes! I am SOOOO stoked: Tesla announced yesterday that "Tesla Energy" will be producing home battery packs called "Powerwalls." The Powerwall will allow people like me -- I've got a 5.6 kW solar system on my home's roof -- to store the solar energy I produce during the day and then use it at night - [I'm driving an electric car nearly for free](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2015/03/24/im-driving-an-electric-car-nearly-for-free/) - Would you like to drive for free? I bet you would. And I bet you're not coming anywhere close, unless you don't drive but walk, bike, or take public transportation, or a combination thereof, and/or you subscribe to some sort of car sharing plan -- all of which I strongly support. I'm not driving my - [Getting conservatives to support EV + PV](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2015/02/21/getting-conservatives-to-support-ev-pv/) - First, I want to say I know there are quite a few conservatives and right-leaning libertarians who drive electric cars and many who power/fuel their EVs with home solar. They are tapping into the great joy and independence and freedom of solar-charged driving, with independence and freedom being values often associated with political conservativism. Unfortunately, - [DU Today spotlights SolarChargedDriving.Com](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/01/29/du-today-spotlights-solarchargeddrivingcom/) - DU Today, the online news magazine for the University of Denver, where SolarChargedDriving.Com founder and editor Christof Demont-Heinrich works, has published a short online article about Demont-Heinrich and his efforts to promote the synergy between solar energy and EVs and PHEVs. The article is titled 'Professor’s site dedicated to solar talk'. To read the article, - [SolarChargedDriving.Com launches, promotes synergy between solar, EVs/PHEVs](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2009/09/08/solarchargeddrivingcom-promotes-sun-run-driving/) - AURORA, Colo. -- SolarChargedDriving.Com, a unique online web site devoted to covering and promoting the synergy between solar energy and EVs (electric vehicles) and PHEVs (plug in hybrid electric vehicles), launched Tuesday, Sept. 22. SolarChagedDriving.Com seeks to drive EVS/PHEVs, solar energy, and the green economy forward. It also aims to fill a void on today’s - [Advertise with us](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2009/08/05/advertise-with-us/) - If you are interested in advertising on SolarChargedDriving.Com, please send an e-mail to: editor@solarchargeddriving.com We will respond to your request quickly and promptly. We will consider advertising from any industry. However, because we are interested in actively promoting solar energy and EVs and PHEVs, we are especially interested in advertisements for solar, solar companies, renewable - [Is using solar-offset to charge an EV cheating?](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/08/20/is-using-solar-offset-to-charge-an-ev-cheating/) - Thanks to unusual circumstances -- we do not yet have an EV yet, something that, two years ago, I thought we would already have -- our 5.59 kW home solar system is producing 200 percent of our home electric use. In fact, it’s been producing 200 percent of our electric use for more than two - [Record heat the norm in U.S., globally](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/09/18/record-heat-the-norm-in-us-globally/) - The heat records just keep on falling locally, nationally, and regionally. Colorado – where SolarChargedDriving.Com is “headquartered” ;-) -- and Wyoming just experienced their warmest summer ever. This past summer was the third warmest ever in the continental U.S. And, of course, the continental U.S. recently experienced its warmest 12-month period – July 2011 to - [Few consider climate change’s impact on water](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/11/29/few-consider-climate-changes-impact-on-water/) - SolarChargedDriving.Com series: Climate change, water & renewable energySolarChargedDriving.Com reporter Johanna Zeller takes a close look at links between climate change, water resources and renewable energy in this exclusive four-part series. In this installment, the second of the series, Zeller looks at the question of a climate-change induced worst-case water resource scenario in a specific but - [Renewables, climate change & the future of water](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/12/03/renewables-climate-change-a-the-future-of-water/) - SolarChargedDriving.Com series: Climate change, water & renewable energySolarChargedDriving.Com reporter Johanna Zeller takes a close look at links between climate change, water resources and renewable energy in this exclusive four-part series. In this installment, the third of the series, Zeller looks at dire case scenarios and the ways in which renewable energy use might mitigate climate - [Tesla's frontal attack on gas cars right way to go](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2013/02/17/teslas-frontal-attack-on-gas-cars-right-way-to-go/) - There’s been a ton of talk and debate about the Tesla Model S this week thanks to a lightning rod of an article by New York Times reporter John Broder in which he describes an unsuccessful attempt to drive the Model S from Washington, D.C. to Boston relying on Tesla’s two East Coast Supercharger stations. - [NYT fesses up on Model S-Gate -- Sort of](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2013/02/19/nyt-fesses-up-on-model-s-gate-sort-of/) - A quick follow-up to my entry on the NYT-inspired “Model S Gate”: The New York Times put its Reader Representative Margaret Sullivan on the Tesla Model S case. In an entry published today (Feb. 18), Sullivan concludes that NYT reporter John Broder wasn’t as careful as he should have been in following written directions which - [Officially halfway to solar-charged driving](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/06/29/officially-on-grid-and-halfway-to-solar-charged-driving/) - At 9:30 a.m. this morning on a blue sky, totally cloudless Colorado June day, an Xcel Energy electric meter man knocked on our door and said he was about to switch out our old utility meter – complete with its spinning metal dial – for a brand new one with a digital meter capable of - [Is the Nissan LEAF ugly?](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/08/23/is-the-nissan-leaf-ugly/) - I used to think the Nissan LEAF was truly ugly. And, although the LEAF has grown on me somewhat, I’m still not thrilled about its exterior design. In fact, even though I’ve put down $99 to reserve a new LEAF, two things might end up pushing me toward another electric car – and the LEAF’s - [Home solar is so much sexier with an EV](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/10/08/home-solar-is-so-much-sexier-with-an-ev/) - The unanticipated potential life changes that have likely pushed out the time we'll add an EV to our PV equation by two years have accentuated -- in a big way -- something I've known all along: Adding an electric car to your home solar equation makes home solar way more sexy. {module 53} Here's why: - [Home solar is so much sexier with an EV](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/10/08/home-solar-is-so-much-sexier-with-an-ev-2/) - Adding an electric car to your home solar equation makes home solar way more sexy. {module 53} Here's why: Auto fueling independence: Powering your car with solar electricity you generate yourself is tremendously satisfying. For me, this is primarily because solar-charged driving means saying goodbye to Big Oil. But there's more to it than that - [EV + PV Independence Week: Sexier solar](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/07/06/ev-pv-independence-week-sexier-solar/) - This week is Independence Day Week in the United States. In honor of independence, we are republishing several stories and blog entries that emphasize the spirit and feeling of independence embodied by, and delivered by, solar-charged driving. In fact, current solar-charged drivers overwhelmingly say the most satisfying part of plugging an electric car into a - [Green Chevy Volt drivers post EV+PV stats online](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/08/15/green-chevy-volt-drivers-post-ev-pv-stats-online/) - Yeah, I know, SolarChargedDriving.Com has been a bit Chevy Volt-centric lately, with half of our last six blog entries or stories having been devoted to the Volt. But hey, what can I say? The Volt is a cool car – one I wish we had right now, actually. And it’s even cooler when it’s partially - [Going solar: Putting it all together](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2009/08/12/going-solar-putting-it-all-together/) - Environmental and political and personal considerations, plus the practical consideration of being grounded in our current home by a 15-percent drop in its value since we bought it in 2005 ultimately pushed me, along with my somewhat begrudging wife, into going solar despite the substantial upfront costs. You may reach a different decision when you - [Going solar: Political and personal considerations](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2009/08/17/going-solar-political-and-personal-considerations/) - Political and personal considerations are typically linked to the environmental considerations when making the decision about whether going solar is for you or not. If you’re a “greenie,” you almost certainly lean left in your political orientation. You’re also probably quite aware of the connection between personal, individual (in)action and the larger environmental and global - [Going solar: Environmental considerations](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2009/08/18/going-solar-environmental-considerations/) - Unlike coal – the most likely primary source of most of your home’s and EV’s/PHEV’s electricity – solar energy does not create any emissions at the moment it produces electricity. The zero emissions aspect of solar energy makes going solar extremely attractive, environmentally speaking. True, for now, solar panels are manufactured primarily with energy generated - [Going solar: Economic considerations](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2009/08/19/going-solar-economic-considerations/) - A crucial factor to consider when weighing whether going solar is for you or not are the out-of-pocket costs you, as a consumer, will pay, and the return on investment you realize for a solar system. These vary widely according to a number of factors. Among these are: your geographic location; the amount of sun - [Going solar: Introduction](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2009/08/20/going-solar-introduction/) - There are many things to consider when weighing whether going solar is for you or not. These can be usefully thought of in terms of three broad categories: Economic considerations Environmental considerations Personal & political considerations Before you reflect on the specific considerations and factors that fall under these broader considerations, it can be useful - [Our site map](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2009/09/04/our-site-map-2/) - This article contains a basic site map of SolarChargedDriving.Com. For a more detailed explanation of what each section of SolarChargedDriving.Com focuses on, please see the article entitled “Our web site structure.” home about us general overview why we’re here what we are & are not SCD.com bios terms of service privacy policy advertise solar-charged driving - [EVs WILL have to match gas cars to win out](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2013/06/19/evs-will-have-to-match-gas-cars-to-win-out/) - EV advocates and journalists like to indicate that somehow it's ridiculous/preposterous, or both, to imply that pure EVs will have to go as far as a gas car goes on a tank of gas and easily be refueld in 5 minutes or less. Indeed, these advocates often state that it's a "myth" EVs need to - [Analyst defends Tesla Model S lease](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2013/04/15/analyst-defends-tesla-model-s-lease/) - Along with many other media outlets, SolarChargedDriving.Com last week ripped Tesla for misleading advertising that, at least at first glance, implies you can lease a Model S for $500 per month. In fact, it turns out you’ll be cutting a monthly check to Tesla for more than twice that amount. Not exactly a bargain, nor, - [Democratic Committee denies EV + PV advocate](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2013/06/04/democratic-committee-denies-ev-pv-advocate/) - So, I just published a guest column from long-time EV and EV + PV advocate Paul Scott in which he wrote excitedly about an upcoming opportunity he anticipated having in which he was going to be able to talk to President Obama personally about EVs and solar-charged driving. Scott was planning to pay more than - [Fairest driving tax = vehicle weight + miles driven](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2013/06/10/fairest-driving-tax-vehicle-weight-miles-driven/) - There's been more and more talk of plug-in vehicles and how they're "cheating" the gasoline tax system. Different proposals have been put forward -- flat taxes/fees for plug-in cars, etc. However, there's only one tax formula that's ultimately fairest for all involved. {googleAds} - [Can we afford to lease a Tesla Model S?](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2013/04/05/can-we-afford-to-lease-a-tesla-model-s/) - So, Tesla’s trying to make things more interesting for folks who would love to have a Model S, but who clearly are not in the right income bracket to buy one -- that would be us -- with a lease deal it’s offering via a partnership with U.S. Bank and Wells Fargo. I’m not going - [Tesla's phantom $500 Model S lease](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2013/04/08/teslas-phantom-500-model-s-lease/) - I recently wrote an entry in which I ran the numbers for us on a $500 per month Tesla Model S lease. Unfortunately, it turns out that's a phantom lease, one that's reduced my respect for Tesla quite a bit. In fact, I've written dozens of articles and blog entries about Tesla in the past - [Up & down gas prices not best scenario for EVs](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2013/03/04/up-a-down-gas-prices-not-best-scenario-for-evs/) - It’s a bit of a truism that every time gas prices rise in the U.S., electric car advocates shout: “See, we told you so!” Heck, I confess to being part of the shout about gas prices crowd, and, yes, I’ll even cop to smirking a bit when gas prices go up. Any true EV advocate - [5 reasons to lease rather than buy an electric car](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2013/03/10/5-reasons-to-lease-rather-than-buy-an-electric-car/) - Back in the day when I thought we were going to be among the very first in the U.S. to get an electric car, I was determined to buy an EV outright, not lease one. Now that I have had time to watch the EV revolution slowly unfold and wait on the sidelines in terms - [Solar-charged electric cars are no panacea](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2013/03/18/solar-charged-electric-cars-are-no-panacea/) - So, I haven't posted anything to SolarChargedDriving.Com in about a week. I'll confess part of this is the fact that I've lost some of my solar-charged 'mojo' after 3 1/2 years of doing this site and still having only home solar but no EV. I don't have an EV to add to our 5.59 kW - [Honda, SolarCity team up to offer EV + PV](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2013/02/20/honda-solarcity-team-up-to-offer-ev-pv/) - SunPower has teamed up with Nissan and Ford, Solarcity has worked together with Mitsubishi, and now Solarcity and Honda are pairing up to push forward solar-charged driving. The solar company and car company today (Feb. 20) announced a partnership to make solar power more affordable and available to Honda and Acura customers in the U.S., - [Zero tailpipe emissions better for human health](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2013/02/23/zero-tailpipe-emissions-better-for-human-health/) - Yes, it’s true EVs are not truly zero emission vehicles, though if you power them with renewable energy generated electricity, they come pretty darn close. However, regardless of how the electricity is generated for EVs, they are zero tailpipe emissions vehicles -- I much prefer this term to zero emissions, because it’s 100 percent accurate. - [Who's going to buy old Nissan LEAFs?](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2013/02/24/whos-going-to-buy-old-nissan-leafs/) - Here's a question I've been pondering in for awhile: Who, exactly, is going to buy all those leased Nissan LEAFs out there after their three-year leases expire, and for how much? While the initial take on EVs has generally been that they'll get decent resale value, I've been pretty skeptical about this claim for awhile. - [Solar quick charging for EVs arrives in Indiana](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2013/02/26/solar-quick-charging-for-evs-arrives-in-indiana/) - Indiana has a new solar EV charging station -- complete with quick charging and battery storage. Eaton, a diversified power management company, has partned with renewz sustainable solutions, which develops and delivers solar carport projects, to install an Integrated Power Solution (IPS) solar carport at the Simon Property Group Clay Terrace Mall, in Carmel, Ind. - [Early plug-in sales outstripping early hybrid sales](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2013/03/03/early-plug-in-sales-outstripping-early-hybrid-sales/) - So, there's this idea -- really, it's a myth, albeit an unfortunately widespread one -- that plug-in vehicles aren't selling well in the United States. The reality is that, compared to early sales of hybrids in the U.S., plug-ins are through the roof, and there are strong indications that they're going to continue to be - [First test drive in a Tesla Model S](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2013/02/06/first-test-drive-in-a-tesla-model-s/) - I got my first chance behind the wheel of a Tesla Model S Performance Edition Monday. And, wow, is the Model S quick! I know: That’s hardly a revelation, Christof! But it’s one thing to read about how the Model S Performance Version has instant torque (443 lbs) and a huge amount of horsepower (410 - [New ad sells solar plus Tesla Model S synergy](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2013/02/08/new-ad-sells-solar-plus-tesla-model-s-synergy/) - Little by little, tiny step by tiny step, solar-charged driving – something we’re proud to say we’ve been writing about for 3 ½ years now at SolarChargedDriving.Com -- is going mainstream. The video above, produced by an ad professional who’s done work for Nike and Nissan, is evidence of this. It profiles a family driving - [Cool video captures solar EV station installation](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2013/02/11/cool-video-captures-solar-ev-station-installation/) - Three and a half years ago when we launched SolarChargedDriving.Com, solar-charged EV canopies were few in number in North America and the pace of their installation was slow. Today, they’re going up everywhere (see our exclusive map of solar EV charging canopies). The YouTube video embedded above, which shows the installation of a solar EV - [Racking up solar-charged Sun Miles® in Indiana](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2013/02/10/racking-up-solar-charged-sun-milesr-in-indiana/) - We often get e-mails and pictures from readers who are solar-charging their own EVs. The picture above is one of these pictures. It comes from Scott Mohler, who writes--> Dear Editor, I just found your site today. The site is a great way to help educate those looking at EVs and solar. I have attached - [1,000 YouTube views for EV + PV Love Story](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2013/02/13/1000-youtube-views-for-ev-pv-love-story/) - So what if 40 of the views are my own ;-), I’ve finally got a video up on YouTube with more than 1,000 views. Yes, the ‘EV + PV Love Story’ video I did highlighting the joys and wonders of the synergy between solar energy and EVs, in this case my brother’s Tesla Model, is - [Range superiority biggest advantage of Model S](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2013/01/13/range-superiority-biggest-advantage-of-model-s/) - So, as you may have noticed, my brother stole the EV + PV thunder at our home recently, zipping down from Boulder to Aurora, Colo. with his family in their brand new Tesla Model S to become the first EV to directly plug into sunshine at our home. More than three years ago when I - [Is a big EV battery pack inefficient?](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2013/01/16/is-a-big-ev-battery-pack-inefficient/) - My previous entry, in which I argue that the extra range of the Tesla Model S, in particular that of the Model S with the 85 kWh battery pack, is its single most important advantage, has sparked some interesting conversation on Facebook. Not surprisingly, a couple of folks have correctly suggested that not everyone needs - [Solar-charged EV 'heavies' will rule the future](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2013/01/20/solar-charged-ev-heavies-will-rule-the-future/) - Back in June of 2012, I wrote about the development of Electric Vehicles (EVs) here in Paris via the Autolib car share program. Since then, and in talking with many friends here in France about EVs, I have almost without exception encountered the pushback question: “Yes, Albert, but isn’t electric driving just all about driving - [EV + solar PV delivers $300k of ‘sunny money’](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2013/01/26/ev-solar-pv-delivers-300k-of-sunny-money/) - During the past six years, my wife Julie and I have generated 60 megawatt hours of electricity with our 7.5 kW home solar system – and we’ve driven more than 60,000 of what SolarChargedDriving.Com calls Sun Miles®, meaning miles driven by an electric vehicle (EV) or plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) whose batteries have been - [Tesla Model S kicks some Dodge Viper butt](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2013/01/30/tesla-model-s-kicks-some-dodge-viper-butt/) - Predictably, the gas Neanderthals [maybe I should pull a GM and trademark this term ;-)] are claiming this video (above) showing a Tesla Model S leaving a Dodge Viper in the dust is a farce, that it's a so-called case of "sandbagging", meaning an allegedly incompotent driver of the gasoline powered Viper not doing the - [Solar EV canopies increasingly visible in U.S.](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/12/29/solar-ev-canopies-increasingly-visible-in-us/) - Okay, so the video above is a bit PR-ie (as in public relations-ie). But it's still worth a look if you're into chronicling and making note of the ever growing number of solar EV charging canopy stations in the United States, including more than a few in highly visible and public places such as where - [Tesla Model S: Smooth, sporty and silent](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/12/30/tesla-model-s-smooth-sporty-and-silent/) - Most likely, fewer than 10,000 people have ever had a ride in a Tesla Model S. Today, I, and my mom – along with my brother, who’s the happy new owner of Model S, No. 1984 (yes, that’s really his Model S number) – took a quick spin in his brand new metallic blue Model - [Caught on video: Santa delivers a Tesla](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/12/31/caught-on-video-santa-delivers-a-tesla/) - If you've been reading SolarChargedDriving.Com recently, you know that my brother recently got a Tesla Model S, and that it just so happened that it arrived just in time for Christmas. I got a brief ride in the Model S Performance version with my brother a couple of days ago -- and I'm hoping to - [Should we feel guilty about heating with solar?](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2013/01/03/should-we-feel-guilty-about-heating-with-solar/) - We burned though 1,600 kWh of electricity and generated just 300 kWh of solar electricity in December. This represented the second straight month in which: a) we used more than 1,000 kWh of electricity; b) our electricity use far exceeded our solar-electricity generation. Yes, all of this extra use is planned: Since we don’t have - [Our solar PV system no longer an EV 'virgin'](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2013/01/07/our-solar-pv-system-no-longer-an-ev-virgin/) - Almost three and a half years after getting so charged up by solar-charged driving that I founded SolarChargedDriving.Com and more than two and a half years after having a 5.59 kW solar system installed on our Aurora, Colo. rooftop, we finally had an EV plug in at our home today. No, it wasn’t ours – - [Home solar means an unthinkably low utility bill](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2013/01/09/home-solar-means-an-unthinkably-low-utility-bill/) - Ho, ho, ho, ho! Our entire utility bill (gas + electric) for December 2012 was – drum roll, or, more appropriately put, a big Santa high five, please -- $36.99! This in a household of four people and for a house that’s 2,100 square feet (if you include the furnished basement), and which is located - [Envison Solar Tree going up at Calif. GM dealer](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/12/10/envison-solar-tree-going-up-at-calif-gm-dealer/) - Envision Solar kicked off a nationwide PV + EV initiative with General Motors recently. A Fremont, Calif. Cadillac Buick GMC location will become the first U.S. dealer to deploy Envison Solar's Solar Tree® array when an installation is completed early in 2013. The Solar Tree generates approximately 33,000 kWh of clean renewable energy from a - [Tesla's big dream for a solar-charged world](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/12/13/teslas-big-dream-for-a-solar-charged-world/) - Many people dream big, but relatively few follow through and make those dreams a reality. Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk is one of them. And, no, I’m not talking about Musk’s electric car company, which, of course, is a great example of a big dream transformed into reality. What I’m talking about is Musk’s dream - [A Tesla Model S for Christmas](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/12/20/a-tesla-model-s-for-christmas/) - Talk about a great Christmas present! My brother and his wife and their children now stand as one of only about 50 households in the entire state of Colorado with a Tesla Model S (the performance version, no less!). After plunking down $5,000 more than two years ago on the Model S, the beautiful metallic - [Solar EV, e-bike charging taking off in France](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/12/27/solar-ev-e-bike-charging-taking-off-in-france/) - I wish I knew French, because, from what I can tell, solar-charged driving is really starting to take off there, especially in Southern France and in Corsica, exciting EV + PV growth about which SolarChargedDriving.Com guest columnist Albert Graham has written. In fact, I recently got an e-mail from Raphael Briere, President and Operation Director - [The real story behind 100 million Volt e-miles](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/12/06/the-real-story-behind-100-million-volt-e-miles/) - Chevy Volt owners just collectively hit 100 million all-electric miles driven and many media outlets have been rightly celebrating this figure. But, as far as we can tell, no one has focused on a revealing, and important, outcome of this impressive statistic: How, if you do the numbers crunching, 100 million all-electric Volt miles shows - [Climate change & future of water: A slideshow](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/12/08/climate-change-a-future-of-water-a-slideshow/) - Climate change and water on Planet Earth from cbdh19 SolarChargedDriving.Com series: Climate change, water & renewable energySolarChargedDriving.Com reporter Johanna Zeller takes a close look at links between climate change, water resources and renewable energy in this exclusive four-part series. This installment, the fourth of the series, is a photo slideshow that brings together powerfully shot - [Study: Angle key to solar panel snow problems](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/12/09/study-angle-key-to-solar-panel-snow-problems/) - So far, it’s been an extremely warm mostly snow-less late fall/early winter here in Aurora, Colo. Indeed, our high temperature on December 5, 2012, was 69 degrees. But climate change aside (notice how the deniers have been evaporating as fast as the water in drought stricken areas of the U.S. this year?), we’re likely to - [Study: Americans want action on climate change](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/11/18/study-americans-want-action-on-climate-change/) - A recent study by the Yale Project on Climate Change Communication shows that contrary to received wisdom, a majority of Americans view climate change as a crucial issue – and one that they want to see formal political action on. {googleAds} - [Chevy Volt fans diss Tesla Model S: OMG!](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/11/14/chevy-volt-fans-diss-tesla-model-s-omg/) - Sometimes, well, okay, a lot of times, I see comments about electric cars that make me think – and forgive me for being crude here – WTH? As in WTH are you thinking? Here’s one of those moments: A Chevy Volt fan page on Facebook recently posted a link highlighting the naming of Tesla’s Model - [EV leases now as cheap as those for gas cars](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/11/18/ev-leases-now-as-cheap-as-those-for-gas-cars/) - If you've been thinking about getting an electric car, but haven't taken the electric plunge yet, perhaps largely due to cost considerations, what are you waiting for? Lease deals for the Chevy Volt have been pretty darn good for awhile, with plenty of dealerships across the U.S. offering 24-month leases at $199 per month and - [Pre-fab 'Solar Trees' help drive EV + PV forward](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/11/24/pre-fab-solar-trees-help-drive-ev-pv-forward/) - Envision Solar recently announced that it has successfully completed the engineering, manufacturing and deployment of its new pre-engineered purlin structures for Solar Tree® arrays. According to Envision, the first of these structures have been deployed in Colorado and California for separate customers. The new engineered purlin structures are part of Envision Solar's Drag & Drop - [Climate change already affecting water resources](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/11/26/climate-change-already-affecting-water-resources/) - SolarChargedDriving.Com series: Climate change, water & renewable energySolarChargedDriving.Com reporter Johanna Zeller takes a close look at links between climate change, water resources and renewable energy in this exclusive four-part series. In this installment, the first of the series, Zeller begins her examination of the climate change/water resources/renewable energy connection with a case study: That of - [EV + PV + battery storage and Hurricane Sandy](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/11/04/ev-pv-battery-storage-and-hurricane-sandy/) - As gasoline lines lengthen and tempers flare to the point where frustrated motorists are throwing punches at each other in the New York City area in the aftermath of a gasoline shortage created by Hurricane Sandy, it’s hard not to wonder about the following questions: What if people were more fuel independent? What if some - [Solar means no electric bill & almost no gas bill](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/11/06/solar-means-no-electric-bill-a-almost-no-gas-bill/) - I bet our utility, Xcel Energy, hates us, or, at the very least, wants to make sure there’ll never be many other people like us. That’s because we haven’t paid an electric utility bill in 2 ½ years. On top of that, we’ve generated an extra 10,000 kWh via the 5.59 kW solar system on - [Home solar PV + EV = solar-charged driving](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2013/07/30/home-solar-pv-ev-solar-charged-driving/) - I’m not sure of the original source of the photo/infographic to the right – the Oregon Electric Vehicle Association posted it to its Facebook page. But the source doesn’t really matter as much as the content (still, a big pat on the back to the person who created it – and who owns the solar-charged - [Why our utility hates us: Solar independence](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/11/11/why-our-utility-hates-us-solar-independence/) - I recently wrote that our utility Xcel Energy probably hates us due to the fact that our 5.59 kW home solar PV system has made us a net zero house. On top of this, we’re going to be using even less natural gas than before, probably no more than 10 therms on average per month. - [Green German town produces 321% of its energy](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/10/22/green-german-town-produces-321-of-its-energy/) - Running a town completely on renewable energy seems far-fetched to many. However for the residents of Wildpoldsried in the German state of Bavaria it’s already a dream come true. Not only is the town equipped nine new community buildings with solar panels, four biogas digesters (with a fifth in construction now), and seven windmills with - [Memo to Mitt: Cars can run on renewable energy](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/10/26/memo-to-mitt-cars-can-run-on-renewable-energy/) - This column – which takes on the inaccurate claim by Mitt Romney that cars can’t run on renewable energy – was originally posted by “maggiesfarm” to a GM-Volt.Com forum. It clearly shows that, contrary to Romney’s claim, cars can, and do, run on renewable energy. Back in May, presidential candidate Mitt Romney, in discussing energy - [Solar doesn't take as much space as oil and gas](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/10/30/solar-doesnt-take-as-much-space-as-oil-and-gas/) - One of many misconceptions about solar energy is that it can't meet real-world energy needs, or, if it could, that we'd need to cover the whole world in solar panels in order to produce enough energy to power the modern world. Not true. And not true. Just see the above graphic, which elegantly makes clear - [Floating wind turbines may soon land near you](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/10/29/floating-wind-turbines-may-soon-land-near-you/) - The offshore wind community has recently gotten excited about a new development in the industry: Floating turbines. Yes, that’s right. Several companies, for instance, Seattle-based Principle Power, are now developing structures that hover in the water to support wind turbines and their accompanying features. These structures typically include stabilizing buoys in a square or triangle - [Fossil fuels: Energy 'bayonets' from Dark Ages](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/11/03/fossil-fuels-energy-bayonets-from-dark-ages/) - In many respects, SolarChargedDriving.Com, stands as a middle finger pointed squarely at the fossil fuel industries: Our aim, after all, is to show the world that yes, indeed, the world – including its transportation sector – can run on renewable energy. And, as more and more examples show, especially that of Germany – which will - [Couple living solar life in Kentucky coal country](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/10/16/couple-living-solar-life-in-kentucky-coal-country/) - David Kollar comes from the Bluegrass Region of Kentucky and was born and raised on the Kentucky fields. Living all his life around nature, his love for green things has only expanded as he’s moved into mid-life. “When I was young, I had access to the woods around our home, and spent much time exploring - [Who do you want: Mr. Solar or Mr. Oil & Mr. Coal?](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/10/17/who-do-you-want-mr-solar-or-mr-oil-a-mr-coal/) - So, polls show solar, wind and renewables are far more popular than oil, coal, and even natural gas. In fact, some polls show it’s not even close – see the numbers from the graph to the right which show solar is WAY more popular among Americans than oil and coal, with coal at the very - [Sungevity, Sierra Club team up on solar](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/10/19/sungevity-sierra-club-team-up-on-solar/) - Thinking of reducing your carbon footprint? Michael Brune, Executive Director of the Sierra Club, recently helped make that easier for every member and supporter of the Sierra Club. Last May, Brune signed a deal with Sungevity, a large California-based solar company that has grown dramatically in the past few years due primarily to the rise - [The original Chevy Volt fan to switch to a Ford](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/10/20/the-original-chevy-volt-fan-to-switch-to-a-ford/) - After his long-time advocacy for the Chevy Volt Dr. Lyle Dennis -- who SolarChargedDriving.Com featured in a cover story two years ago -- is switching to Ford’s first plug-in hybrid, the C-Max Energi. The decision seems surprising since Dennis is the founder of GM-Volt.com, a blog and social media network dedicated to the Chevy plug-in - [Two years of solar = $5,400 in gasoline savings](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/10/02/two-years-of-solar-5400-in-gasoline-savings/) - We recently hit 20,000 kWh (20 megawatts) of solar electricity produced with our 5.59 kW solar PV system here in Aurora, Colo. At around the same time, we hit 10,000 kWh of banked, extra electricity, meaning across the 27 months we’ve had home solar, we’ve produced 200 percent of the electricity we’ve used. The main - [Home solar means near net zero energy use](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/10/03/home-solar-means-near-net-zero-energy-use/) - Thanks to the fact that we bought our 5.59 kW solar system before we bought an electric car, which, in fact, we still haven’t been able to buy, we’ve produced 10,000 more kWh of solar electricity than we’ve used during the 27 months our 26 REC panels have been up on our Aurora, Colo. rooftop. - [Study: Fox News trashes climate science](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/10/06/study-fox-news-trashes-climate-science/) - In 2007 News Corporation CEO Rupert Murdoch claimed that Fox News coverage of climate change would “improve”. However, a recently released study by the Union of Concern Scientists (UCS) shows that Fox and The Wall Street Journal, also owned by News Corporation, have consistently skewed coverage of climate change in favor of the fossil fuel - [Europe boasts 70% of world’s solar capacity](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/10/07/europe-boasts-70-of-worlds-solar-capacity/) - A lot of Americans make snide comments about Europe and rail about how they don’t want the U.S. to become “Europeanized.” In fact Europe’s got a lot of things right and the U.S. would do well to ditch some of its arrogant attitudes toward Europe and follow in its footsteps on a number of fronts. - [We'll never fight a war to fuel solar EVs](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/10/07/well-never-fight-a-war-to-fuel-solar-evs/) - “The only path to energy and climate security is a comprehensive energy infrastructure focused on renewable resources and improved, harmless-emission fuels.” --Maj. Gen. Anthony L. Jackson, USMC (Ret.), Fossil fuel dependence leaves America vulnerable In 2006 with the construction of our family home, my wife Julie and I began to do our share to help reduce - [Global solar growth is exponential](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/10/10/global-solar-growth-is-exponential/) - Yes, the world still has a long way to go in terms of tapping into the tremendous energy resource of the sun. And, yes, for those of us who are strong solar supporters in the United States, it's just plain pitiful and embarrassing that the U.S. trails much smaller countries such as Italy, Spain and - [Solar popular across American political spectrum](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/10/11/solar-popular-across-american-political-spectrum/) - The popularity of solar power has increased in the United States during the past few years. A 2012 study by the Hart Research shows 9 out of 10 voters believe it is important for the U.S. to develop and use solar power. According to the Solar Energy Industries Association, solar is favorably viewed by nearly - [Ontario driver plugs iMiEV into home solar](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/09/26/ontario-driver-plugs-imiev-into-home-solar/) - One of the most rewarding things about doing SolarChargedDriving.Com is the e-mail we receive, especially those e-mails in which readers tell us their individual solar-charged driving story. We’ve been getting more and more of these in the past year, which is a clear indication that solar-charged driving is taking off – and not just in - [Tesla taps solar to power its "Superchargers"](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/09/25/tesla-taps-solar-to-power-its-qsuperchargersq/) - Tesla Motors is giving solar-charged driving a "super charge". Tesla's so-called "Supercharger stations", which the company officially unveiled Monday, will use electricity generated by a solar carport system provided by SolarCity. According to Tesla, this will result in "almost zero marginal energy cost after installation." Each solar power system is designed to generate more energy - [Solar EV charging taking off in Spain](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/10/01/solar-ev-charging-taking-off-in-spain/) - Spain, one of Europe’s solar and renewable energy leaders, has its first solar canopy EV charging station. The canopy can be found at the Real Jardin Botanico Juan Carlos I, Alcala de Hernandez University in Madrid. The station is equipped with 15 solar panels and nine charging docks and produces 5,600 kWh per year. Although - [Solar-charged LEAF saves Hawaii man money](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/09/11/solar-charged-leaf-saves-hawaii-man-money/) - More and more stories featuring solar-charged drivers are appearing in more and more American mainstream media outlets. For example, in the last few weeks alone, SolarChargedDriving.Com has summarized three stories ['Utah man drives solar LEAF', 'Illinois man among first to solar-charge Focus EV', 'Snowy Ithaca has enough sun to fuel solar Volt'] recently published in - [Tire company finds traction in rooftop solar](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/09/12/tire-company-finds-traction-in-rooftop-solar/) - What do automobile tires and rooftop solar have in common? Quite a lot, it turns out, in Northwest Arizona. MAGE SOLAR, a turn-key solar PV-system solution provider and Sunquest Solar, an Arizona-based integrator, have now outfitted and installed two solar PV systems at Superior Tire Corporation in Northwest Arizona. The rooftop arrays are the first - [Envision Solar Tree to juice up more of GM’s Volts](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/09/12/envision-solar-tree-to-juice-up-more-of-gms-volts/) - Envision Solar and GM are teaming up to plug more Chevy Volts directly into the sun. Envision announced recently it has broken ground on a project to build a Tracking Solar Tree with EnvisionTrak technology at GM’s Milford Proving Ground. The ‘Solar Tree’ will be outfitted with EV charging stations so that Volts parked underneath - [Solar fuels a Chevy Volt in Maine](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/09/19/solar-fuels-a-chevy-volt-in-maine/) - Thank you to Fred Greenhalgh of Revision Energy for sending us a link to the video embedded above. It's of yet another Chevy Volt running on sun, this one in Maine, which, as Fred writes to us, "Gets more sun than people believe!" No, the Volt's not an "Obama-mobile", as those very loud, ill-informed, and - [Electric cars that run on moonlight?](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/09/23/electric-cars-that-run-on-moonlight/) - EVs will soon be able to be powered not only by sunlight but also with moonlight thanks to German architect Andre Broessel whose new spherical glass solar energy generator, the ß.torics, will allow electric cars to recharge using moonlight. According to a story published on the Environmental Transport Association (ETA) web site, the sun-tracking glass - [Solar-charged trip across USA closer to reality](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/09/21/solar-charged-trip-across-usa-closer-to-reality/) - After a few delayed deliveries of equipment and some challenges with administrative issues in the preparation process, Rob van Haaren and Garrett Fitzgerald, also known as the Solar Journey Team, are ready for their first test-trip. The two Columbia University graduate students plan to drive an electric car 3,200 miles from New York City to - [U.S. professional sports teams going green](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/09/27/us-professional-sports-teams-going-green/) - A National Research Defense Council (NRDC) report released this month shows how the sports industry is using its influence to move ecological change in the American public consciousness. Many professional American sporting leagues, teams and venues have collectively saved millions of dollars by shifting to a more eco-friendly form of energy. Leading the ecological change - [A fuel spill we can all live with: Solar](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/08/28/a-fuel-spill-we-can-all-live-with-solar/) - There's not really much more I can add to the picture graphic running to the right of this column. Produced by "The other 98%", which describes itself as "a grassroots network of concerned people fed up with the status quo in Washington", the graphic underscores both the stark differences in the environmental impact of solar and - [Santa Clara County, Calif. adds EV + PV canopy](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/09/01/santa-clara-county-calif-adds-ev-pv-canopy/) - California’s Santa Clara County gets a lot of sun. So it makes sense that Santa Clara County – as in the government of Santa Clara County – is linking EV charging to solar PV. The county plans to provide 12 EV parking spaces at the Santa Clara County Civic Center employee parking lot, located at - [Illinois man among first to solar-charge Focus EV](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/08/30/illinois-man-among-first-to-solar-charge-focus-ev/) - It may be that Ty Newell and his wife Deb are not the first Ford Focus Electric owners in the U.S. solar-charging their FFE, but they’re the first we’ve heard of who are doing this. And, considering that Ford has managed to sell only a few hundred Ford Focus Electrics in the U.S. so far, - [Survey: 39% of EV owners have solar PV](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/08/27/survey-39-of-ev-owners-have-solar-pv/) - A recently released survey of plug-in vehicle owners conducted by the California Center for Sustainable Energy (CCSE) in coordination with the California Air Resources Board (ARB) shows that a significant percentage of early adopters of plug-in vehicles are plugging their EVs into home solar. Nearly 1,500 California plug-in vehicle owners responded to the survey, which - [Tesla CEO touts solar-charged electric cars](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/09/03/tesla-ceo-touts-solar-charged-electric-cars/) - Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk recently addressed the National Clean Energy Summit in Las Vegas. Not surprisingly, he had a lot to say about the renewable energy + EV synergy, and, in particular solar-charged driving. In fact, Musk – as are we – is a big fan of EV + PV (of course, he’s a - [Off-grid solar EV charging station coming](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/09/04/off-grid-solar-ev-charging-station-coming/) - Solar EV charging stations are hardly new – as regular readers of SolarChargedDriving.Com surely know. But every now and then something comparatively new comes along in the world of solar EV charging. Now is one of those times, at least according to Princeton Satellite Systems, which claims it will soon be producing “the first 100 - [San Diego Zoo to get solar EV charging canopy](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/09/07/san-diego-zoo-to-get-solar-ev-charging-canopy/) - Smart City San Diego and the San Diego Zoo will install a solar PV canopy that will charge electric vehicles (EV) in the Zoo parking lot. The Solar-to-EV project began construction Sept. 4. One of the first of its kind in the region, the project will harness energy from the sun to directly charge plug-in - [Individuals fuel German renewables growth](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/09/09/individuals-fuel-german-renewables-growth/) - You’d think that in “socialist” Germany everyone would be into the whole Big Centralized Utility thing while in “libertarian” America the vast majority of people would really be into individual, de-centralized electric power. It’s just the opposite, actually. According to a story on TreeHugger.Com, 51 percent of all renewable electricity produced in Germany is generated - [Snowy Ithaca still has enough sun for solar Volt](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/08/11/snowy-ithaca-still-has-enough-sun-for-solar-volt/) - Ithaca sits smack dab in the middle of New York State’s infamous snow-belt, and, in the winter at least, is one of the grayest places in the United States. But that hasn’t stopped Bob Armstrong from running his Chevy Volt on sun. Armstrong’s got a sizeable ground-mounted PV system that both partially powers his Volt - [Chevy Volt driver sings song in praise of EV + PV](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/08/12/chevy-volt-driver-sings-song-in-praise-of-ev-pv/) - We regularly read Jack Lucero Fleck’s Solar Power and Electric Cars blog. In fact, we also link to it off our home page (see the right hand column, about halfway down). Jack’s got some great stuff up on the math of solar-charged driving, particularly as this relates to driving a Chevy Volt -- which he - [I’m hot for Tesla – aren’t you?](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/08/22/im-hot-for-tesla-arent-you/) - Is it just me, or does the Tesla Model S get you excited? How can it not, especially the high-end model with the giant 85 kWh battery pack and the extra performance, performance that can rocket the all-electric car from 0-60 mph in a serious g-force inducing 4.4 seconds? If you watch the Edmunds.Com Model - [New solar EV canopy goes up in Connecticut](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/08/23/new-solar-ev-canopy-goes-up-in-connecticut/) - Stamford, Conn. is getting a new solar EV charging station. According to StamfordAdvocate.Com, a 3 kW solar canopy with spaces to charge two EVs is being installed with help from a $83k block grant from the Department of Energy (DOE). The station is expected to go online within the month. Erin McKenna, a Stamford city - [Utah man drives solar LEAF to reduce pollution](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/08/24/utah-man-drives-solar-leaf-to-reduce-pollution/) - Thanks to its geography, which regularly creates so-called air inversion situations, Salt Lake City, Utah has a lot of problems with air pollution. And most of this pollution is generated by gasoline cars. But Salt Lake resident Michael Mielke isn’t contributing to the smog that often envelops much of the Salt Lake area. That’s because - [Volt owner does great job of selling EV + PV](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/07/29/volt-owner-does-great-job-of-selling-ev-pv/) - There are a bunch of consumer produced videos out there that trumpet the benefits and joys of solar-charged driving. Heck, there are even some out there by us ;-) But some are better than others. The video embedded at the top of this story – produced by an anonymous Chevy Volt owner from Pennsylvania and - [BMW plugs ActiveE drivers into green energy](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/08/01/bmw-plugs-activee-drivers-into-green-energy/) - Germany is the world renewable energy leader, so it's no surprise that a German auto company, BMW, is helping lead the charge to pair EVs and renewable energy. BMW announced recently that it is working with Green Mountain Energy to help ActiveE drivers buy renewable energy credits to offset the electricity their cars are using. - [An affordable Model S would change everything](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/08/07/an-affordable-model-s-would-change-everything/) - I know, it’s not always the most productive thing to engage in speculative thinking – but it sure can be fun ;-) So here we go with some admittedly wildly speculative, probably even a bit “pipe-dreamy”, EV fantasizing -> What if the incredibly hot Tesla Model S 85 kWh model – which can zip from - [A Chevy Volt for $999 down and $268 a month?](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/08/09/a-chevy-volt-for-999-down-and-268-a-month/) - If you read SolarChargedDriving.Com on a semi-regular basis, you probably know that I’m extremely eager to get an EV, but, due to unusual personal circumstances – we’ll probably be out of the U.S. for 12 months beginning in about a year – I’ve resigned myself to the fact that we must wait. That’s because, no - [Texas Porsche dealership goes solar](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/07/16/texas-porsche-dealership-goes-solar/) - SAN ANTONIO, Texas -- Germany continues to be the world solar power leader, and Porsche is a German automaker, so why not install a big solar system if you’re a Porsche dealer in the United States? That’s exactly what Porsche of San Antonio has done. Solar Community recently completed installation of a 20 kW solar - [I'm driving on sunshine: Take that Ahmadinejad!](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/07/17/im-driving-on-sunshine-take-that-ahmadinejad/) - How cool is this: George P. Shultz, who served as U.S. Secretary of State from 1982-1989 for President Ronald Reagan, is driving a Nissan LEAF on sunshine. Yes, that’s right, a former Secretary of State for a Republican President is plugging an EV into home solar! Shultz, who lives in Northern California not far from - [Some Nissan dealerships slashing LEAF prices](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/07/20/some-nissan-dealerships-slashing-leaf-prices/) - Plugincars.Com is reporting that some Nissan LEAF dealerships are slashing prices to move all-electric LEAFs off their lots more quickly. That’s probably not a good sign for the LEAF, and perhaps not for pure EVs in the U.S. right now, as Plugincars Editor Brad Berman correctly points out. It seems to underscore a comparative lack - [10 ways climate change threatens our way of life: Way No. 1 -- Air conditioning on all the time](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/07/23/10-ways-climate-change-threatens-our-way-of-life-way-no-1-air-conditioning-on-all-the-time/) - Supporters of the fossil fuel burning status quo often claim that the measures we need to take to slow climate change threaten our way of life, meaning our comfortable, modern, industrialized, consumer, capitalist way of life. In fact, the truth of the matter is that there is likely no greater threat to our way of - [10 ways climate change threatens our way of life: No more campfires and roasted marshmallows](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/07/24/10-ways-climate-change-threatens-our-way-of-life-no-more-campfires-and-roasted-marshmallows/) - Supporters of the fossil fuel burning status quo often claim that the measures we need to take to slow climate change threaten our way of life. In fact, the truth is that there is likely no greater threat to our way of life than global warming itself. For 10 days, we’re focusing on 10 ways - [Volt looking more attractive than LEAF every day](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/07/25/volt-looking-more-attractive-than-leaf-every-day/) - I’d always thought a pure EV, most likely a Nissan LEAF, would be our first plug-in vehicle. But I have to admit, the Chevy Volt, which is a so-called extended-range EV that allows you to drive up to 40 miles or more in pure electric mode before kicking into gas mode, has been growing on - [EV + PV Independence Week: Fueling freedom!](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/07/04/ev-pv-independence-week-fueling-freedom/) - This week is Independence Day Week in the United States. In honor of independence, we are republishing several stories and blog entries that emphasize the spirit and feeling of independence embodied by, and delivered by, solar-charged driving. In fact, current solar-charged drivers overwhelmingly say the most satisfying part of plugging an electric car into a - [EV + PV Independence Week: Oil free!](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/07/05/ev-pv-independence-week-oil-free/) - This week is Independence Day Week in the United States. In honor of independence, we are republishing several stories and blog entries that emphasize the spirit and feeling of independence embodied by, and delivered by, solar-charged driving. In fact, current solar-charged drivers overwhelmingly say the most satisfying part of plugging an electric car into a - [LEAF reverse record feeds EV freak car image](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/07/07/leaf-reverse-record-feeds-ev-freak-car-image/) - The Nissan LEAF grabbed a bunch of free press recently for breaking speed records – while being driven in reverse [check out the picture above, or the video clip below]. Now, Nissan might have thought this all would help the LEAF and electric cars. I’m not so convinced. {module 438} First – and, yes, I - [California transport group has solar EV canopy](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/07/10/california-transport-group-has-solar-ev-canopy/) - They’re walking the green transportation walk at CalStart, a Pasadena, Calif.-based consortium that promotes clean transportation. CalStart now has more than 300 solar panels – 78 on the building’s roof and another 260 on a solar canopy complete with five EV charging stations. The panels produce up to 84.5-kilowatts of generating power. {googleAds} - [Tiny solar EV canopy packs big solar punch](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/07/11/tiny-solar-ev-canopy-packs-big-solar-punch/) - Here’s a cute little solar-powered EV charging station (see picture to the right). Launched recently by the British-based company H2Eco, the solar EV charging station has been created for use in large supermarkets and council car parks. The company says it will generate up to 1,900 kWh of energy, enough to power a Nissan LEAF - [An ugly Tesla to compete with the ugly LEAF?](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/07/15/an-ugly-tesla-to-compete-with-the-ugly-leaf/) - Word has it that Tesla is planning to come out with an affordable EV for the masses by 2015 -- perhaps with a post tax credit price of around $30,000. That's the good news. The bad news? Tesla executives are hinting that the affordable EV will not look as "conventional" as the Tesla Model S, - [Climate change hits with fiery fury in Colorado](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/06/28/climate-change-hits-with-fiery-fury-in-colorado/) - Global warming has become a politically taboo subject in the United States. This thanks to the fossil fuel industry which has successfully castrated the American mainstream media and cowered most of the American public, not to mention most politicians, into believing that they can’t say anything about global warming. All of this as the United - [EV + PV Independence Week: Big cost savings](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/07/03/ev-pv-independence-week-big-cost-savings/) - This week is Independence Day Week in the United States. In honor of independence, we are republishing several stories and blog entries that emphasize the spirit and feeling of independence embodied by, and delivered by, solar-charged driving. In fact, current solar-charged drivers overwhelmingly say the most satisfying part of plugging an electric car into a - [Celebrating two years with home solar](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/06/16/celebrating-two-years-with-home-solar/) - Two years. 26 solar panels. 17,000 kWh. 30,000 pounds of CO2 prevented. More than 9,000 banked solar kWh. More than $1,000 worth of electricity savings. Enough electricity production to power 100 percent of our family of four’s electricity use. Plus enough extra electricity generated to power two Nissan LEAFs 17,000 miles each. And more than - [Social media aid push to end fossil fuel subsidies](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/06/20/social-media-aid-push-to-end-fossil-fuel-subsidies/) - The Big Boys with lots of money still hold the advantage in the battle between the fossil fuel industries and advocates of a cleaner, greener, healthier, safer, better renewable energy world for us all -- can you tell which side we’re on ;-)? However, social and online media such as Facebook, Twitter, and, in this - [Why EVs aren't more popular in the U.S.](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/06/20/why-evs-arent-more-popular-in-the-us/) - Clearly none of the current set of new electric vehicles have met the original sales adoption expectations of their respective marketing units. The Nissan LEAF was close to the first year delivery plans with almost 9,000 getting into the American market. However, so far in 2012 Nissan dealers are finding LEAF models actually sitting on - [Keeping the faith on EVs not always easy](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/06/22/keeping-the-faith-on-evs-not-always-easy/) - Lord knows, there are plenty of EV advocates who’ve been electric car advocates for way more than three years, which is how long I’ve been at it. Try decades, maybe even three decades in some cases. I admire their tenacity and patience, because, frankly, it’s not always easy to keep the faith. First, there are - [Giving EV + PV a charge in the Sunshine State](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/06/24/giving-ev-pv-a-charge-in-the-sunshine-state/) - Multiple studies have shown that solar is contagious. Once one homeowner goes solar, neighbors take note and often go solar themselves. However solar is more contagious in some places than others. That’s certainly the case in a small corner of Central Florida, where, in the span of just a few years, one neighborhood has gone - [Sizing your solar system to fuel an electric car](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/06/03/sizing-your-solar-system-to-fuel-an-electric-car/) - So, you’re thinking of solar-charging an electric vehicle but you’re not sure how big a solar system you need. Figuring out what size solar system you need to fuel an electric car isn't too difficult. You just have to crunch a few numbers and take into consideration how much sun you get where you live. - [Top 10 clean energy states all 'blue' states](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/06/06/top-10-clean-energy-states-all-blue-states/) - It's not deliberately politically tilted, but a recently released clean energy ranking by Clean Edge, a research firm focused on the clean-tech sector, shows that the top clean energy states also tend to be blue-leaning and solid blue states, meaning states that tend to vote for the Democratic candidate in the U.S. presidential elections. Ironically, - [Honda Fit EV a great car -- but it's not for sale](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/06/07/honda-fit-ev-a-great-car-but-its-not-for-sale/) - The Honda Fit EV sounds like a fantastic little car. Too bad you, I, and almost no one else is going to be able to get their hands on one. The little EV that could and then some – the EPA recently rated it at the equivalent of 118 mpg and gave it an 82 - [Paris a global leader in electric car sharing](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/06/10/paris-a-global-leader-in-electric-car-sharing/) - Which one of the images to the right would you expect to encounter when visiting Paris this summer? If you answered all four, then you are right on the mark! Summer has arrived here in Paris, and along with it comes the opportunity to visit the great sites the city has to offer such as - [Negative media coverage of EVs still the norm](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/06/08/negative-media-coverage-of-evs-still-the-norm/) - As a journalism professor, media criticism is essentially what I do for a living. So, one of these days, I really ought to get around to systematically chronicling, and deconstructing, the strong anti-EV sentiment that’s so deeply embedded in so much mainstream media coverage of EVs. I’m certain, for instance, if I did a systematic - [Ohio tour promotes renewables + EV synergy](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/06/12/ohio-tour-promotes-renewables-ev-synergy/) - Renewable energy plus a plug-in vehicle such as a Chevy Volt is a viable option whether you live in sunny California or in a state better known for its relatively gray winters such as Ohio. Ohio resident Greg Kuss, who recently drove more than 500 miles around the Buckeye State in a Volt largely powered - [Western Michigan has high tech solar EV station](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/06/12/western-michigan-has-high-tech-solar-ev-station/) - Solar + EV works on both smaller and larger scales. An EV + PV set up that combines 50 kW of solar with 15 EV charging stations on the campus of Western Michigan University falls into the latter category. Located in a parking lot across from the university’s James W. Miller Auditorium, this solar-charged EV - [Five reasons for disappointing EV sales in U.S.](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/06/14/five-reasons-for-disappointing-ev-sales-in-us/) - Not everyone is going to agree, but we think it’s fair to say about a year and a half into the sale of mass produced plug-in vehicles in the United States that the number of EVs sold – a little under 30,000 – is disappointing. We offer five reasons why American EV sales have, so - [Is veteran un-American for buying a Volt?](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/05/21/is-veteran-un-american-for-buying-a-volt/) - A lot of folks have been claiming -- shouting, actually -- that the Chevy Volt is un-American, that it’s an Edsel of the American left, a socialist plot, you know, a so-called “Obamamobile.” They’re so completely wrong, it’s laughable – though their potentially negative impact on plug-in sales is no laughing matter. The Volt, whose - [One household, three solar-charged EVs](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/05/28/one-household-three-solar-charged-evs/) - Not many households in America boast three electric cars. Fewer still have a home solar system that powers three EVs. In fact, it’s safe to say that households with three solar-charged EVs account for probably less than one-hundredth of one percent of American households. Count the Summers-Scovell household in Santa Monica, Calif. among this select - [Solar carports help U.S. tap solar gold mine](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/05/29/solar-carports-help-us-tap-solar-gold-mine/) - Solar carports and solar EV charging canopies are going up at an increasingly rapid rate in the United States and in many other countries in the world. SolarChargedDriving.Com has been trying to keep up with this growth by mapping all of the solar EV charging canopies we know of on our unique solar-powered plug-in stations - [Americans don’t want to waste gas on idling](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/05/21/americans-dont-want-to-waste-gas-on-idling/) - New consumer research conducted by Johnson Controls, which describes itself as the world's leading supplier of automotive batteries, finds that 97 percent of Americans are ready for new Start-Stop technology that improves the fuel economy of their vehicle. The research was conducted to gain understanding of how consumers view fuel-saving power train technologies based on - [Solar-charged in tropical Hawaii](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/05/25/solar-charged-in-tropical-hawaii/) - GM-Volt.Com recently ran an excellent story on solar-charged Chevy Volt driver Jason King, a writer and photographer living in Maui, Hawaii who figures his driving will soon be effectively “free” due to low-cost solar panels he had installed to keep his car charged. We encourage you to read the full GM-Volt.Com story, written by Jeff - [This solar EV canopy goes up quickly](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/05/30/this-solar-ev-canopy-goes-up-quickly/) - Embedded above is a cool YouTube video that spotlights what appears to be a relatively easy-to-install solar EV charging canopy designed by an Italian company, Giulio Barbieri, SPA. The video runs you through the installation of this seemingly easy to put up solar EV charging station in about three minutes to the strains of some - [Renewables advocate: EV & PV go hand in hand](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/05/23/renewables-advocate-ev-a-pv-go-hand-in-hand/) - SolarChargedDriving.Com caught up with Brandon Williams, Chair of Electric Avenue, a two-day event held recently in Denver, Colo. to promote electric vehicles. Held to coincide with the World Renewable Energy Forum, which ran from May 14-18, the event was sponsored by the Colorado Renewable Energy Society. Among other things, SolarChargedDriving.Com asked Williams why consumers should - [Bring on more sun for our solar, baby!](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/06/01/bring-on-more-sun-for-our-solar-baby/) - Almost two years after REC Solar installed a 5.59 kW solar system on our Aurora, Colo. rooftop, we hit a single-day production milestone of 40 kWh. We’ve hit 39 kWh at least a dozen times, but May 24, 2012 -- a perfect blue sky day with high temperatures in the upper 60s – finally put - [BMW, Real Goods Solar plug EV drivers into PV](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/05/09/bmw-real-goods-solar-plug-ev-drivers-into-pv/) - Yet another car maker has partnered with a solar company to actively promote the electric vehicle-home solar synergy. BMW of North America is working with Real Goods Solar to offer BMW ActiveE drivers the potential to get all the energy to charge their EV at home from sustainable solar energy. Real Goods Solar will install - [Colorado Romney backer says solar doesn't work](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/05/12/colorado-romney-backer-says-solar-doesnt-work/) - Mitt Romney was in Colorado a couple of days ago campaigning and, perhaps not surprisingly given the oil and gas drilling boom underway in parts of this state, he put himself in front of an oil drill – and took aim at the Obama Administration’s support for renewable energy and green jobs. To the applause - [Australian solar company taps EV to sell PV](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/05/14/australian-solar-company-taps-ev-to-sell-pv/) - We’ve written before about how solar companies are waking up to the power of EVs as a rolling marketing tool for solar and for their company. As we’ve noted in the past, more and more solar companies are buying or leasing EVs such as the Nissan LEAF, Chevy Volt, Mitsubishi iMiEV, etc. and ad-wrapping them - [WREF conference puts spotlight on renewables](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/05/15/wref-conference-puts-spotlight-on-renewables/) - I’m attending, and presenting at, the American Solar Energy Society’s World Renewable Energy Forum (WREF) in Denver, Colo. this week along with thousands of other renewable energy experts and enthusiasts -- I’m definitely part of the latter group, not the former ;-) To get to WREF, I hopped on the Denver RTD light rail and - [EV + PV is the future of driving](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/05/18/ev-pv-is-the-future-of-driving/) - Meet the three forces that will forever change our world -- and not just transportation: Electric cars, solar PV, and computational power. As a BMW ActiveE driver, former Mini-E driver, and, as the owner of a paid in full 7.5 kW home solar PV power plant, I’ve clocked more than 50,000 miles in electric cars - [EVs spark excitement at renewables conference](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/05/16/evs-spark-excitement-at-renewables-conference/) - Solar-charged driving might not be taking off as quickly as I’d hoped back when I started SolarChargedDriving.Com nearly three years ago. But there’s plenty of evidence that EV and solar PV are coming together in the U.S. and that more and more solar folks are getting fired up about EVs and more and more EV - [Driving down electric (car) avenue in the Rockies](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/05/17/driving-down-electric-car-avenue-in-the-rockies/) - Electric cars in Colorado are getting a boost thanks to the Colorado Renewable Energy Society’s Electric Avenue EV promotion, which is being held May 16-17 at a parking lot directly across from the Colorado Convention Center, itself playing host to the week-long World Renewable Energy Forum sponsored by the American Solar Energy Society. I spent - [Talking EV + PV at Renewable Energy Forum](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/04/27/talking-ev-pv-at-renewable-energy-forum/) - Solar-charged driving represents a small but growing trend in the United States and the U.S. solar industry is starting to pay more attention to it. In fact, one of our primary aims in founding SolarChargedDriving.Com nearly three years ago was to help get more people involved in the solar world to recognize EV + PV. - [How clean, or dirty, is the air where you live?](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/05/08/how-clean-or-dirty-is-the-air-where-you-live/) - Ever wonder how clean, or dirty, the air is where you live? Wonder no more, at least if you live in the United States. 10green.org, a web site started by an interdisciplinary group of professors and graduate students at the University of Maine, allows you to determine just how clean, or dirty, the air you - [Electric airplane adds solar -- and range](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/05/06/electric-airplane-adds-solar-and-range/) - The Elektra One, a really cool electric airplane that can now fly up to 600 miles on a single charge, has received a solar upgrade that makes it even cooler. Solar cells have been added to the wings and tail to provide a trickle charge that will give the e-plane’s charge a renewable energy boost. - [Time to put brakes on texting & driving epidemic](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/04/28/time-to-put-brakes-on-texting-a-driving-epidemic/) - We at SolarChargedDriving.Com are very much for safe driving and therefore very much against texting and surfing while driving. There are plenty of sobering stats to show that texting or surfing while driving is incredibly dangerous and that we, in the U.S., are in the midst of a distracted driving epidemic, the proportions of which - [Solar roadway could power U.S., says designer](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/04/29/solar-roadway-could-power-us-says-designer/) - Solar Roadways, the futuristic project thought up by an Idaho engineer about whom we first wrote more than two years ago, has a new short film out on Vimeo. As you’ll see if you watch the three-minute clip above, Scott Brusaw wants to transform America’s roadways from asphalt monuments to oil into glass-covered solar panels - [Whose fumes would you rather be sucking?](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/05/01/whose-fumes-would-you-rather-be-sucking/) - Pictures often provide stark contrasts that help us see the world in a different light. Such is the case with the photo above, which shows the contrast between the air pollution spewing out of an old Toyota gasoline car and the complete absence of local emissions coming from a Renault Fluence ZE EV. Yes, the - [Solar-charging no better than coal? Part 2](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/01/18/solar-charging-no-better-than-coal-part-2-2/) - Silly me. Here I was thinking how great solar-charged driving can be for our world and then along comes someone like “Glenn Doty.” As those of you who read the first installment of “Solar-charging: No better than plugging into coal?” recall, “Glenn Doty’s” the guy over at RenewableEnergyWorld.Com who, in a comment string at the - [Solar-charging: No better than plugging into coal?](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/01/17/solar-charging-no-better-than-plugging-into-coal-2/) - I spend a lot of time -- too much of it, really -- trolling the Internet and advocating for EV + PV, and taking on, and attempting to deconstruct, anti-EV rhetoric. Usually, it's not too difficult to take apart anti-EV commentary. However, I may have met my match in a comment string that's running below - [Cut the earth a break: Solar-charge an EV](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/01/14/cut-the-earth-a-break-solar-charge-an-ev-2/) - In case you missed it – and you might have if your primary news outlet is anything like The Denver Post, which buried this news in a one-paragraph brief on page 13A – 2010 officially tied 2005 as the warmest year on record globally, according to a report released by the National Climatic Data Center. - [There's a better way than oil: Solar](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/10/24/theres-a-better-way-than-oil-solar-2/) - You might think that drinking water in Nebraska and roadway safety in Idaho have nothing to do with solar-charged driving. But you’d be wrong. They’re intricately connected – via the hypodermic needle of oil addiction. Some eye-opening stats on our addiction to oil -- & some alternatives > The transportation sector is the fastest growing - [Yes, we can do renewable energy + electric cars](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/07/19/yes-we-can-do-renewable-energy-electric-cars-2/) - One of the most common responses to solar-charged driving and, more generally, to the renewable energy + electric car combo, is that it can’t be done. If you spend any time trolling the Internet for news coverage of electric vehicles and/or renewable energy, you see this criticism, in slightly different variations, again and again. It’s - [Why solar-charged driving should rev you up](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/07/09/why-solar-charged-driving-should-rev-you-up-2/) - We all have the things in life that rev us up. For me, for the past year, one of those things has been solar-charged driving. I first discovered that, yes, you really could run a full-sized car on sun last June. Back then, I thought it was simply incredible that you could power a car - [Another reason to solar-charge: Tanker crashes](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/03/11/another-reason-to-solar-charge-tanker-crashes-2/) - As a solar-charged driver you won't contribute to need for the wasteful and dangerous practice of transporting gasoline on highways around the world. Instead, you'll just plug in and get the energy you need to drive your car right from your home's rooftop. Nothing could be simpler or more efficient. This means -- if you - [EVs may defy new technology adoption rules](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/04/25/evs-may-defy-new-technology-adoption-rules/) - I suggested recently that the solar-charged driving and EV revolutions are stuck in first gear and, at least in terms of numbers, can’t really be considered revolutions – although the concept of solar-charged driving very definitely is revolutionary. The main reasons for the comparatively slow adoption of EVs and solar-charged driving are cost and competition. - [Volt + LEAF + solar combo = little to no gas](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/12/21/volt-leaf-solar-combo-little-to-no-gas-2/) - We want to replace our two aging gasoline cars with one pure electric vehicle (EV) and one plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) and power both with solar electricity generated by our home solar system. We’re not alone in our desire to transform our two gasoline car household into one in which as much of our - [Is EV+PV too weird for The New York Times?](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/10/22/is-evpv-too-weird-for-the-new-york-times-2/) - A few months ago, I got excited because I thought the mainstream media were starting to get it. I found a story in the L.A. Times about solar-charged driving and another in The New York Times. Not so fast, Christof. This week, America’s two biggest flagship newspapers – The Wall Street Journal and The New - [Re-doing the solar math on the Nissan LEAF](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/04/02/re-doing-the-solar-math-on-the-nissan-leaf-2/) - With Nissan having just announced a very affordable price of $25,280 after a U.S. Federal Tax Credit of $7,500 for the Nissan LEAF, it makes sense to take a look at how much money a solar-charged LEAF might, or might not, save us (and you). Add to the federal tax rebate a Colorado state tax - [Why solar is an electric car game-changer](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/02/11/why-solar-is-an-electric-car-game-changer-2/) - I have a confession to make: I wouldn’t be all that charged up about plug-in cars without the solar-EV/PHEV connection. SolarChargedDriving.Com's interview with Chelsea Sexton Don’t get me wrong, the more I’ve learned about EVs and PHEVs since I jumped on the solar-EV/PHEV bandwagon a little over six months ago, the more clear it has - [Donate solar kWh or use them for a future EV?](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/08/16/donate-solar-kwh-or-use-them-for-a-future-ev-2/) - We hit 6,000 banked kWh recently. That’s compared to the total 9,944 kWh our 5.59 kW solar system has produced in its 13 ½ months on our Aurora, Colo. rooftop. That means we’ve consumed just 40% of the total kWh we’ve made so far, with the other 60%, electrically speaking, going to our neighbors. The - [Maybe EV + PV doesn't pay off after all](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/03/19/maybe-ev-pv-doesnt-pay-off-after-all-2/) - A favorite topic we’ve returned to again and again from different angles and perspectives here at SolarChargedDriving.Com is the question of whether driving a solar-charged EV saves you money. Because there are so many factors, from the cost of the gas car you use in your calculations to whether you’re using a new or a - [Multilingual kids or a solar-charged electric car?](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/03/08/multilingual-kids-or-a-solar-charged-electric-car-2/) - There are few things more frustrating to someone like me who believes that you need to walk the walk, not just talk the talk than not being able to walk the walk. Yet that’s exactly the position I’m in in terms of plug-in vehicles and solar-charged driving. And, before I get into why I can’t - [Paying tribute to an EV+PV pioneer: Doug Korthof](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/03/07/paying-tribute-to-an-evpv-pioneer-doug-korthof-2/) - I didn’t know Douglas Korthof personally. But I feel like I knew this tireless and longtime advocate of plug-in vehicles and solar-charged driving fairly well nonetheless, at least an important part of him, thanks to the many YouTube videos he posted over the years. Doug passed away in February of mesothelioma, a type of deadly - [We told you so: EV + PV takes off!](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/11/10/we-told-you-so-ev-pv-takes-off-2/) - Okay, so I might be a little bit weird, but this SunPower + Nissan LEAF flash video just makes me smile. Why? It's a combination of self-satisfied smirkiness and happiness. The smirkiness comes from the "I told you so" and "I was right" part of me. When I discovered two and a half years ago - [He's pissed off at solar-charged electric cars](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/04/05/hes-pissed-off-at-solar-charged-electric-cars-2/) - Sometimes solar-charged driving just pisses people off. Yes, I kid you not, it truly gets some folks frothing at the mouth. For instance, this guy, who recently posted one of the nastier comments we've seen at SolarChargedDriving.Com below a story about one of the nicest guys I've met, Paul Moore, founder of DrivingOnSunshine.Com. We'll start - [10 EV+PV tips for the progressive solar company](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/03/11/10-evpv-tips-for-the-progressive-solar-company-2/) - When I created SolarChargedDriving.Com in the summer of 2009, I knew solar companies -- at least the smart ones -- were going to eventually understand that electric cars represent a potentially huge, possibly even unprecedented, growth opportunity for solar in the U.S. However, I didn’t see a lot of solar companies who actually grasped the - [How many PV+EV miles could you be banking?](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/08/20/how-many-pvev-miles-could-you-be-banking-2/) - We hit 1,000 kWh of banked Sun Miles™ – what we at SolarChargedDriving.Com describe as solar-powered miles driven by an electric vehicle (EV) or plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) whose batteries have been charged using solar energy – earlier this week on our 47th Colorado day with a 5.59 kW solar system on our perfect-for-solar, - [First month with solar nets 2,600 banked EV miles](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/07/29/first-month-with-solar-nets-2600-banked-ev-miles-2/) - We’re exactly one month into banking Sun Miles™ – meaning solar-powered miles driven by an electric vehicle (EV) or plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) whose batteries have been charged using solar energy – for a future EV. And it looks, and feels, pretty good. It looks good because in just 31 days, we’ve amassed 650 - [Solar can replace oil -- and eliminate your gas costs](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/07/12/solar-can-replace-oil-and-eliminate-your-gas-costs-2/) - It’s amazing how persuasive actual, hard numbers can be. Even I -- a big advocate for solar-charged driving and the EV + renewable energy combination – have been surprised by the numbers we’ve generated so far in terms of our own budding experiment with this revolutionary combination. In just two weeks, our newly installed 5.59 - [1st week with solar = smiles and Sun Miles™](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/07/05/1st-week-with-solar-smiles-and-sun-miles-2/) - We’ve been online with our 5.59 kW solar system (which cost us about $8,500 out of pocket, or about $1.50 per watt) for a full week now. Since I know many of you either already have a solar system on your home or are thinking at least semi-seriously about adding one, I thought it would - [Solar payback comes early for solar-charged driver](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/03/05/solar-payback-comes-early-for-solar-charged-driver-2/) - Solar-charged driving can, and does, save money. I'll use our own example. We're not solar-charged yet, but we're hoping to be within the next two years. In June 2010, REC Solar will install a 5.5 kW solar system on our Colorado home. It will produce 8,000 kWh per year. After the 30-percent Federal Tax Credit - [What comes first - the solar system or the EV?](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2009/12/02/what-to-do-first-go-solar-or-buy-the-ev-2/) - Want to solar-charge an EV (electric vehicle) but don’t have a solar system or an EV yet? You might want to consider buying the EV first, then installing your solar system. Why? As we recently discovered, some utilities, including Xcel Energy, the utility for Colorado’s so-called Front Range where we live, might make life hard - [Solar energy + electric car combo is no turkey](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/11/25/solar-energy-electric-car-combo-is-no-turkey-2/) - Traditionally, in the U.S. we use the last Thursday in November to note the many different things for which we ought to be thankful. Here are a few things to be thankful for if you're a fan of solar, electric vehicles, and, last but not least, a cleaner, greener world for us all: 1. Solar - [Solar delivers 10,000 Sun Miles® for an EV](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/11/13/solar-delivers-10000-sun-milesr-for-an-ev-2/) - Not that we’re counting obsessively or anything – OK, so we are ;-) – but we hit 10,000 miles worth of banked Sun Miles® this week. Sun Miles® are miles driven by an electric vehicle (EV) or plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) whose batteries have been charged using solar energy and/or using electricity credits amassed - [Solar as EV ‘gas’ can pay more than feed-in tariffs](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/11/06/solar-as-ev-gas-can-pay-more-than-feed-in-tariffs-2/) - We’ve had our 5.59 kW home solar system for a little over four months now and we’ve already saved nearly $1,500 worth of “gasoline” for use for a future electric car -- at least if you calculate this according to the following formula: 1 kWh = 4 miles (our current extra kWh total = 2,473 - [Savings add up fast with EV+PV combo](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/10/04/savings-add-up-fast-with-evpv-combo-2/) - In just three months with a 5.59 kWh solar system here in Aurora, Colo., we've produced 2,000 more kWh of electricity than we've consumed. We're banking these kWh with our utility, Xcel Energy, and will be using them to power a future electric car, either a Ford Focus Electric or a Nissan LEAF. For those - [Home solar nets $1,000 worth of "gas" in 81 days](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/09/17/home-solar-nets-1000-worth-of-qgasq-in-81-days-2/) - We hit $1,000 worth of “gasoline” savings today! In just 81 days with a 5.59 kW home solar system, we’ve produced 1,679 kWh more than we’ve used. And, thanks to our utility’s indefinite kWh rollover option – an option which, to be truthful, I’m not sure how many other electric utilities in the U.S. offer - [Solar before the EV the way to go for many](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/08/25/solar-before-the-ev-the-way-to-go-for-many-2/) - We’ve written before about whether prospective solar-charged drivers should purchase a home solar system or an electric vehicle first. If your goal is to cover 100 percent of your household electricity and 100 percent of a year’s worth of electric car miles with electricity produced by your solar system – or something pretty close to - [Celebrate fueling freedom on Independence Day](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/07/03/celebrate-fueling-freedom-on-independence-day-2/) - I used to think the environmental benefits of solar-charged driving were the best part of plugging into the home solar + electric car synergy. I still do. But fueling independence is a pretty damn close second for me – much closer than when I first started on the road to solar-charged driving in Aug. 2009. - [Solar system rolls up extra kWh for our future EV](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/05/10/solar-system-rolls-up-extra-kwh-for-our-future-ev-2/) - What would you do with 4,000 kWh? That’s how many extra kWh we’ve generated in 10 months with our 5.59 kW solar system here in Aurora, Colo. Meanwhile, we’ve used about 3,000 kWh during those 10 months, not too shabby for a family of four in a three-bedroom home, at least if energy conservation is - [Save extra solar kWh you produce for your EV](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/02/20/save-extra-solar-kwh-you-produce-for-your-ev-2/) - Imagine producing 900 kWh of extra solar electricity with your grid-tied home solar system – and getting a big, “fat” check for $26 from your utility for pumping out all of that extra clean electricity. That’s how many extra kWh a friend of mine in Colorado Xcel Energy territory generated with a 6.6 kW solar - [Solar purists don't like gasoline savings claim](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/12/08/solar-purists-dont-like-gasoline-savings-claim-2/) - Look out: The solar purists are on the prowl, and they very definitely don’t like the idea of viewing gasoline costs as being offset by a home PV solar system. In other words, they don’t very much like what we’re doing here at SolarChargedDriving.Com where we’re using a simple formula to calculate gasoline savings produced - [The darker side of Earth Day](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/04/22/the-darker-side-of-earth-day/) - I know, Earth Day is supposed to be a day for optimism, a day to express hope that humankind will see the green light and transform its unsustainable ways. But me being me – I have a tendency to find the dark lining in just about every silver cloud, I’m just not in the mood - [Solar-charged EV revolution stuck in first gear](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/04/22/solar-charged-ev-revolution-stuck-in-first-gear/) - What if you held a party for electric cars and no one came? That’s what happened to us last week when we hosted a ‘Revenge of the Electric Car’ party as part of a nationwide event sponsored by the Sierra Club. While I’m sure there were quite a few Sierra Club sponsored in-home screenings of - [Why don't more of us see big picture on pollution?](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/04/08/why-dont-more-of-us-see-big-picture-on-pollution/) - I don’t get people who believe humans aren’t involved in the climate change equation. Something prevents them from seeing the bigger picture even when it’s right there in front of them. Take, for instance, the average suburban/urban auto driver in the U.S., or pretty much any suburban/urban area in the world. A large number of - [20 years & $50k later still driving same '92 Integra](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/04/10/20-years-a-50k-later-still-driving-same-92-integra/) - I’m part of the one percent. No, not that one percent! Barring a colossally unforeseen event, say, I win Mega Millions, I’m never going to be part of the one percent you’re thinking of, meaning the mega-rich. But I’m pretty certain I’m part of another exclusive one percent here in the good old US of - [This solar car made it all the way to Arctic Circle](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/04/12/this-solar-car-made-it-all-the-way-to-arctic-circle/) - We just happened to come across something cool via RSS and Google Reader: A solar-powered car that made it all the way to the Arctic Circle. In order to get there, the car, driven by Marcelo da Luz and built by a lot of people who “come from all walks of life”, had to drive - [Public solar EV charging arrives in Minnesota](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/04/12/public-solar-ev-charging-arrives-in-minnesota/) - Two new solar-powered EV charging stations officially went online today in St. Paul, Minn. St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman, Congresswoman Betty McCollum, Xcel Energy, Commissioner Paul Aasen and other local officials unveiled the solar EV charging stations in Como Regional Park. “Today, customers can not only plug in their EVs, but they can plug into - [Electric car movement needs its tree huggers too](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/04/18/electric-car-movement-needs-its-tree-huggers-too/) - I have a confession to make: I’m a tree-hugging, Birkenstock wearing, granola eating environmentalist. Well, not quite. I don’t wear Birkenstocks, or sandals, I rarely if ever eat granola (though maybe I should eat more of it ;-), and I can’t ever recall hugging a tree, though I am an environmentalist I’m coming out of - [Changing the world via solar-charged driving](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/04/19/changing-the-world-via-solar-charged-driving/) - Sometimes readers of SolarChargedDriving.Com e-mail us with pictures of their own personal solar-charged driving set-ups and, if we can, we try to persuade them to let us run their pictures so that everyone else can see them too. That's the case with Linda Swyderski, who was inspired to e-mail us based on a blog entry - [Car sharing firm building 16 solar EV canopies](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/03/28/car-sharing-firm-building-16-solar-ev-canopies/) - I-GO CarSharing, a nonprofit car sharing organization based in Chicago, has officially announced the locations where it will build 16 solar EV charging stations. Once completed, the solar EV canopies will boost the total number of solar EV charging canopies in the U.S. by 10 percent or more. In addition to officially announcing the locations - [Car sharing not ideal for this suburban family](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/03/31/car-sharing-not-ideal-for-this-suburban-family/) - I’m intrigued by car sharing, but I have to admit that I can’t quite wrap my head around whether it would work for us. In fact, right now I’m writing up a list of questions for a Q&A SolarChargedDriving.Com is going to do with Sharon Feigon, CEO of I-GO, a Chicago-based car sharing organization. I-GO - [80+ U.S. cities set March warmth records](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/04/02/80-us-cities-set-march-warmth-records/) - You may or may not be one of those people who believe that humans are playing a significant role in climate change [we happen to be thoroughly convinced that humans and their fossil-fueled ways, driving including, are playing a big role.] But unless you’re living in an alternate universe [seems to us that climate change - [Commuting by car is bad for your health](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/04/04/commuting-by-car-is-bad-for-your-health/) - Commuting long distances and for long periods of time in a car, whether gasoline powered or electric, isn't good for your physical or psychological health. Among other things long-distance commuting increases stress levels, isn't good for your back, increases the amount of pollution you breathe in, increases your changes of being in an accident, and, - [S. California gets giant solar EV charging canopy](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/04/06/s-california-gets-giant-solar-ev-charging-canopy/) - The aptly-named City of Industry, Calif. Friday wiill unveil what it says is the largest solar carport in Southern California. The carport, which will integrate solar and EV charging, will be revealed at a grand opening ceremony at the city's Metrolink station, 600 S. Brea Canyon Road. {googleAds} - [New York Times claims EV savings take forever](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/04/06/new-york-times-claims-ev-savings-take-forever/) - So, the lead story in today’s New York Times business section was yet another comparatively negative piece about hybrid cars and plug-ins such as the Chevy Volt and the Nissan LEAF. The headline: “Payoff for Efficient Cars Takes Years.” The Chevy Volt in particular gets a bad rap. For instance, in the newspaper version of - [Solar EV canopy now online at Illinois Chevy dealer](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/03/15/solar-ev-canopy-now-online-at-illinois-chevy-dealer/) - Phillips Chevrolet in Frankfort, Illinois, has officially opened a solar charging station for electric vehicles. According to Phillips, the solar EV canopy is the first of its kind at an auto dealership in Illinois. The solar EV-charging station has five charging stations and is free to the public. {googleAds} - [Maybe EV + PV doesn't pay off after all](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/03/19/maybe-ev-pv-doesnt-pay-off-after-all/) - A favorite topic we’ve returned to again and again from different angles and perspectives here at SolarChargedDriving.Com is the question of whether driving a solar-charged EV saves you money. Because there are so many factors, from the cost of the gas car you use in your calculations to whether you’re using a new or a - [Say goodbye to rising gas prices forever](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/03/21/say-goodbye-to-rising-gas-prices-forever/) - Tired of rollercoaster gas prices? You don’t have to resign yourself to a lifetime of being held hostage to the latest whims of oil futures traders, political unrest in the Middle East, or Big Oil. In fact, nothing is worse than feeling like you have absolutely no control over something that affects your everyday life - [A solar PV powered ActiveE](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/03/22/a-solar-pv-powered-activee/) - A picture is worth a thousand words, as the saying goes, though in the case of the picture above -- which shows long-time solar-charged driver Tom Moloughney's BMW ActiveE electric car parked in front of Tom's personal home solar fueling station, we might want to amend that saying to, "A picture is worth a thousand - [Why aren't there more solar-charged drivers?](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/03/25/why-arent-there-more-solar-charged-drivers/) - When my wife Julie and I built our home in 2006, we made the smartest decision of our lives, to include a solar PV system to power the home. In 2007, we purchased an electric Gem e4, three years ago we got into the BMW Mini-E program, and a few months ago we transitioned into - [Number of solar EV stations continues to grow](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/03/27/number-of-solar-ev-stations-continues-to-grow/) - Solar-powered EV charging stations continue to go up at a faster and faster rate here in the United States, and increasingly in other countries as well, including, as we note below, Australia, which recently saw what some news reports claim is the country’s first solar EV canopy. In fact, while keeping track of all the - [Sierra Club's Mr. Green calls out EV enthusiasts](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/03/01/sierra-clubs-mr-green-calls-out-ev-enthusiasts/) - It’s time for Sierra Club Magazine’s “Mr. Green” to get a clue on EVs and who’s buying them. In case you need some context -- and if you’re not a Sierra Club member or magazine subscriber, you probably do -- Sierra Club Magazine runs a regular question and answer feature called “Ask Mr. Green.” Penned - [Solar EV canopy goes up at Chevy dealership](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/03/03/solar-ev-canopy-goes-up-at-chevy-dealership/) - As the picture above – which shows a new solar-powered, eight-station EV charging station being constructed at Phillips Chevrolet in Frankfort, Illinois -- attests, the number of solar-powered EV charging stations in the U.S. is rising rapidly. In fact, it may have already hit the 100 mark, though we’ve only managed to map about 70 - [7,100 gas-free miles in a solar-charged LEAF](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/03/04/7100-gas-free-miles-in-a-solar-charged-leaf/) - Every now and then someone else captures exactly what you want to say, only does it much better than you can. That’s the case with Douglas Dunn, a Nissan LEAF owner with a home solar system who recently posted a much better response to a question posed by Nissan on its LEAF Facebook page about - [Paying tribute to an EV+PV pioneer: Doug Korthof](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/03/07/paying-tribute-to-an-evpv-pioneer-doug-korthof/) - I didn’t know Douglas Korthof personally. But I feel like I knew this tireless and longtime advocate of plug-in vehicles and solar-charged driving fairly well nonetheless, at least an important part of him, thanks to the many YouTube videos he posted over the years. Doug passed away in February of mesothelioma, a type of deadly - [Multilingual kids or a solar-charged electric car?](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/03/08/multilingual-kids-or-a-solar-charged-electric-car/) - There are few things more frustrating to someone like me who believes that you need to walk the walk, not just talk the talk than not being able to walk the walk. Yet that’s exactly the position I’m in in terms of plug-in vehicles and solar-charged driving. And, before I get into why I can’t - [Does solar really add value to your home?](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/03/12/does-solar-really-add-value-to-your-home/) - I’ve always been skeptical about the claim that a home solar system adds significantly to a home’s resale value. [See, for example, the short story published on the Clean Energy Authority Web Site under the headline ‘Lawrence Berkeley Study Confirms That Solar Adds Value’ – and there are hundreds, if not thousands, of other similar - [Yes, there are Chevy Volts on road in Colorado](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/03/12/yes-there-are-chevy-volts-on-road-in-colorado/) - I saw my first Chevy Volt on the road Sunday night at exactly 9:15 p.m. Mountain Daylight Time. It was a white diamond tricoat colored Volt and it was traveling southbound on Parker Road in South Aurora, Colo., about two miles from my house. I stopped at a red light next to it – me - [Three Teslas and more than 100 solar panels](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/03/13/three-teslas-and-more-than-100-solar-panels/) - We don't need to say much about the photo above, posted recently to Facebook. Three Tesla Roadsters, more than 100 solar panels, solar energy, and lots and lots of solar-charged driving pretty much says it all. {googleAds} {/googleAds} Yes, those are - [Checking the math on solar-charged driving](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/02/13/checking-the-math-on-solar-charged-driving/) - The answer to the question of how much money combining a home solar system with an electric vehicle can save you is complicated, though, as a wonderful graphic created by veteran solar-charged driver Peder Norby that we re-published a few days ago shows, on the surface it doesn’t have to be. According to Norby’s calculations, - [A LEAF sighting in the Mile High City](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/02/14/a-leaf-sighting-in-the-mile-high-city/) - I saw my first "free roaming", non-Drive Electric Tour Nissan LEAF this evening at precisely 5:38 p.m. Mountain Standard Time here in Denver, Colo. It was a Cayenne Red LEAF and it was zipping along, southbound, in the third lane of a heavily trafficked I-25 in far South Denver between the Yale and Hampden Ave. - [Connecticut town may get 3rd solar EV station](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/02/20/connecticut-town-may-get-3rd-solar-ev-station/) - Westport, Conn. could soon have its third solar EV charging station. Tony Eason, owner of Elektron Solar, a Westport-based business that specializes in solar photovoltaic system installations, is seeking to build a 1.84 kW solar-powered electric vehicle charging station on an electrical shed in the town-owned Baldwin lot on Elm Street, the Westport News reported - [A solar-charged driving classic video](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/02/20/a-solar-charged-driving-classic-video/) - It might be a bit of stretch to call the YouTube video above – which tells the story of one of the first couples in the U.S. to tap solar-charged driving – a classic. Although, having been posted “way” back in 2008, it’s surely one of the first such videos to have appeared on YouTube. - [Concept cruise ship uses sails, solar](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/02/26/concept-cruise-ship-uses-sails-solar/) - The concept ship in the video above incorporates sails, natural gas, recycling and solar, among other things, to help green the modern day cruise ship. Perhaps the coolest thing about it is the ways in which it harnesses wind and air to reduce fossil fuel consumption. You can clearly see the sails. However, less obvious, - [Can wind rip solar panels off your roof?](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/02/23/can-wind-rip-solar-panels-off-your-roof/) - We got walloped by a wall of wind suddenly at about 2:30 a.m. last night here in Aurora, Colo. The wind was so powerful that the entire house shuddered like crazy for about 45 minutes. All I could think about was, ‘I hope our 26 solar panels stay secure on the roof and that the - [Two snow on solar solutions from Europe](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/02/25/two-snow-on-solar-solutions-from-europe/) - I’ve written extensively about the problems that snow sitting on solar panels can cause, and, while I’ve complained about the problem, I’ve also offered some possible solutions. This entry focuses on two additional possible solutions, one from Germany, the other from Switzerland, which I learned about while watching a German news video on YouTube. Germany’s - [Let’s stop brushing off snow on panels problem](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/02/07/lets-stop-brushing-off-snow-on-panels-problem/) - I can be very stubborn (just ask my wife ;-) -- especially when lots of people tell me something isn’t worth doing. That’s the case with my ongoing battle with snow covering our 5.59 kW home solar system. The more people tell me directly, and indirectly, ‘Don’t bother with trying to get snow off your - [SolarWorld GT on solar-powered global journey](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/02/05/solarworld-gt-on-solar-powered-global-journey/) - A few years ago, Louis Palmer, a Swiss school teacher made an historic trip around the world in an electric car that he powered via solar electricity generated by a solar PV system he trailed behind the car. Now, SolarWorld, one of the world’s leading solar panel producers, is trying to best that accomplishment. It’s - [Nissan using solar-powered hybrid cargo ship](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/02/07/nissan-using-solar-powered-hybrid-cargo-ship/) - Nissan has married solar-power to auto shipping. It recently began using the “Nichiomaru”, a cargo ship outfitted with more than 200 solar panels and a hybrid diesel engine, to transport autos up and down the coast of Japan. Nissan claims the Nichiomaru will use 1,400 fewer tons of fuel and produce 4,200 few tons of - [Tom Moloughney: The East Coast's EV Man](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/02/09/tom-moloughney-the-east-coasts-ev-man/) - In a few short years, Tom Moloughney, a New Jersey restaurant owner turned EV and solar + EV advocate, has become one of the leading proponents of EVs on the East Coast and in the U.S. He's pioneered electric vehicles with a three-year lease of the Mini E, and written hundreds of informative blog entries - [Solar fuel for EVs 20 times cheaper than gas](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/02/10/solar-fuel-for-evs-20-times-cheaper-than-gas/) - Most of us are going to be driving for about 50 years. I have been driving for 33 years and plan on driving another 30, hopefully in all electric BMWs. Above is a flow graph I put together that shows the basic flow of energy and cost for gasoline and for solar electricity. This is - [Eight straight days of solar system snow cover](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/02/12/eight-straight-days-of-solar-system-snow-cover/) - This is another short entry about snow on solar panels and, no, it’s not a complaint – at least not as I see it. It’s simply an attempt to highlight, albeit in anecdotal fashion, that snow on solar panels does have a substantial impact on solar production. That might seem like a “duh!” observation. However, - [Solar could produce 100% of S. Africa's electricity](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/01/25/solar-could-produce-100-of-s-africas-electricity/) - The sun could power the whole of South Africa, claims Solarplaza.Com, a Rotterdam, Netherlands-based solar-analysis company. According to SolarPlaza.Com, after the Sahara and some parts of Australia, ‘The Rainbow Nation’ has the most stable and reliable solar radiation output in the world and is blessed with ample space and plenty of solar hours. "We think - [WattNext's WattTree Groves next for EV + PV](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/01/23/wattnexts-watttree-groves-next-for-ev-pv/) - Florida may not be a leader in solar power in the U.S. despite being dubbed “The Sunshine State”. However, slowly but surely, progress is being made in one of the best places for sun in the U.S. For example, WattNext, an innovative renewable energy company which describes itself as “creating the infrastructure that connects solar - [Free fuel -- any other questions?](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/01/22/free-fuel-any-other-questions/) - Tesla Motors is running a Facebook contest in which it’s asking people to come up with the best caption for a photo of a Tesla Roadster plugged into a solar-EV charging station [see photo above]. As of Jan. 21, more than 600 people had offered possible captions for the photo. We read all 663 suggestions - [Nissan LEAF can handle snow](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/01/28/nissan-leaf-can-handle-snow/) - Can the all-electric Nissan LEAF cut it in the cold and snow? The video clip you see above, in which Japanese automotive media representatives put the LEAF through the winter test would seem to indicate the answer is yes, at least in terms of how the LEAF handles in snow. With much of the vehicle’s - [Martha's Vineyard to get solar EV stations](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/01/30/marthas-vineyard-to-get-solar-ev-stations/) - Martha’s Vineyard, one of Massachusetts’ best known tourist destinations, will soon have a solar canopy complete with EV charging stations. Vineyard Power Cooperative (VPC) is in the first phase of a project to put two rows of solar electricity parking lot canopies in the parking lot in between two stores, Cronig's and Healthy Additions in - [Cal-State Fullerton plugs into EV + PV](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/01/29/cal-state-fullerton-plugs-into-ev-pv/) - California State University, Fullerton recently added itself to the growing list of universities and colleges in the U.S. with solar-powered EV charging stations. REC Solar and AECOM Technology Corporation unveiled a 1.16MW installation at the Cal-State Fullerton (CSUF) campus. REC Solar installed systems on the rooftops of two CSU Fullerton buildings and a parking structure - [Computerized cars answer to texting epidemic](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/02/02/computerized-cars-answer-to-texting-epidemic/) - Are you as fed up with people who text while driving as I am? I pray every day that my family and I don’t get taken out by some selfish idiot who thinks it’s okay to surf the web while steering (or trying to steer) a several thousand-pound metal box around at 75 mph. I - [One man and a Mr. Longarm take on snowstorm](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/02/04/one-man-and-a-mr-longarm-take-on-snowstorm/) - {module 428} The Denver, Colo. area just got walloped by a snowstorm that dumped about two feet of snow on us – and on our 5.59 kW solar system. That means that yours truly was out there this morning after the storm had drawn to a close trying to shove snow off our lower 13-panel - [Gulf blockade would seriously stoke EV demand](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/01/10/gulf-blockade-would-seriously-stoke-ev-demand/) - So, how are you feeling now that tensions are rising in the Persian Gulf over Iran’s possible drive to develop nuclear weapons? [In case you don't know, Iran has threatened to blockade the entrance to the Persian Gulf if Western powers follow through on threats to impose an oil embargo on one of the biggest - [Slow Volt sales don't slow GM's green initiative](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/01/11/slow-volt-sales-dont-slow-gms-green-initiative/) - [The following article was written by the news team at Solar Panels UK] In July of 2011, Sunlogics and General Motors announced a $7.5 million contract for Sunlogics to install solar-powered electric charging stations in GM's North American dealerships. The charging stations, called solar canopies, have already been installed at multiple dealerships and GM manufacturing - [Nine factors to consider before going solar](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/01/14/nine-factors-to-consider-before-going-solar/) - With more Americans expected to install solar on their rooftops in 2012, residential provider American Solar Direct recently offered nine factors for homeowners to consider in terms of going solar. "Producing electricity from your own rooftop is getting easier and more affordable. The trends we saw in 2011 - primarily, that home solar was truly - [Americans want gas hogs -- and why not?](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/01/16/americans-want-gas-hogs-and-why-not/) - In the 2 ½ years I’ve been blogging at SolarChargedDriving.Com, I’ve been pretty hard on gas hogging automobiles and Americans’ strong tendency to buy a lot of them. News that light trucks accounted for 55% of new vehicle sales in the U.S. in December would seem like another prime opportunity to take another shot at - [Germany kicks some serious U.S. butt on solar](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/01/16/germany-kicks-some-serious-us-butt-on-solar/) - If you’re a solar geek (like me ;-), you’ve probably read that Germany saw about three gigawatts of new solar installations in the month of December alone, or more than two times as much new solar installed as was installed in the entire U.S. in all of 2011. This, in a country about 1/23rd the - [I'm a renewable energy voter](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/01/19/im-a-renewable-energy-voter/) - If you’re a regular newspaper reader, as I am, you may have seen the American Petroleum Institute’s latest ad campaign to drum up support for fossil fuels in America, the so-called “Vote 4 Energy” campaign. Every time I see one of these ads I wish I had the money to buy my own full-page USA - [More solar companies ad-wrapping EVs](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/01/17/more-solar-companies-ad-wrapping-evs/) - More than two years ago we predicted that savvy solar installers and solar companies would buy electric cars, ad wrap them, and use them as rolling advertisements for the exciting synergy between solar PV and electric cars. We were right! Slowly but surely more and more solar installers are indeed buying (or possibly leasing) EVs, - [Bulgaria plugs into solar EV charging](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/01/21/bulgaria-plugs-into-solar-ev-charging/) - Bulgaria has its first solar-powered EV charging station. According to a press release recently published at RenewableEnergyWorld.Com, A1 Co., Ltd. and BIES Ltd. opened the country’s first solar-powered EV charging station in Sofia in early January 2012. {googleAds} {/googleAds} As the - [Patriots push Redskins for NFL solar lead](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/01/08/patriots-push-redskins-for-nfl-solar-lead/) - We’ve written before about the growing popularity of solar power in the NFL. The prime example is the Washington Redskins home stadium, FedEx Field, which has about 2 megawatts of solar, almost all of it installed on a set of solar canopies in the stadium parking lot. In addition, FedEx Field has directly married solar - [Middle class couldn’t afford EVs without tax credit](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/01/06/middle-class-couldnt-afford-evs-without-tax-credit/) - Just what we don’t need: A U.S. Congressman pushing to eliminate the $7,500 federal tax credit right at the time that EVs are starting to take off in the U.S. Yet that’s exactly what we have in H.R. 3768, a piece of legislation introduced by Pennsylvania Republican Congressman Mike Kelly that would repeal the $7,500 - [Should we buy a new EV and sell it in 18 months?](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/01/08/should-we-buy-a-new-ev-and-sell-it-in-18-months/) - So, here's the dumb thing: We really want to be driving a solar-charged EV. Yet we can't do it yet. Or maybe we can -- but only if I manage to figure out a way for it to make sense for us, and, to do this, I could really use some feedback and ideas from - [Colo. solar snow saga: Too cold to hose panels](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/01/12/colo-solar-snow-saga-too-cold-to-hose-panels/) - At the risk of turning SolarChargedDriving.Com into SnowOnSolarPanels.Com, here’s a quick update on our ongoing experience and growing expertise with snow covering our 5.59 kW system here in Aurora, Colo. [In fact, as far as I can tell, no one on the Web is writing as consistently about snow on solar panels as SolarChargedDriving.Com. In - [Four blue-sky sunny days, zero solar production](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/12/26/four-blue-sky-sunny-days-zero-solar-production/) - Ho, ho – hum. Big pre-Christmas snowstorm. Twelve inches of white powdery snow. Then, three straight cloudless, sunny, perfect-for-solar days. And not a single kWh of production from our 5.59 kW home solar system here in Aurora, Colo. By the end of today, which promises to be extremely sunny – though it won’t be completely - [Nissan LEAF: The most ad-wrapped car ever?](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/12/30/nissan-leaf-the-most-ad-wrapped-car-ever/) - We’re not sure, but we’re guessing that the all-electric Nissan LEAF might eventually go down as the most ad-wrapped vehicle in history, though we’re also guessing that the Toyota Prius probably holds the ad-wrap crown for now. We thought it would be fun to track down pictures of some ad-wrapped Nissan LEAFs. We can’t claim - [Sunrise on a brighter future](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/01/02/sunrise-on-a-brighter-future/) - While there are more and more solar-charged drivers out there, some have been doing EV + PV longer than others. Peder Norby, who we first profiled almost two years ago on SolarChargedDriving.Com and who has published a few guest columns on our web site, is one of those. He's driven 36,000 Sun Miles® and counting! - [Sleek Italian-designed solar EV charging station](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2012/01/09/sleek-italian-designed-solar-ev-charging-station/) - Solar-powered EV charging stations don’t have to be boring or all the same, as a new design from an Italian firm, LumineXence, shows. Called “Lotus”, the solar-EV charging station is designed in the shape of a leaf, incorporates plenty of pleasing green color, and boasts elegant curves and a sophisticated look. Sophisticated design in solar-EV - [Myth: Old cars costs more than new ones](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/12/14/myth-old-cars-costs-more-than-new-ones/) - I’ve never really bought the claim that you need a new car every five, seven, even 10 years because you’ll end up spending more on maintaining your clunker than on a new car. And no wonder – it’s just not true. At least not in our case. And, believe me, have we got some genuine - [Tomorrow’s solar technology will soar in space](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/12/22/tomorrows-solar-technology-will-soar-in-space/) - The following guest post is written by Andrei Mihai who runs the web site ZMEscience.Com. Established in 2007, ZME Science keeps readers informed and gets them involved in the processes that define our planet. Solar energy has developed significantly since the 1970s, and, as the years pass, scientists understand more and more about the benefits - [Insurance for your EV: What you should know](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/12/21/insurance-for-your-ev-what-you-should-know/) - One EV issue that rarely gets talked about is insurance. As production EVs are relatively new, getting insurance for your new electric car could be an interesting experience. Since an electric car is good for the environment, you may be able to score an insurance discount. Another factor working in your favor is that you - [North Carolina town inaugurates solar EV station](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/12/13/north-carolina-town-inaugurates-solar-ev-station/) - Asheville, North Carolina has become the latest among a fast-growing list of cities, towns and businesses in the U.S. with a solar-powered EV charging station. The station will generate 5 kW of solar energy annually, enough to provide 30,000 solar-powered EV miles, or what we at SolarChargedDriving.Com call Sun Miles©, for electric vehicles such as - [IKEA becoming a solar + EV leader](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/12/17/ikea-becoming-a-solar-ev-leader/) - We’re not quite sure why IKEA hasn’t publicized the PV + EV math that’s adding up to more and more U.S. IKEA outlets with both solar power and EV charging stations. And, frankly, we can’t tell you with precision which of the more than 40 IKEAs/ IKEA distribution centers in the U.S. have both PV - [Coal plant, solar & manatees create odd contrast](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/12/15/coal-plant-solar-a-manatees-create-odd-contrast/) - The world is full of plenty of stark nature/humankind contrasts -- and I just saw one this morning in Florida, where we are spending a week with my mother-in-law in Ruskin. Ruskin isn't far from a Tampa Electric Company (TECO) coal power plant that's probably more well known for the manatees that winter in the - [Solar panels with snow slow snow-free panels](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/12/05/solar-panels-with-snow-slow-snow-free-panels/) - December’s been snowy so far here in the Denver, Colo. area – which means snow blocking our solar panels, and me kicking myself once again for not investing in a micro-inverter based PV system. With micro-inverters you throw off the ridiculousness – there really isn’t any other way to put it – of the lowest - [Making a play in NFL could help solar score big](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/12/06/making-a-play-in-nfl-could-help-solar-score-big/) - Recently, I wrote about some of the progress the National Football League has seen in terms of promoting and utilizing solar technology at games and in other events. If you talk to the majority of season ticket holders and hardcore football fans, it seems like their sentiments are generally the same: “We would love solar - [GM EV/PV 'Solar Tree' features MAGE modules](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/12/06/gm-evpv-solar-tree-features-mage-modules/) - A recently unveiled 'Solar Tree®' with several integrated electric car charging stations at GM's Warren, Mich. facility features high efficiency MAGE POWERTEC PLUS® PV modules. The 14.4 kW Solar Tree® allows up to six electric vehicles to charge simultaneously. {googleAds} {/googleAds} - [LEAF's in 30 states -- but we have to wait](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/12/08/leafs-in-30-states-but-we-have-to-wait/) - Nissan recently touted the fact that its all-electric LEAF is now available for order in 30 states in the U.S. That’s great news. That means a large percentage of Americans now have the ability to order, and buy, an all-electric car, an option about 10,000 of them, and counting, have exercised so far. It also - [Tesla CEO touts renewable energy, EV synergy](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/12/12/tesla-ceo-touts-renewable-energy-ev-synergy/) - Elon Musk, the hard-driven sometimes controversial CEO of Tesla Motors has long been a proponent of the EV + renewable energy synergy. Here’s a video of a recent interview with Musk in which he talks about the importance of moving the world to renewable energy and in which he points out – as he should - [The brilliance of making electricity from the sun](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/12/18/the-brilliance-of-making-electricity-from-the-sun/) - So, just how do solar panels create electricity? It’s no secret that solar panels are the result of many brilliant scientific and chemical minds. The technology is relatively simple relative to the rest of the scientific world, but most scientists believe it has huge potential. Dr. Ronald Nohr, currently a professor at the University of - [Solar companies brush off snow problem](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/11/21/solar-companies-brush-off-snow-problem/) - I’ve noted before that solar installers don’t take snow on solar panels seriously, they typically brush it off -- pun intended – as an inconsequential issue and/or maintain that snow will melt quickly off your home solar system. I’m not going to get into the specifics of how, in certain circumstances -- including our own - [GM factory gets Solar Tree for EV charging](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/11/22/gm-factory-gets-solar-tree-for-ev-charging/) - General Motors’ Warren, Mich. facility is the latest GM installation to plug into solar-charged driving. Envision Solar International recently completed a so-called Solar Tree® structure at the GM site. The Solar Tree® will shade and charge six electric vehicles while also providing renewable, solar-electric energy to GM's facility. The Solar Tree® incorporates Envision's CleanCharge, "column-integrated" - [Three solar-charged things to be thankful for](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/11/24/three-solar-charged-things-to-be-thankful-for/) - There are plenty of things to be thankful for on Thanksgiving, but since our specialty here at SolarChargedDriving.Com is the EV + PV combo -- and solar-charged turkey, we'll be baking ours in an electric range oven powered by our home solar system :-) -- we thought we should serve up a few EV + - [Wired.Com story on EV + PV quotes us](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/11/25/wiredcom-story-on-ev-pv-quotes-us/) - Wired.Com just published an article about the solar + electric car synergy in which SolarChargedDriving.Com Founder & Editor Christof Demont-Heinrich is quoted. Written by Keith Barry, the article offers a good overview of solar-charged driving and concentrates in particular on its increasing popularity. {googleAds} - [REC Solar employee plugs into PV + EV](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/11/28/rec-solar-employee-plugs-into-pv-ev/) - The following interview, conducted by Scott McGaw, was originally published in the REC Solar November 2011 Online Newsletter. SolarChargedDriving.Com wishes to thank REC Solar for permission to re-publish it on our web pages. REC Solar’s Les Kangas, has been a long-time advocate of the green movement and a champion of solar electricity. Four years ago, - [Slow start, fast finish for Revenge of Electric Car](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/11/29/slow-start-fast-finish-for-revenge-of-electric-car/) - Revenge of the Electric Car, Chris Paine’s follow-up to the documentary film classic Who Killed the Electric Car, starts out a little bit like a gasoline car, meaning it takes awhile before it hits a high enough rpm to achieve full torque. However, once it does – about 25 minutes into the film – Revenge - [EV + PV frees Pennsylvania man from oil](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/12/01/ev-pv-frees-pennsylvania-man-from-oil/) - Don Auker describes himself as a “techie.” A software developer from Lebanon, Penn., he has always had an interest in innovative technology. However, his technological interest goes beyond just computers. Auker is also the proud owner of some of the most innovative vehicles currently on the market: A Tesla Roadster, one of the first that - [Georgia to get another solar EV charging station](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/12/03/georgia-to-get-another-solar-ev-charging-station/) - ALPHARETTA, Ga. -- The corporate office of Solar Energy USA is planning to unveil a new solar-powered EV charging station which will allow people with EVs to charge up with clean, green sun electricity for free. A public unveiling is planned for early December at the Solar Energy USA office off McFarland Road in Alpharetta, - [Solar, green energy catching on in NFL](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/12/03/solar-green-energy-catching-on-in-nfl/) - There are few things more American than football. Millions of Americans gather around with friends and family every Sunday to watch all of the passes, plays and possessions. It’s no surprise, therefore, that advertisers have capitalized on the huge amounts of attention paid to the NFL and its games. It has not been until recently, - [Another solar gas station goes up in Germany](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/11/11/another-solar-gas-station-goes-up-in-germany/) - Germany, the world leader in solar and in solar-powered EV charging stations, has yet another “solar gas station”, or “Solartankstelle.” Lower Saxony Minister David McAllister and Guido Rettig, President and CEO of TÜV NORD Group, recently inaugurated a new solar e-charging station in Hannover-Döhren. The station offers a total of nine charging stations and visitors - [Nissan LEAF customers love EV + PV](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/11/14/nissan-leaf-customers-love-ev-pv/) - Not many people know about solar-charged driving, at least not yet. But when you explain it to them and advertise it to them – as Nissan is now doing with SunPower via the very cool Flash video above, they inevitably react positively to it. Rather than just tell you about this, we thought we’d show - [Solar firm's EV + PV strategist looks to future](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/11/15/solar-firms-ev-pv-strategist-looks-to-future/) - Just six months ago Cary Hayes didn’t know much about electric cars and EV charging stations, but Hayes, director of business development for REC Solar, one of the largest residential solar installers in the U.S., has become a relative expert on solar-charged driving in a short amount of time. In fact, he spends about one-third - [Bringing an open mind to solar-charged driving](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/11/16/bringing-an-open-mind-to-solar-charged-driving/) - The following column is written by Anna Dreiling, a University of Denver student who has been interning at SolarChargedDriving.Com for the past two months. I admit it: I didn’t know exactly what to expect when I came into this internship at SolarChargedDriving.com, and I definitely didn’t know what my opinions on it would be. I - [Calif. school district says it's first to go EV + PV](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/11/18/calif-school-district-says-its-first-to-go-ev-pv/) - When Twin Hills School District in Sebastopol, Calif. recently unveiled its new electric vehicle charging stations, it became the first public school district in the nation to let teachers, staff, parents and the community recharge their cars on campus using solar power, according to the school district. The solar arrays and charging stations were made - [Wired.Com doing story on solar + EV synergy](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/11/19/wiredcom-doing-story-on-solar-ev-synergy/) - Here’s another sign that solar-charged driving is on its way up: Wired.Com is doing a story on EV + PV for its Autopia section. How do I know? Keith Barry, the Wired.Com Autopia writer assigned to do the story interviewed me this afternoon. I talked Barry’s ear off for 45 minutes :-) {googleAds} - ['Little Switzerland' gets solar EV charging station](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/11/02/little-switzerland-gets-solar-ev-charging-station/) - Solar-powered EV charging stations are popping up all over the world, including in beautiful Switzerland. Well, not exactly. This one is actually in "Little Switzerland", which is located in Germany. iKratos, a German solar company based in Nuremberg, Germany, has constructed one of "Little Switzerland’s" first solar-EV charging stations in Weissenohe, just off of the - [So much support for solar, so little of it in U.S.](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/11/04/so-much-support-for-solar-so-little-of-it-in-us/) - Solar power rocks – and America knows it. This according to yet another in a long line of polls that have consistently shown broad support for solar in the U.S. Here are some of the numbers from the 2010 SCHOTT Solar Barometer, a nationally representative survey conducted by independent polling firm Kelton Research: 94% of - [EV+PV station jump starts renewables in Jordan](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/11/04/evpv-station-jump-starts-renewables-in-jordan/) - You might never guess where a brand new solar-powered EV charging station just went up. Not in California, not in Spain, not in Germany, the unofficial world leader in solar-powered EV charging stations. But in Jordan, yes that Jordan – the one sitting in the Middle East, smack dab in the heart of oil country. - [Nissan, SunPower partner to promote EV + PV](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/11/08/nissan-sunpower-partner-to-promote-ev-pv/) - The number of solar industry + auto maker partnerships just keeps on growing. In a collaboration announced today, Nissan North America Inc. (NNA) and SunPower Corp. will team up to help Nissan LEAF electric vehicle owners learn how a residential solar power system from SunPower can reduce their carbon emissions and control the cost of - [Portland IKEA with EV charging to get PV too](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/11/09/portland-ikea-with-ev-charging-to-get-pv-too/) - Solar and EV charging will be coming together at a Portland, Ore. IKEA store. IKEA Portland will get 2,072 solar panels which will generate about 568,900 kilowatt hours per year, which IKEA estimates will be the equivalent carbon savings of taking 77 cars off the road. IKEA's announcement is good news for solar, EVs, and, - [We told you so: EV + PV takes off!](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/11/10/we-told-you-so-ev-pv-takes-off/) - Okay, so I might be a little bit weird, but this SunPower + Nissan LEAF flash video just makes me smile. Why? It's a combination of self-satisfied smirkiness and happiness. The smirkiness comes from the "I told you so" and "I was right" part of me. When I discovered two and a half years ago - [Study: PHEVs may be greener than pure EVs](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/11/11/study-phevs-may-be-greener-than-pure-evs/) - Are plug-in hybrids generally more environmentally friendly and economically efficient to produce than pure EVs? They may be according to a study conducted by Carnegie Mellon University and summarized recently by Edmunds Auto Observer. According to the CMU researchers, EVs with larger battery packs may actually produce more emissions than those with smaller packs -- - [Snow wastes millions of solar kWh every year](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/10/27/snow-wastes-millions-of-solar-kwh-every-year/) - Snow season is upon us again on Colorado’s Front Range – we had about eight inches of wet, heavy snow fall here last night and today (Oct. 25-26, 2011). That means a substantial dent in home solar production. At least it does for our 5.59 kW, 26-panel, two-string, central inverter REC Solar installed system. I - [You don't want to touch this: Gas pump handles](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/10/29/you-dont-want-to-touch-this-gas-pump-handles/) - Here's another reason to buy an EV and fuel it by plugging it in at home -- the YECH! factor. Confirming what many of us have known all along, a recently released study has found that gas pump handles are the most germ-infested surfaces we touch on a regular basis. Why? Sneeze-in-hand, then pumpFirst, because - [Solar-charging an EV means big fuel cost savings](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/10/31/solar-charging-an-ev-means-big-fuel-cost-savings/) - I power my BMW Electric Mini-E with solar energy. I drive on sunshine. My overall home solar system size is 7.5kw and that system powers both our home and car. It is a balanced energy use and energy generation solution: We generate 11,700 kWh a year and we use 11,700 kWh per year. In the - [REC Solar/GE partnership fuels growing trend](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/11/02/rec-solarge-partnership-fuels-growing-trend/) - Yes, the American solar industry is really starting to wake up to the potential of solar PV to power EVs and the potential of EVs to power PV growth. Take, for example, REC Solar, the solar company that installed our 5.59 kW residential system here in Colorado about year and a half ago. It’s joining - [Vote to break from utility sets important precedent](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/11/02/vote-to-break-from-utility-sets-important-precedent/) - I’m a huge supporter of renewable energy, and, especially of bottom-up, local, democratic forms of renewable energy production, distribution, and consumption. That’s why I’m ecstatic that Boulder, Colo. just passed an historic ballot measure that will push the city forward on a path which may well lead it to break away from large utility Xcel - [Surprise: Gas cars use more electricity than EVs](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/10/14/surprise-gas-cars-use-more-electricity-than-evs/) - Quick-draw critics of the electric car often criticize EVs because, in their words, “Electric cars simply replace a tailpipe with a smokestack.” The gist of their argument is that emissions still occur, not at the tailpipe but at the electric power plant. That observation is usually followed by the statement that 45% of our grid - [U.K. solar company gives customers a LEAF](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/10/16/uk-solar-company-gives-customers-a-leaf/) - Here’s another sign that solar installation companies are starting to wake up to the incredible power of electric cars to power a solar revolution around the world: A U.K. solar company, Planet Solar, recently gave away an all-electric Nissan LEAF to Charles and Val Willett of Lancaster. The Willets, who’d recently had solar installed on - [Denver celebrates National Plug In Day](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/10/17/denver-celebrates-national-plug-in-day/) - {module 418} In recognition of America’s first-ever National Plug In Day, members of the Denver, Colo. Area electric vehicle community gathered for Denver Metro Clean Cities Coalition’s (DMCCC) “Show, Shine and Dine” event at Denver’s Sustainability Park Sunday. As was the case in 19 other U.S. cities which held National Plug In Day Events, multiple - [California dreamin’: Solar + EV style](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/10/19/california-dreamin-solar-ev-style/) - Dr. Rob Wilder is a classic Californian. The Encinitas resident enjoys surfing, dining, bicycling and travelling, all exactly as a good Californian should. He also owns an expensive car, another classic “Cali” expectation. The difference between Wilder and other Californians, however, is that his expensive car doesn’t run on gas—his Tesla Roadster runs on electricity - [Gas cars use electricity too: Part II](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/10/23/gas-cars-use-electricity-too-part-ii/) - A few days ago, we ran a guest column by long-time solar-charged driver Peder Norby in which he did a comparative analysis of electricity use by electric cars and gasoline cars – yes, gasoline cars do use electricity, quite a bit it turns out, through the oil refining process. Peder concluded that a gasoline car - [Solar company promotes Revenge of Electric Car](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/10/22/solar-company-promotes-revenge-of-electric-car/) - REC Solar, a leading provider of home and commercial solar electric systems in the United States, has taken the lead in the movement for emissions free driving by stepping forward to help sponsor the movie Revenge of the Electric Car. On Oct. 13, REC Solar hosted an advanced VIP screening of the feature film in - [Solar-charged mopeds on rise in Japan](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/10/24/solar-charged-mopeds-on-rise-in-japan/) - Solar-charged mopeds anyone? The Yamaha electric mopeds parked underneath a series of small solar arrays in the picture above will soon be available for rent in front of the Kokokei JR Station in Tajimi Citi-Gifu Prefecture in Japan. The solar-charged mopeds are part of an effort by Tajimi City Electric Bike Leasing Organization to promote - [Solar, EV charging, efficiency come together](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/10/26/solar-ev-charging-efficiency-come-together/) - Saint Paul, Minn. recently saw a unique combination of solar PV, electric car charging, energy efficient lighting, and solar thermal projects completed at the Saint Paul RiverCentre. Funded by Federal Stimulus dollars from the U.S. Department of Energy and the Minnesota Department of Commerce, the RiverCentre’s renewable energy and sustainability centerpiece is an 82 kW - [L.A. Air Force Base has EVs and solar PV](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/10/06/la-air-force-base-has-evs-and-solar-pv/) - The United States military has seen potential in solar energy for quite a while. For example, in March 2011, the Marines invested in solar energy systems at Camp Pendleton along with other front-line applicable technologies. In September, the Los Angeles Air Force Base (AFB) took it a step farther. It now has a fleet of - [British Gas: EV + PV saves you money](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/10/09/british-gas-ev-pv-saves-you-money/) - British Gas recently released statistics that suggest the financially beneficial potential behind using fully electric cars in comparison to gas-based cars. According to the statistics, EV drivers could save up to £1,700 ($2,645) by using a typical 2.52 kW solar panel system. This system, which costs approximately £11,500 ($17,893) to install, would end up costing - [EV + PV closer to reality at Conn. rail station](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/10/10/ev-pv-closer-to-reality-at-conn-rail-station/) - Westport, Conn. is getting closer to its goal of providing 20 spaces for electric vehicles to plug into the solar system that they hope to install on the town’s Saugatuck Metro-North train station. Late last month, the Westport, Conn.’s Board of Selectmen voted unanimously to accept a state grant in order to start the project, - [Another Ohio zoo to build giant solar carport](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/10/11/another-ohio-zoo-to-build-giant-solar-carport/) - The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium is planning a solar carport project that it hopes will provide a third or more of the energy it needs, according to The Columbus Dispatch. The project is expected to cover about 250,000 square feet and include about 16,000 solar panels, Geoff Greenfield, president of Third Sun Solar of Athens, - [First-ever National Plug In Day to celebrate EVs](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/10/12/first-ever-national-plug-in-day-to-celebrate-evs/) - Hundreds of EV drivers all across America will take to the streets for America’s largest-ever set of plug-in parades to champion the benefits of EVs for the first National Plug In Day Sunday, Oct. 16. For example, more than 200 new plug-in vehicles from GM, Nissan, Mitsubishi, Toyota, SMART, Ford, Coda and others will be - [About to take a leap of faith on a Nissan LEAF](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/09/27/about-to-take-a-leap-of-faith-on-a-nissan-leaf/) - Would you buy a brand new car you hadn’t had a chance to directly compare to similar cars and having given it just one, two-mile test drive? That’s what we most likely are about to do, and it’s almost certainly what a majority of the thousands of people who’ve bought or leased a Nissan LEAF - [Is plug-in home solar coming?](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/09/28/is-plug-in-home-solar-coming/) - One of the most common reasons people are hesitant to make the switch to solar energy stems from the fact that outfitting a house with solar panels can be an involved and potentially expensive process. Many people, therefore, have a desire for solar technology, but essentially they “stop before they start.” In an attempt to - [A 'luxurious' solar-powered eco boat](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/09/29/a-luxurious-solar-powered-eco-boat/) - As Canadian-based Bear Mountain Boat Shop proved recently, solar energy can be used for more than just cars. Owner Ted Moores worked together with designers Steve and Jonathan Killing in order to create one of the first solar-based, low-emission recreational cruisers in the world. The boat (affectionately named “Sparks”) is a 30-foot long hybrid electric - [Nissan LEAF now available in more than 20 states](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/09/30/nissan-leaf-now-available-in-more-than-20-states/) - It might not be happening as fast as Nissan seemed to imply it would in April 2010 when it first opened reservations for its all-electric LEAF. However, slowly but surely more and more people in more and more places in the U.S. who plunked down $99 to reserve a LEAF a year and a half - [Texas smart grid project features EV + PV](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/10/02/texas-smart-grid-project-features-ev-pv/) - More good news on the home solar + electric vehicle synergy front: Chevrolet is working with a number of other companies, including Best Buy, and SunEdison, a solar energy services provider, to study and promote the EV + PV connection. The collaboration is part of the Pecan Street Inc. smart grid project. As part of - [Youth contest promotes vision for solar world](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/10/04/youth-contest-promotes-vision-for-solar-world/) - PlanetSolar, the team behind the TÛRANOR solar-powered worldwide cruise, is hosting a contest called “Imagine a Solar World” until the ship’s arrival in Monaco in Spring 2012. The contest asks young people under the age of 26 to participate in one of six categories of solar-based activism: Astrid (action/leadership), Felix (writing), Enia (fashion), Duti (art), - [The pros & cons of waiting to buy an electric car](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/10/02/the-pros-a-cons-of-waiting-to-buy-an-electric-car/) - Go figure. After sitting on the Nissan LEAF reservations list for a year and half while repeatedly complaining about the length of the wait, we finally get the chance to order a Nissan LEAF in Colorado – and then something unexpected comes up in our lives and it suddenly appears as if we’re looking at - [Are electric cars really zero emission vehicles?](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/09/19/are-electric-cars-really-zero-emission-vehicles/) - Here’s a simple question with a complicated answer: Is an electric car a zero emission vehicle? The answer is, yes – and here’s where things get complicated, even convoluted -- and no. Yes, an electric car is a zero emissions vehicle inasmuch as it has no tailpipe and the car itself doesn’t emit any pollutants - [Solar boat has sailed more than 20,000 miles](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/09/21/solar-boat-has-sailed-more-than-20000-miles/) - After nearly a year on the water, the PlanetSolar team has traveled over 22,118 miles and is currently off the coast of Malaysia. PlanetSolar, as its website states, is “a project for the benefit of our planet.” The effort centers around the worldwide trip of an entirely solar-powered ship, called the TÛRANOR. The trip, they - [Driving the electric Nissan LEAF in Colorado](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/09/26/driving-the-electric-nissan-leaf-in-colorado/) - {module 416} I hopped into our trusty 1994 Toyota Camry with my wife and two daughters on another beautiful and unusually warm September day here on Colorado’s Front Range and added another 70 miles to our 280,000 mile Camry odometer to take part in Nissan’s 2nd Drive Electric Tour (the first tour stopped only in - [Enphase microinverters outperform expectations](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/09/09/enphase-microinverters-outperform-expectations/) - We’ve been fans of micro-inverters for awhile, especially after a frustrating winter last year in which we lost more than 200 kWh of production due to snow on our roof-mounted 5.59 kW home solar system here in Aurora, Colo. While we wouldn’t have gotten all 200 kWh we lost as a result of our snow - [SolarCity project will give rooftop solar big boost](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/09/12/solarcity-project-will-give-rooftop-solar-big-boost/) - What GM is doing for solar-powered EV charging stations -- radically, and single-handedly increasing their number by four, even five-fold, SolarCity will soon be doing for residential rooftop solar in the U.S. via what it's calling the SolarStrong project. The California-based solar company recently announced that it plans to work with the U.S. military on - [Loading the dice on climate change](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/09/13/loading-the-dice-on-climate-change/) - As I sit here writing this, cleanup crews are winding their way through my neighborhood picking up the broken branches left by Hurricane Irene. Just this year, millions of people in the U.S. and around the world have directly experienced intense storms or intense drought. Anybody in Vermont or Texas, anybody along the Mississippi, anybody - [Kyocera panels power German solar EV station](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/09/13/kyocera-panels-power-german-solar-ev-station/) - Kyocera Corporation supplied 248 of its high-performance solar panels for a new 53 kW carport roofing installation in southern Germany which provides power for a charging station for electric cars and bikes. The system was designed and installed by BLU"e" Solar Group GmbH. Electric-powered automobiles and bicycles are becoming increasingly popular in Germany. As a - [Mitsubishi, SolarCity create EV+PV partnership](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/09/16/mitsubishi-solarcity-create-evpv-partnership/) - We’re not sure if it’s officially a trend yet, but, at the very least, it’s a promising start: First, Ford and SunPower team up in the U.S. to offer a home solar + EV package. Now, Mitsubishi and SolarCity are doing the same in New Zealand. The two companies have formed a key national partnership - [Car sharing firm aims to build 18 solar EV stations](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/09/14/car-sharing-firm-aims-to-build-18-solar-ev-stations/) - Solar-charged car sharing could soon be coming to Illinois – and other U.S. locations. By year’s end, Evanston may be home to two I-Go solar-canopy car rental stations, where any person with the inclination and know-how would be able to rent one of four solar-charged electric cars. Representatives for I-Go, a Chicago-based nonprofit car sharing - [NFL team brings solar, EV charging together](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/09/16/nfl-team-brings-solar-ev-charging-together/) - Solar-charged driving has officially arrived in the National Football League (NFL). The Washington Redskins unveiled an 8,000 panel solar canopy that covers 841 parking spaces and which includes 10 EV charging stations at FedExField yesterday. According to the Redskins, the solar installation is the largest at an NFL stadium and will produce enough electricity under - [New solar EV charging station for Seattle](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/09/03/new-solar-ev-charging-station-for-seattle/) - Seattle has what King 5 News, an NBC affiliate in Seattle, is calling a first-of-its-kind solar EV charging station. North Coast Electric cut the ribbon Wednesday on a new electric car charging station at its South Seattle headquarters that also collects and stores solar power. {googleAds} - [Obama's writing off greenies -- and his base](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/09/06/obamas-writing-off-greenies-and-his-base/) - Dear President Obama,Three years ago I was so inspired by your message and by you that I did something I’d never done before: I knocked on doors for a presidential candidate, about 350 or so, here in the key swing state of Colorado. You won Colorado – and several other important swing states -- in - [Solar journey pair needs your help](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/09/06/solar-journey-pair-needs-your-help/) - A few months ago we wrote about an inspiring plan by two Columbia University graduate students to drive across the U.S. in a production, highway capable EV powered only by solar-electricity the pair plans to generate via a unique portable solar unit they will trail behind them. Garrett Fitzgerald and Rob Van Haaren want to - [Will China outdo U.S. on rooftop solar?](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/09/08/will-china-outdo-us-on-rooftop-solar/) - We’ve always been of the opinion here at SolarChargedDriving.Com that rooftop and parking lot solar – a la solar carports and solar-powered EV charging stations – represent the best way for America to go solar. Rooftop and carport solar are local, located in areas that have already been environmentally compromised, and they help to democratize - [Sanya Skypump uses wind power to fuel EVs](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/08/24/sanya-skypump-uses-wind-power-to-fuel-evs/) - While we focus on the solar + electric car synergy here at SolarChargedDriving.Com, we’re just as happy to see wind, wave, geothermal and other renewable energy forms generating electricity to pump into your EV’s batteries. So we’re definitely a fan of the Sanya Skypump from Urban Green Energy (UGE). The Skypump is a futuristic EV - [Looking for a few good solar-charged writers](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/08/28/looking-for-a-few-good-solar-charged-writers/) - Do you have a home solar system and an electric car, or do you plan on plugging into solar-charged driving soon? SolarChargedDriving.Com would love to have you write about your experiences and/or views on solar-charged driving on our web site. You don't need to be fully EV + PV yet to write for us -- - [Advertising solar-charged cars with vanity plates](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/08/25/advertising-solar-charged-cars-with-vanity-plates/) - Have an electric car you’re powering with home-grown solar energy? Also have a vanity license plate that advertises this to the world, such as the one in the picture above of Oregon resident Patrick Connor’s solar-charged Nissan LEAF? Or maybe you’ve got a bumper sticker promoting EV + PV, or, possibly a bumper sticker and - [Renewables to power UK EV charging network](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/09/02/renewables-to-power-uk-ev-charging-network/) - Electric vehicles will soon be able to travel the length and breadth of Britain using a national charging network powered by wind power produced by Ecotricity, a company focused on creating electricity via renewable energy sources. According to Ecotricity, every charging post will be powered with 100% green energy made at Ecotricity’s UK wind and solar - [Maine teen aims to ride solar 'trike' across U.S.](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/08/29/maine-teen-aims-to-ride-solar-trike-across-us/) - There are different ways to “bike” across America. You can ride a motorcycle, electric or gasoline powered, or you can provide your own power, as my sister and I did when we bicycled 4,200 miles from Bellingham, Wash. to Yorktown, Virginia in the summer of 1994. Of course, there are also electric bicycles and, though - [Sorry Frankie, electric cars are political](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/08/31/sorry-frankie-electric-cars-are-political/) - Want to win some fans in the comments stream at a web site like PlugInCars, HybridCars, AllCarsElectric, etc.? Take on all those out-of-touch troublemakers who insist on politicizing electric cars and write something like, “HELLO, it’s a car, not a political decision!” Then, wait for all the other commenters to flock to your appealing “neutrality” - [Atlanta plugs into solar electric car charging](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/09/01/atlanta-plugs-into-solar-electric-car-charging/) - Atlanta has a new solar-powered EV charging station. MAGE SOLAR, part of the globally operating MAGE GROUP, has announced that its high-performance modules are powering a solar canopy adjacent to one of Atlanta’s most prominent landmarks, the Millennium Gate. MAGE says the 3.42 kW station is Atlanta’s first public solar powered electric vehicle charging canopy. The - [Ford/SunPower partnership charges EV + PV](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/08/10/fordsunpower-partnership-charges-ev-pv/) - So, here’s the lowdown on the Ford, SunPower EV + PV deal, which we briefly wrote about Tuesday: Basically, Focus Electric buyers will be offered a SunPower 2.5 kW home solar system for about $10,000 after federal tax credits. The system will be installed by SunPower approved installation companies and SunPower will offer financing for - [Are electric car haters persuadable?](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/08/12/are-electric-car-haters-persuadable/) - I got into it – yet again – in a comments stream below an article about EVs. The article was a fun-to-read, sarcastic piece over at PlugInCars.Com, with the headline, The EV-Hater’s Guide to Hating Electric Cars. In it, author Steve Harvey sarcastically lays out, and deconstructs, some of the most common anti-EV arguments out - [The trouble with a 'Big Tent' EV movement](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/08/18/the-trouble-with-a-big-tent-ev-movement/) - This entry is a follow-up to an entry I wrote about different views on “the EV movement” and what one “should” do – and allegedly not do -- in order to push this movement forward. What I called “big-tentism”, or the idea that it’s crucial to get as many people as possible on board “the - [Ford, SunPower execs talk about partnership](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/08/14/ford-sunpower-execs-talk-about-partnership/) - As regular readers of SolarChargedDriving.Com know, Ford and SunPower are now working to cross promote one another’s products, with SunPower set to offer Focus Electric buyers a 2.5 kW home solar for around $10,000 after federal incentives are factored in. The Focus Electric goes on sale in California and New York in late 2011 and - [Georgia Tech's solar-assisted Audi](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/08/17/georgia-techs-solar-assisted-audi/) - Here’s a really cool looking car (see picture above) – and it’s not just the solar cells on the outside, but also what’s on the inside – the car is electric – that makes it so cool. The Georgia Tech Solar Jackets modified this Audi sports car to run partially on electricity generated by the - [Big Oil's fake grassroots supporters](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/08/09/big-oils-fake-grassroots-supporters/) - Big Oil might have a lot of things, most notably outrageous amounts of money, but there’s one thing – well, actually, two things – it will never have: grassroots support and the boundless human energy that comes from grassroots support. In fact, the only way Big Oil is going to get something you might call - [Solar-charging bandwagon continues to grow](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/08/10/solar-charging-bandwagon-continues-to-grow/) - Bet at least a few of the relatively few folks who’ve indicated that they think solar-powered EV charging stations won’t take off in our ongoing poll are beginning to wish they could change their vote, especially in the last few months. In addition to seeming never-ending stream of announcements (here’s just one of these) about - [Ford to team up with SunPower](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/08/09/ford-and-sunpower/) - Looks like Ford could possibly be angling to follow in GM's footsteps -- GM recently announced it is working with Sunlogics to build more than 200 solar-powered EV charging stations at GM plants and dealerships across the U.S., or possibly in SolarCity's footsteps -- SolarCity recently announced that it is officially getting into the business - [Oregon 2nd in solar EV charging stations](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/08/11/oregon-2nd-in-solar-ev-charging-stations/) - More marrying of solar and electric car charging to report on up in Oregon, which, according to SolarChargedDriving.Com’s map of solar-powered EV charging stations, currently is second behind California in total number of solar EV charging stations. The Beaverton Farmers Market has several EV charging stations plus a small solar carport of a bit over - [Donate solar kWh or use them for a future EV?](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/08/16/donate-solar-kwh-or-use-them-for-a-future-ev/) - We hit 6,000 banked kWh recently. That’s compared to the total 9,944 kWh our 5.59 kW solar system has produced in its 13 ½ months on our Aurora, Colo. rooftop. That means we’ve consumed just 40% of the total kWh we’ve made so far, with the other 60%, electrically speaking, going to our neighbors. The - [GM invests in Sunlogics, gives EV + PV boost](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/07/29/gm-invests-in-sunlogics-gives-ev-pv-boost/) - Showing it’s definitely serious about tapping the synergy between solar energy and transportation, General Motors has invested $7.5 million in Sunlogics PLC, a vertically integrated global solar energy systems provider specializing in solar project development and installation. GM also signed commercial agreements with Sunlogics for the installation of solar charging canopies at Chevrolet dealerships and - [Hawaiian Electric experiments with PV + EV](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/07/31/hawaiian-electric-experiments-with-pv-ev/) - Hawaiian Electric Co. (HECO) has teamed up with an industry research group to test an experimental solar-powered charging station for electric vehicles at the utility's Ward Avenue facility in Honolulu, according to a recent story in the Honolulu Star Advertiser. The 2 kW charging station has a nine-panel PV array mounted on a carport complete - [Vermont college installs solar EV charging station](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/08/01/vermont-college-installs-solar-ev-charging-station/) - Saint Michael’s College in Colchester, Vt. recently joined a growing number of U.S. colleges and universities plugging into solar-charged driving. Green Mountain Power (GMP) and Saint Michael's have worked together to build a public electric-vehicle (EV) charging station located on Saint Michael's campus. The station will be paired with a solar photovoltaic system placed atop - [Sungevity's solar ice cream truck hits East Coast](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/08/03/sungevitys-solar-ice-cream-truck-hits-east-coast/) - Sungevity, the California-based solar company that’s grown leaps and bounds by tapping the wonders of solar leasing, is hoping a really cool truck that uses portable sun power to deliver cold treats to customers will help heat up business on the East Coast. The “Rooftop Revolution” is a rolling solar ice cream truck that uses - [Better to buy or lease an electric car?](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/08/03/better-to-buy-or-lease-an-electric-car/) - I’ve never understood car leasing. Economically, it just doesn’t seem to make sense. If saving money is the goal, it makes a whole lot more sense to buy a used car rather than to lease one. In fact, in almost any other situation -- except for the one we’re about to face (assuming affordable production - [GM's 200 solar EV stations to quadruple U.S. total](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/08/04/gms-200-solar-ev-stations-to-quadruple-us-total/) - Just how big is General Motor’s Green Zone campaign to build solar EV charging canopies at GM plants and dealerships across the United States? Let’s put it this way: Within the next year the campaign could singlehandedly quadruple the total number of solar-powered EV charging stations in the United States. Yes, that’s right. The car - [Transforming the ugliness of the Nissan LEAF](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/08/07/transforming-the-ugliness-of-the-nissan-leaf/) - More than a few people think the Nissan LEAF is ugly, and we happen to agree with them – though, it’s still quite possible we’ll buy one anyway. But it wouldn’t take that much to get rid of a lot of the LEAF ugliness, which lies mostly in its excessive bulbous-ness and egg-shapiness. All it - [Some in Tier 3 states can order LEAF by Fall 2011](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/07/19/some-in-tier-3-states-can-order-leaf-by-fall-2011/) - Nissan has announced in a press release and has just reiterated on its Facebook page that people who reserved a LEAF from a dozen so-called Tier 3 states, sometimes referrred to as the 'Forgotten 36', will be able to order a LEAF in Fall 2011. Here's what Nissan wrote to John Skinger, a Nissan LEAF - [Only the elite can afford new EVs](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/07/21/only-the-elite-can-afford-new-evs/) - While I’ve always been aware that the new production, highway capability electric cars coming our way are expensive and that, unfortunately, they are, at least for now, clearly priced out of range for average consumers, I’d kind of lost touch with that fact, as I simply had assumed we’d be able to afford one of - [Mitsubishi, Nissan share sun at charging station](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/07/22/mitsubishi-nissan-share-sun-at-charging-station/) - They might be competitors, even arch-rivals, but one thing electric vehicle makers can agree on is that it makes lots of sense to tap clean, renewable solar electricity to power EVs. Mitsibushi underscored this when it recently invited a couple of Nissan LEAF owners to test out the brand-new solar-powered EV charging station at its - [Utilities encourage solar homeowner energy waste](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/07/24/utilities-encourage-solar-homeowner-energy-waste/) - Our utility here in Aurora, Colo., Xcel Energy allows us to do something apparently very few other utilities allow their customers to do: It lets us bank extra kWh we produce with our home solar system and save them indefinitely for future use. Put slightly differently, for every extra kWh we produce we get a - [Solar EV charging unites greenies, union workers](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/07/25/solar-ev-charging-unites-greenies-union-workers/) - The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 569 and the San Diego Chapter of the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) joined by State Senator Christine Kehoe recently unveiled a solar-powered electric vehicle charging station in San Diego that can be used by the local community at no cost. Representatives from the San Diego Chapter - [UK study undercuts case for louder EVs](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/07/26/uk-study-undercuts-case-for-louder-evs/) - For better, and often for worse, I have been hard-wired from birth as a pretty extreme “Type A” person, which is probably a reason that, this week, I became one of the 10 percent of Americans who contract a second-round of the chicken pox called “shingles”. A case of the shingles at age 44 is - [SolarCity officially jumps into EV charging](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/07/27/solarcity-officially-jumps-into-ev-charging/) - Now more Americans than ever will be able to "drive on sunshine", by charging their electric cars with solar power, and save up to 77 percent on fuel costs. SolarCity has partnered with industry pioneer ClipperCreek to provide electric vehicle (EV) chargers compatible with all new EVs. SolarCity will initially install ClipperCreek EV chargers through - [GM installing more solar EV charging stations](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/07/27/gm-installing-more-solar-ev-charging-stations/) - General Motors will build a solar-powered EV charging station at a third GM plant, this one in Parma, Ohio, Cleveland.Com is reporting. The station — 12 solar-powered chargers under a canopy — will be used by GM Parma employees who buy GM’s plug-in hybrid Chevy Volt. Detroit-Hamtramck 1st with solar EV stationGM installed its first - [Automakers gearing up on solar EV charging](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/07/15/automakers-gearing-up-on-solar-ev-charging/) - Two years ago, when we started SolarChargedDriving.Com, not a single major carmaker had a solar-powered EV charging station at a headquarters or at one of its manufacturing plants and solar electric car charging canopies were something decision makers at large auto makers most likely had never heard of before. Now, we’re almost getting to the - [Having to wait for 2013 LEAF might not be so bad](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/07/17/having-to-wait-for-2013-leaf-might-not-be-so-bad/) - So, I’m slowly starting to come around – and maybe this is what Nissan expected all of us April 2010 reservers in the Forgotten 36 U.S. states (meaning all the states which aren’t official rollout markets for the LEAF) might do anyway. The longer I have to wait, the more I don’t want a 2011 - [Oregon Fred Meyer store goes PV + EV](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/07/17/oregon-fred-meyer-store-goes-pv-ev/) - Now you can go grocery shopping and plug your car into the power of the sun – at least if you live in the Portland, Ore. area. A new Wilsonville, Ore. Fred Meyer has installed two ECOtality Blink EV charging stations and some of the electricity that flows into those could come from the solar - [Nissan risks losing brand converts to Ford, others](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/07/18/nissan-risks-losing-brand-converts-to-ford-others/) - Okay, so I did write that maybe waiting another year for a LEAF wouldn’t be so bad – as long as we get a 2013 LEAF with a 6.6 kW charger, which reduces charge time from eight to four hours, and as long as we aren’t one of the very last buyers to get a - [Germany leads in solar installation efficiency](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/07/21/germany-leads-in-solar-installation-efficiency/) - Germany has more solar than any other country in the world and, as we’ve recently noted, most likely, more solar EV charging stations than any other nation on earth. Given Germany’s strong and so far unbeatable commitment to solar energy then, it’s not surprising that Germany's solar market is the most efficient and cost effective - ['Clean coal' advocates use EVs to make their case](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/07/19/clean-coal-advocates-use-evs-to-make-their-case/) - You knew it was coming: People trying to ride the unfolding EV revolution as a means to promote dirty, polluting coal. Recently ran across a column written by a guy by the name of Frank Sherosky who describes himself as an auto industry design engineer at a web site called TorqueNews.Com. Frank uses the column - [Connecticut gets new solar EV charging station](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/07/10/connecticut-gets-new-solar-ev-charging-station/) - Westport, Conn. has a new solar-powered EV charging station. Elektron Solar, of Westport, and New Fairfield-based Sun Electric have installed two electric vehicle charging stations at a Post Road East commercial building that draw energy from 109 solar panels on the roof. The 26 kW installation was part of a renovation of the 22,560-square-foot building - [Mitsubishi + Mitsubishi = perfect EV/PV combo](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/07/07/mitsubishi-mitsubishi-perfect-evpv-combo/) - Is there any better corporate combination in the emergent solar-charged driving world than Mitsubishi Electric & Electronics USA, Inc. and Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc.? The first Mitsubishi makes solar panels, the second Mitsubishi makes electric cars. And now the two Mitsubishis have combined forces to debut a solar-powered EV charging station at the MMNA - [Plug In America and Sierra Club team up](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/07/08/plug-in-america-and-sierra-club-team-up/) - More and more green organizations are leaping aboard the EV advocacy express, which, in the U.S. has long been led by the non-profit Plug In America. Plug In America recently commended the Sierra Club for the statement of support for EVs it issued with the National Wildlife Federation, BlueGreen Alliance and Pew Environment Group. More - [Nissan teases Tier 3 with 2nd LEAF tour](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/07/08/nissan-teases-tier-3-with-2nd-leaf-tour/) - So, we’ve been ranting for awhile about Nissan not treating people right who reserved a LEAF from a non-rollout state way back in April 2010. It’s certainly looking like none of us who reserved a LEAF back in April 2010 when Nissan clearly implied that all 20,000 who plunked $99 for a LEAF would see - [Solar saving lives for U.S. military](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/07/12/solar-saving-lives-for-us-military/) - Solar saves lives. That’s what the U.S. military is beginning to realize in Afghanistan, Iraq, and elsewhere, according to an in-depth Sierra Club magazine cover story. How does this work, exactly? The military must transport large quantities of diesel and other fuels to power generators and other items in dangerous places. This means large convoys - [Sierra Club's oil freedom pitch a bit misleading](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/07/13/sierra-clubs-oil-freedom-pitch-a-bit-misleading/) - Now, I’m all for the Sierra Club’s new Freedom from Oil Campaign. But I have to admit, I don’t quite completely get it. You see, the environmental organization is pushing its members to lobby the Obama Administration to set a 60 mpg standard for new cars sold in the U.S. between 2017 and 2025. That’s - [Get-off oil crowd will choose Volt over Plug-in Prius](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/07/11/get-off-oil-crowd-will-choose-volt-over-plug-in-prius/) - It’s one of the most irritating critiques of electric vehicles, you know, the one where the critic basically concludes that an electric car won’t work for him – and here’s where he slips into the logically fallacious reasoning of a self-absorbed fool – therefore it won’t work for anyone else on the planet. According to - [NFL team scores points for solar EV charging](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/07/14/nfl-team-scores-points-for-solar-ev-charging/) - Solar electric car charging will soon arrive in the NFL, though, if you’ve been reading other news media accounts of the Washington Redskins’ recently announced plan to build a series of solar carports at FedExField, you probably wouldn’t know it. This very cool fact has been consistently omitted from most of these accounts – at - [Celebrating one year with home solar](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/06/28/celebrating-one-year-with-home-solar/) - We’ve officially had solar on our roof here in sunny Aurora, Colo. for one year now. That means it’s time to make notations on what we’ve accomplished, reflections on what we’ve learned, what we would have done differently, what we love about being a 100-percent solar household, etc. {module 218} What we’ve accomplished Let’s start - [LEAF may not be first EV to your market](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/06/30/leaf-may-not-be-first-ev-to-your-market/) - If you live in a Tier 3 Nissan LEAF state and you’re beginning to wonder when you finally might get a LEAF to park in your garage, you might also be wondering when other affordable pure EVs might be arriving in your area and whether they might beat the LEAF to your market. Below are - [Celebrate fueling freedom on Independence Day](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/07/03/celebrate-fueling-freedom-on-independence-day/) - I used to think the environmental benefits of solar-charged driving were the best part of plugging into the home solar + electric car synergy. I still do. But fueling independence is a pretty damn close second for me – much closer than when I first started on the road to solar-charged driving in Aug. 2009. - [7 tips for consumers in Focus Electric launch cities](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/07/06/7-tips-for-consumers-in-focus-electric-launch-cities/) - Well, I did what I said I would do and what I suggested some of you do: I got on the phone to some area Ford dealerships to see if I could get any information about the arrival of the Ford Focus Electric on Colorado’s Front Range. I’ve become increasingly proactive in checking out other - [Solar-charged Tesla puts a smile on their faces](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/07/07/solar-charged-tesla-puts-a-smile-on-their-faces/) - There’s nothing like a solar-charged Tesla to put a smile on your face. In fact, it’s pretty much smiles all-around for all of the lucky folks who get a test ride in Mike Koenigs’ solar-charged Roadster in the YouTube video embedded at the top of this entry. And why not? What’s not to like? One - [Will LEAF leapers in 'Forgotten 36' wait until 2013?](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/06/25/will-leaf-leapers-in-forgotten-36-wait-until-2013/) - So, let's see ... back in April 2010 I plunked down $99 to reserve a Nissan LEAF from Aurora, Colo. Little did I, and thousands of others unlucky enough to be living in so-called Tier 3 states, know that we were just suckers -- suckers Nissan apparently needed to sucker into believing that we would - [Nebraska man in HOA battle over solar tells story](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/06/26/nebraska-man-in-hoa-battle-over-solar-tells-story/) - In this exclusive interview with SolarChargedDriving.Com, Tim Adams, an Omaha, Neb., homeowner and orthodontist whose HOA is suing him for installing a solar system on his home talks about his commitment to solar, a better world, and the challenges he’s faced in this showdown, which, among other things, has seen Adams pay thousands of dollars - [First solar EV charging station for Caymans](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/06/29/first-solar-ev-charging-station-for-caymans/) - Offshore this! The Cayman Islands, famous as a place for rich folks to play, and to avoid taxes, are getting a solar-powered EV charging station. This even though EVs still aren’t legal to drive in the Cayman Islands. Cayman Islands News Service (CINS) is reporting that the CEO of Cayman Automotive, John Felder, recently announced - [Planet Solar offers glimpse of our solar future](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/07/04/planet-solar-offers-glimpse-of-our-solar-future/) - We here at SolarChargedDriving.Com happen to think solar is beautiful. It’s elegant, sophisticated, simple and clean all at the same time. But some things solar are more beautiful and more elegant than others. Planet Solar, a giant solar catamaran boat that’s making a groundbreaking journey around the world powered exclusively by solar energy is certainly - [Mini "Solar Trees" to sprout in U.S.](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/06/15/mini-qsolar-treesq-to-sprout-in-us/) - Envision Solar has completed the design, engineering and fabrication of the first commercial offering of its Socket™ design, a mini Solar Tree® canopy. The structure is being shipped to a site in northern California for installation in July. The Socket™ is designed to provide shade for one vehicle, includes Envision's proprietary EnvisionTrak® tracking technology, and - [Efficient gas clunker cheaper than a new EV](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/06/17/efficient-gas-clunker-cheaper-than-a-new-ev/) - I’ve written quite a bit about how solar-charged driving can save you money. But the truth of the matter is whether solar-charged driving will save you money is that it depends. It depends on a number of crucial factors. Among them: solar costs and rebates (or lack thereof) where you live; electric car rebates (or - [British Gas tanking up company LEAFs with solar](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/06/18/british-gas-tanking-up-company-leafs-with-solar/) - British Gas is plugging its company cars into the power of the sun. The two Nissan LEAFs will be used by staff at offices in Staines and Windsor. Both sites have solar-powered charging canopies, which will supply enough renewable electricity to cover the cars' fuel needs. Two cars doing an annual average of 8,000 miles - [Air pollution still poses major health threat](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/06/19/air-pollution-still-poses-major-health-threat/) - For Americans, and people around the world, air pollution is unfortunately an everyday reality. Much of our air pollution is caused by the transportation sector, which, if it were shifted primarily to electric and that electricity generated by renewable energy forms such as solar, wind, geothermal and hydro power, would radically reduce air pollution -- - [More solar EV charging stations to add to map](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/06/22/more-solar-ev-charging-stations-to-add-to-map/) - SolarChargedDriving.Com is the only English-language source on the web that we know of which is trying to keep track of all of the solar-powered EV charging stations in the world. (We just discovered a cool German web site – solartankstelle.com [translation = solargasstation.com] – which has mapped what appear to be hundreds of solar-powered-EV charging - [Germany kicks U.S. butt on solar gas stations](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/06/23/germany-kicks-us-butt-on-solar-gas-stations/) - Germany is way ahead of the U.S. on solar. This despite the fact that it's much, much smaller than the U.S., the fact that it has about one-quarter of the population of the U.S., and the fact that it has a helluva lot less sun. Okay, so the fact that Germany has approximately 20 times - [Five reasons rooftop & parking lot solar rock](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/06/24/five-reasons-rooftop-a-parking-lot-solar-rock/) - No doubt about it, rooftop and parking lot are far and away the best type of solar. That’s why it’s so exciting to hear that the U.S. Energy Department – which, so far, has provided economic backing for giant solar farms, some of them built, or to be built, in environmentally fragile areas, is officially - [Toyota plant in UK to go solar](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/06/07/toyota-plant-in-uk-to-go-solar/) - Toyota is joining the growing parade of carmakers – GM, Ford, Nissan, and Audi among them – tapping the power of the sun to build automobiles. Toyota Motor Manufacturing UK (TMUK), in partnership with British Gas, has submitted a planning application to South Derbyshire District Council for a ground-mounted solar array capable of supplying approximately - [Hertz adds e-bikes to rental repertoire](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/06/09/hertz-adds-e-bikes-to-rental-repertoire/) - Think you might rather zip around on a two-wheeled electrical vehicle than in a four-wheeled one but aren't quite sure you want to go electric in either case? Hertz to the rescue. Hertz has become the first major car rental company to offer electric bicycles for rental, with the introduction of Ultra Motor electric bicycles - [Solar charging stations mark dawn of new era](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/06/09/solar-charging-stations-mark-dawn-of-new-era/) - The 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 - [Solar is contagious](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/06/09/solar-is-contagious/) - Studies show that solar is contagious, and, in our case, happily, that’s turned out to be true! Exactly one year after we had a 5.59 kW solar system installed on our perfect-for-solar, south-facing Aurora, Colo. rooftop, another house in our neighborhood – with an even better south-facing roof than ours -- has sprouted solar. {module - [Georgia gets its first two solar EV stations](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/06/13/georgia-gets-its-first-two-solar-ev-stations/) - Two more solar-powered EV charging stations went online recently in the U.S., including one claimed to be Georgia’s first solar canopy-EV charging site, proving once again that a solar-charged driving revolution is in full motion in the U.S. Indeed, so many of solar-powered EV charging stations are going online in the U.S. – and likely - [Renault to add 6 football fields worth of solar](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/06/14/renault-to-add-6-football-fields-worth-of-solar/) - In partnership with Gestamp Solar, Renault is launching what it is says will be the world’s biggest solar energy project in the automotive industry by installing solar roof panels at several of its French plants. Solar panels will cover the roofs of the delivery and shipping centers at the Douai, Maubeuge, Flins, Batilly and Sandouville - [University of Colorado installs solar carport](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/06/13/university-of-colorado-installs-100-kw-solar-carport/) - You never know where you might see the latest solar carport. Yours truly was zooming along U.S. Route 36 in Boulder, Colo. recently when both my wife and I said -- "Hey, that's a solar carport." (Yes, I've roped my wife in with my enthusiasm for solar, at least partly ;-) We drive from our - [Nissan’s Ghosn touts fueling versatility of EVs](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/05/30/nissans-ghosn-touts-fueling-versatility-of-evs/) - You gotta like what Nissan's Carlos Ghosn is doing for electric cars. He’s a tireless promoter of pure EVs and his advocacy is smartly thought-out and smartly played. For instance, Ghosn acknowledges that pure EVs such as the Nissan LEAF will work for only a certain percentage – albeit a fairly large percentage – of - [PlugShare makes sure you can always plug in](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/05/31/plugshare-makes-sure-you-can-always-plug-in/) - One issue with owning an electric car is the concern about running low on electricity. So, until gas stations are out-numbered by EV charging stations, PlugShare is coming to the rescue. PlugShare is an app for the iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch that allows people to locate charging stations. However, PlugShare’s not like other EV - [Traffic congestion health costs = $18 billion](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/06/01/traffic-congestion-health-costs-18-billion/) - What's the true cost of burning fossil fuels to push hundreds of millions of shiny boxes on wheels around? It's higher than you might think. New research by the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis (HCRA) at the School of Public Health estimates that the additional fine particulate matter emissions that can be traced back to - [Extra fee for solar home owners might be no-go](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/06/02/extra-fee-for-solar-home-owners-might-be-no-go/) - Remember that “fair share charge” Xcel Energy wanted to charge current Xcel Solar*Rewards customers in Colorado, including us? Well, the Colorado Public Utilities Commission has put a temporary halt to Xcel’s attempt to charge current solar customers extra thanks in large part to the fact that 440 people (including yours truly) filed protests against the - [Artificial EV sounds will add to noise pollution](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/06/05/artificial-ev-sounds-will-add-to-noise-pollution/) - I have lived in small towns of 2,000 people and large state capitals, and it surprises me how much noise a city creates compared to small rural towns. Sirens go off in the middle of the night, loud music blasts from the neighbor’s house, and there’s almost always the hum of traffic in the distance. - [Solar-powered EV charging may land at Hertz](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/06/07/solar-powered-ev-charging-may-land-at-hertz/) - Hertz Car Rental Company is planning to join a growing global trend towards using solar energy as an alternative energy source to power automobiles. As part of one of the largest solar projects that the travel industry has ever seen launched earlier this year, Hertz plans to complete installation of 2.3 megawatts (mW) of multi-crystalline - [100% solar -- and still caught in the trap of coal](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/05/20/100-solar-and-still-caught-in-the-trap-of-coal/) - Solar-charged driving and most solar-charged drivers have a dirty little secret: Coal.Okay, it really isn’t that much of a secret. A home solar system produces electricity during the day. Most electric car owners plug in their EVs at night. If you plug in at night, you’re not using solar electricity to power your EV. The - [California solar company uses LEAF to sell EV+PV](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/05/21/california-solar-company-uses-leaf-to-sell-evpv/) - Stellar Solar is walking the talk so to speak when it comes to practical, real-world applications of solar power. Co-founder and Vice President of Sales and Marketing Michael Powers recently took delivery of a new 2011 Nissan Leaf electric car that is being powered primarily from electricity generated by his 3.5 kW Stellar Solar residential - [EV + renewables crucial to sustainability says prof](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/05/23/i/) - The technology needed to sustain an environmentally friendly grid exists. What is needed are experts who are driven to research these technologies, teach others about their benefits, and incorporate them into the public sphere. University of Denver Professor David Gao fits the profile. “My main goal is to make use of energy from nature,” explains - [Selling solar-charged driving to the world](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/05/22/selling-solar-charged-driving-to-the-world/) - Veteran solar-charged driver Phil Blackwood sent us this photo (above) of the back of his MINI-E, which he charges largely by way of electricity generated by a 9.4 kW solar system on his New Jersey home. Phil tells us that he was inspired to put the sticker on his car partly by us, as we - [Nissan building solar EV charging stations](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/05/24/nissan-building-solar-ev-charging-stations/) - Nissan North America, Inc. has begun installation of 30 solar-assisted charging stations at the Smyrna Vehicle Assembly Plant and the Nissan Americas headquarters in Franklin, Tenn. The advanced solar chargers will be operational for use by Nissan employees and visitors by July 1. {googleAds} - [Please, not another meaningless EV survey](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/05/26/please-not-another-meaningless-ev-survey/) - Is there anything more meaningless than yet another survey about what the public thinks about electric cars? EVs aren’t widely available in the U.S., or anywhere else, and aren’t likely to be for at least another year and a half. And, as hard as it is for EV and solar-EV geeks such as those who - [GE unveils solar EV charging carport in Conn.](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/05/26/ge-unveils-solar-ev-charging-carport-in-conn/) - PLAINVILLE, Conn. -- General Electric is marrying solar and EVs together with the GE EV Solar Carport Project, which it describes as "one of the most expansive undertakings of its type in North America." As part of its Solar Carport Project, GE has built a solar carport in Plainville, Conn. which it unveiled May 26. - [Solar boat steers through rough seas](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/05/13/solar-boat-steers-through-rough-seas/) - The PlanetSolar team is traveling around the globe in a solar-powered boat, and they are going to be the first ones to do it. However, notoriety is not their main goal: their purpose is to exemplify the power of the sun, and to show the reliability of the current technology that strives to improve energy - [High price for our indifference on climate change](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/05/13/high-price-for-our-indifference-on-climate-change/) - As a whole, Americans have generally shown woefully inadequate concern for climate change. For instance, in a 2008 Pew Global Attitudes Project survey, the U.S. ranked an abysmal 21st out of 24 national publics polled on the question of how serious a problem Americans considered global warming to be, with 42% saying they considered it - [Why put all of our economic eggs in the oil basket?](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/05/16/why-put-all-of-our-economic-eggs-in-the-oil-basket/) - Everyone knows that individuals are supposed to diversify their financial investments and spread their money across multiple types of investments from stocks to bonds to real estate, etc. So why is it that as a country we don’t seem to grasp this? Why do we put all of our economic eggs into the oil basket, - [Nickel and diming solar customers in Colorado](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/05/18/nickel-and-diming-solar-customers-in-colorado/) - Do those who have home solar pay their “fair share” to grow residential solar in their utility’s territory after they’ve gone solar themselves? Xcel Energy, our utility on Colorado’s Front Range, doesn’t think so. As of June 1, 2011 it’s instituting a new monthly fee for solar homeowners who collectively comprise only a tiny fraction - [Time to reign in coal power plant pollution](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/05/19/time-to-reign-in-coal-power-plant-pollution/) - Just signed on to a Repower America initiative supporting a drive to clean the air we breathe and the water we drink of the toxic outfall from coal-fired power plants. As Repower America underscores -- and it's good to see this because I think far too many environmentalists focus too much on CO2 to the - [Solar EV charging goes online at Oregon college](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/05/08/solar-ev-charging-goes-online-at-oregon-college/) - Solar energy is powering EVs and heating up water at Lane Community College in Eugene, Ore. As part of campus-wide renewable energy project, a solar parking structure was finished recently on the west side of campus that covers 18 designated EV charging stations. The second part of the project is using solar energy from rooftop - [Solar system rolls up extra kWh for our future EV](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/05/10/solar-system-rolls-up-extra-kwh-for-our-future-ev/) - What would you do with 4,000 kWh? That’s how many extra kWh we’ve generated in 10 months with our 5.59 kW solar system here in Aurora, Colo. Meanwhile, we’ve used about 3,000 kWh during those 10 months, not too shabby for a family of four in a three-bedroom home, at least if energy conservation is - [GM to join Ford in building EVs using solar power](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/05/12/gm-to-join-ford-in-building-evs-using-solar-power/) - Maybe there’s something about going electric that gets auto makers to shift gears and make the leap to renewable energy. Maybe auto makers truly get that making greener cars with green energy is a huge selling point. Maybe it’s that solar saves money, or maybe it’s all of these, but there’s a definite – and - [CalCars.Org founder first with Volt & LEAF](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/05/15/calcarsorg-founder-first-in-world-with-volt-a-leaf/) - Felix Kramer is a lifetime runner, author, entrepreneur and environmental advocate. He has a motivation to be the first to “start things that have never been done before.” So, people familiar with his work can understand why he was the founder California Cars Initiative (CalCars) in 2002, and why, two years later, CalCars became the - [Solar-powered boats use sun to race on water](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/05/13/solar-powered-boats-use-sun-to-race-on-water/) - The nation’s largest solar-powered boat competition launches Friday, May 13 as 40 teams of high school students from throughout Southern California gather in southwest Riverside County for three days of racing as part of Metropolitan Water District’s Solar Cup™ program. Teams from high schools in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego and Ventura - [British Gas gases up EVs with home solar](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/04/29/british-gas-gases-up-evs-with-home-solar/) - British Gas is helping people in the UK gas up with solar.In addition to working to provide EV charging stations for UK consumers who buy or lease a Nissan LEAF, the utility firm is offering installation of solar panels so that consumers can charge their new EV with sun. Customers will pay from around £1,000 - [I Love Solar Drivers](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/04/30/i-love-solar-drivers/) - Have you ever been somewhere far away from where you went to college and saw a bumper sticker from your alma mater? When I lived in Florida, I had a University of Colorado sticker in the back window of my car, and I can’t tell you how many times people would go out of their - [A solar-powered road trip across America](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/04/27/a-solar-powered-road-trip-across-america/) - A cross-country road trip is virtually every American university student’s dream. Usually, the dream is to zip across America in a car, maybe on a motorcycle, or, if you’re a little bit more adventurous and hardy, on a bicycle. But in a solar-charged car? You’ve got to be kidding! Not if you’re Garrett Fitzgerald and - [Solar-powered plane to make international flight](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/05/02/solar-powered-plane-to-make-international-flight/) - A solar-powered plane will fly internationally for the first time this month. The Swiss team Solar Impulse has been conducting test flights in the Payerne Switzerland area in preparation for the flight for the last few weeks. The team’s first international destination: Brussels. After landing in Brussels, the plane will be on display from May - [Meet one of the UK’s first solar-charged drivers](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/05/02/meet-one-of-the-uks-first-solar-charged-drivers/) - SolarChargedDriving.Com caught up with one of the very first Nissan LEAF owners in the UK and one of the first UK LEAF owners to partially power a LEAF with home solar, Alan Weeks. Weeks, who lives on the South Coast with his family, purchased his LEAF outright and he’s driven it more than 600 miles - [Saudi Arabia going solar – so that we won’t](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/05/03/saudi-arabia-going-solar-so-that-we-wont/) - Here’s evidence of how single-minded, short-sighted, and just plain ridiculous our addiction to oil has become. Elites in oil rich countries are investing heavily in renewable energy forms in part because selling oil to addicts like Americans makes them a lot more money than selling that same oil to their own citizens. Take Saudi Arabia, - [Metal may be more sustainable roofing choice](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/05/05/metal-may-be-more-sustainable-roofing-choice/) - Pretty much everyone knows about CFL bulbs and curbside recycling. What many homeowners don't know is that the roof over their head can make a big difference to the environment. Many consumers are shocked to learn that traditional asphalt shingles are a petroleum product, with a big environmental impact. Not only do asphalt shingles add - [Monthly LEAF vs. Volt sales silliness](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/05/06/monthly-leaf-vs-volt-sales-silliness/) - Can we, like, just end the LEAF vs. Volt monthly sales silliness now? One news outlet after the other dutifully reported that the LEAF outsold the Volt in the month of April in the U.S., with Nissan putting 573 LEAFs into consumer hands and GM handing over the keys to 493 Volts. GM still holds - [Plug In America plugs Electric DriveWay parties](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/04/21/plug-in-america-plugs-electric-driveway-parties/) - Plug In America – the leading advocacy group for electric vehicles in the U.S. -- recently held the first of what it hopes will be many American EV house parties in Woodinville, Wash. Jim and Michelle Billmaier hosted the inaugural EV party at their home just east of Seattle. Neighbors and visitors were treated to - [Reserved a Nissan LEAF in 2010 but don’t live in a roll-out state? Go to the back of the line!](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/04/21/reserved-a-nissan-leaf-in-2010-but-dont-live-in-a-roll-out-state-go-to-the-back-of-the-line/) - Reserve a Nissan LEAF in the spring of 2010 but don’t live in Arizona, California, Hawaii, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas or Washington? It’s sure looking like you won’t see your LEAF in 2011. {module 392} In addition – and this is where it gets aggravating -- folks living in those exclusive seven states who reserve a - [When will non-rollout reservers see a LEAF?](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/04/23/when-will-non-rollout-reservers-see-a-leaf/) - This is a follow-up to an entry I wrote about Nissan’s apparent but also unconfirmed decision to put new LEAF reservers from Arizona, California, Hawaii, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas and Washington who register starting May 2011 ahead of the several thousand people who reserved a LEAF in spring 2010 from the other 43 U.S. states in - [Let's make every day Earth Day](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/04/24/lets-make-every-day-earth-day/) - Earth Day has officially been celebrated for 41 years. When it first started, it was greatly influenced by the charged political activism of the 1960s and 70s, and it’s estimated that nearly 20 million individuals across the U.S. came together to rally for a healthy and sustainable environment. Decades later, what has changed? We are - [Anti-EVers, solar, gas prices & net-zero homes](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/04/24/anti-evers-solar-gas-prices-a-net-zero-homes/) - Quite often, there’s way too much news on the solar, EV and environmental front for yours truly to cover and/or analyze it all in depth. Rather than pass up all the juicy stuff that’s out there just waiting to be analyzed – and critiqued, I’ll go bullet point on some of the interesting – one - [Mitsubishi gets reservations explanation right](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/04/25/mitsubishi-gets-reservations-explanation-right/) - Why couldn't Nissan have been as clear as Mitsubishi is being about the reservation, ordering and delivery process for its electric car? Mitsubishi, which just announced that it will be offering a base version of the all-electric iMiEV for a bit under $28,000 in the U.S., meaning that if you qualify for the full $7,500 - [Purdue students' solar car leaves oil in dust](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/04/25/purdue-students-solar-car-leaves-oil-in-dust/) - The Purdue University Solar Racing team's solar-powered urban commuter car achieved the equivalent of almost 2,200 miles per gallon in the 2011 Shell EcoMarathon international competition this week in Houston. The Celeritas prototype can handle a full-sized driver seated upright in a car equipped with headlights, taillights, a trunk, energy regenerative braking, pothole-handling suspension and - [Solar carports popping up on college campuses](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/04/15/solar-carports-popping-up-on-college-campuses/) - Solar carports are continuing to pop up at an increasingly rapid rate all over America with universities and colleges and schools among the most popular places to site carports. Here’s a brief rundown on a couple of university and college based solar carports that have gone online recently or whose future construction has been recently - [Mainstream media miss real renewables story](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/04/19/mainstream-media-miss-real-renewables-story/) - As a journalist and a journalism professor, I’m a voracious consumer of news, especially of any news having to do with renewable energy and electric cars, and, more generally, having to do with the environment. I’m also frequently frustrated by mainstream media coverage of a lot of things -- not just of renewable energy and - [Cincinnati Zoo goes green with solar power](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/04/19/cincinnati-zoo-goes-green-with-solar-power/) - The animal lovers who visit the Cincinnati Zoo will soon be able to peer at a new exhibition—one that provides shade, encourages clean air, and loves to soak up the sun. It’s a new solar system that will soon cover nearly four acres of the zoo’s massive concrete parking lot. The carport and solar canopy - [Electric plane takes flight in Germany](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/04/19/electric-plane-takes-flight-in-germany/) - An electric powered plane recently lifted off the ground in two test flights that took place in Augsburg, Germany. Designed by PC-Aero, the Elektra One is a small, slender plane that weighs nearly 100 kilograms (220 pounds) when empty, and also carries 100 kilograms worth of batteries. The plane can hold a maximum additional weight - [Solar-powered traffic signals get green light](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/04/20/solar-powered-traffic-signals-get-green-light/) - The next stop for solar could be your local traffic lights. A research team at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln is taking a look at the viability of integrating wind and solar power into a municipal power grid to power traffic and street lights. Funded by a $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation, - [Ted Turner plugs into solar carport revolution](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/04/25/ted-turner-plugs-into-solar-carport-revolution/) - Media mogul and billionaire Ted Turner is getting into solar carports and solar-powered EV charging stations. The first phase of the “Luckie Street Solar Project” on a 2-acre parking lot Turner owns adjacent to Turner’s headquarters in Atlanta now has 14 separate solar canopies. When completed, the total solar capacity of the project will be - [Strawberry Tree delivers solar to mobile devices](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/04/24/strawberry-tree-delivers-solar-to-mobile-devices/) - Want to charge an electronic device other than your car while on the go? Hopefully a Strawberry Tree is coming your way. The brainchild of a group of Serbian student-entrepreneurs known as Strawberry Energy, the Strawberry tree integrates solar panels at an optimum angle on its roof to provide electricity for a number of outlets - [Solar and wind will power this unique sail boat](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/04/21/solar-and-wind-will-power-this-unique-sail-boat/) - If you’re into sun and sailing, the Foscat-32 Folding Solar Catamaran – which is still a concept boat -- may be for you. The Foscat-32 uses double layer solar cell panels made of high performance flexible photo-voltaic materials placed on both sides of the main sail. The solar cell panels charge small batteries to power - [Some utilities may not have local grid EV ready](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/04/08/some-utilities-may-not-have-local-grid-ev-ready/) - According to a recent report from Pike Research, many utilities could be unprepared to deal with the impact of EVs on the electrical grid, due to a lack of standards for sharing information between utilities and external systems. “While plug-in electric vehicles will not threaten the integrity of the power grid as a whole, they - [U.S. Army says Aloha to solar + EVs in Hawaii](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/04/11/us-army-says-aloha-to-solar-evs-in-hawaii/) - The U.S. Wheeler Army Airfield in Hawaii recently unveiled the U.S. Army’s new smart-charging micro grid, which harnesses solar power and marries it to electric vehicles. “This prototype underscores our stated goal to become the Army benchmark for environmental stewardship,” said Commander Douglas Mulbury. The Smart-Charging Micro Grid (SCMG) was installed atop a carport on - [Australian lithium mine taps renewable energy](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/04/12/australian-lithium-mine-taps-renewable-energy/) - A lithium mining site in Australia is going to be completely powered by renewable energy within the next three years. Lithium is the primary ingredient in battery packs for plug-in vehicles such as the Nissan LEAF and the Chevy Volt, both of which can themselves be plugged into, and run on, electricity generated by renewable - [Solar EV charging stations on way for Minnesota](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/04/13/solar-ev-charging-stations-on-way-for-minnesota/) - Drive Electric Minnesota, a consortium of private businesses, nonprofit entities and utility Xcel Energy, is working to bring EVs and a plug-in charging infrastructure to Minnesota. It plans to install 30 public charging stations along a key transportation corridor in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. Up to six of these will be solar-powered EV charging stations. - [Gas prices, CO2 obsession & selfish Americans](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/04/14/gas-prices-co2-obsession-a-selfish-americans/) - Some random and, I hope, interesting thoughts on a variety of things related to solar-charged driving and a greener, cleaner world for us all: Rising gas prices. I wrote about how rising gas prices had me smiling three weeks ago. I’m still smiling while I watch gasoline prices go up in the U.S. Rising prices - [Calif. rail station plans solar carport, EV charging](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/04/15/calif-rail-station-plans-solar-carport-ev-charging/) - Train commuters who park their EVs and PHEVs at the Metrolink station in Industry, Calif. will be able to plug into EV charging stations by next year and have their cars shaded by a giant solar carport. The city is planning to build about 1,000 carports at the Industry Metrolink Station parking lot, and the - [Fighting Goliath -- and our addiction to oil](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/04/15/fighting-goliath-and-our-addiction-to-oil/) - If you don’t think that the gasoline you pump into your gas tank doesn’t have profound effects on people and places far, far away, think again. Pictures and video make our gasoline consumption’s connection to things in faraway places much more real than words. So we’ll keep words to a minimum here. But we do - [Coal plants don't create as many jobs as expected](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/04/04/coal-plants-dont-create-as-many-jobs-as-expected/) - The Ochs Center for Metropolitan Studies in Chattanooga, Tenn. recently released a study showing new coal plants provide fewer jobs than what was predicted. According to the study A Fraction of the Jobs, those who advocate for coal-burning power plants claim that the counties with new coal plants will experience an economic boost through the - [Solar to charge EVs at Connecticut train station](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/04/05/solar-to-charge-evs-at-connecticut-train-station/) - Westport, Connecticut commuters who escape traffic jams by taking the commuter rail may soon be able to escape tanking their car with gas and fill up with sun at the Westport train station -- if they trade in their gasoline car for an electric vehicle. Westport is proceeding with a plan to install a large - [He's pissed off at solar-charged electric cars](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/04/05/hes-pissed-off-at-solar-charged-electric-cars/) - Sometimes solar-charged driving just pisses people off. Yes, I kid you not, it truly gets some folks frothing at the mouth. For instance, this guy, who recently posted one of the nastier comments we've seen at SolarChargedDriving.Com below a story about one of the nicest guys I've met, Paul Moore, founder of DrivingOnSunshine.Com. We'll start - [April snow showers slow down solar production](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/04/06/april-snow-showers-slow-down-solar-production/) - Snow season is winding down here on Colorado’s Front Range, but that doesn’t mean we’re completely done with snow, or that it’s not still affecting our home solar production. Our snow season has been full of surprises and the two inches of snow which fell on April 3 into April 4 were no exception. As - [A lean, green 100% wind driven EV machine](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/04/08/a-lean-green-100-wind-drivenev-machine/) - Green Mountain Energy Company in Texas has launched Pollution FreeSM EV – the first widely available 100 percent emissions-free Texas wind-powered product designed for drivers of plug-in electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (EV). “We believe that electric vehicles are an excellent choice for drivers who want to make a difference for the environment. And - [Japan energy crunch shows value of local solar](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/03/30/japan-energy-crunch-shows-value-of-local-solar/) - One of the greatest advantages of rooftop solar energy is that it's decentralized and locally produced. The electricity produced travels no more than a few meters from your roof into your solar inverter and then into the electronic appliances in your home, and, if you're lucky enough to have one, into the batteries of an - [Americans pouring tax cut savings into gas tanks](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/03/31/americans-pouring-tax-cut-savings-into-gas-tanks/) - If you’ve been following the news lately, you might have noticed a slew of stories focused on how consumer spending is up in the U.S. and how much of this increase is due to higher gas prices. For instance, the Associated Press (AP) began a recent story about gas costs devouring the savings of lower - [Solar system sends 5,000 watts back into grid](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/04/01/solar-system-sends-5000-watts-back-into-grid/) - One of the greatest things about having a home solar system is the sense of satisfaction you get from producing your own energy , and sometimes then some -- as in then some additional electricity that goes out into the general electrical grid. With our TED energy monitoring system (TED is short for The Energy - [Solar Charged Driving on Solar Feeds Network](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/04/01/solar-charged-driving-on-solar-feeds-network/) - SolarChargedDriving.Com widened its audience recently, getting picked up by the online syndicated site Solar Feeds News Network. Solar Feeds selects news stories and blog entries from well over 300 web sites devoted to covering solar and brings them together in one central, easy-to-read place. Among the web sites and companies whose content Solar Feeds syndicates: - [Mainstream media misrepresent EV sales story](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/04/01/mainstream-media-misrepresent-ev-sales-story/) - If you're an EV enthusiast and you surf the net, perhaps even the same way that I do, primarily via hundreds of RSS feeds set up in Google Reader (if you don't use an RSS reader, you should!), then you've seen this story -- the very same story, and the completely wrong story -- published - [Checking out LEAF & Volt at Denver Auto Show](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/04/03/checking-out-leaf-a-volt-at-denver-auto-show/) - Saw the Nissan LEAF for the first time in person today – and took a Chevy Volt for a short spin around downtown Denver as well. I got this opportunity thanks to the Denver Auto Show which is being held this week at the Colorado Convention Center – which has a giant solar system on - [EVs skip gas taxes -- but for how much longer?](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/04/04/evs-skip-gas-taxes-but-for-how-much-longer/) - Shifting America’s transportation sector to electric vehicles (EVs) is a noble goal, especially in an era of dangerously polluted air and increased dependence on foreign oil. However, current programs incentivizing such a switch have important implications to consider. One of these is the impact a rise in the number of non-gasoline vehicles will have on - [A really cool and hot idea: Solar wind turbines](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/04/04/a-really-cool-and-hot-idea-solar-wind-turbines/) - Some ideas are just way cool. This one is windy cool -- and solar hot at the same time: Researchers at the University of Liverpool are looking into developing solar-powered wind turbines. Their really cool looking design calls for placing solar cells on wind turbine blades! The design aims to fix one of the main - [Are you ready to join Volt + LEAF + solar club?](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/03/24/are-you-ready-to-join-volt-leaf-solar-club/) - George Parrott and his wife Christine Iwahashi, whom we profiled yesterday on SolarChargedDriving.Com, are living the solar + EV + PHEV dream I hope we'll be living some day here in Aurora, Colo.They've got a 5.5 kW home solar system on their California home's rooftop -- plus a pure EV, a Nissan LEAF, and a - [Lease or buy a Nissan LEAF?](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/03/25/lease-or-buy-a-nissan-leaf/) - Eventually – we’re honestly not sure when – electric cars will arrive on dealer lots where we live -- the Denver, Colo. area. At that point, we’ll have to make a final decision about whether to lease or buy our first EV. In fact, in some ways we already have had to make a partial - [LEAF contestant says goodbye oil, hello sun!](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/03/26/leaf-contestant-says-goodbye-oil-hello-sun/) - Sometimes you just get lucky. There's no other good reason that we're going to promote a video by Jay B. in Nissan's ongoing Drive Electric Tour contest to win an all-electric LEAF. The contest works like this: People fortunate enough to live in a U.S. metro area that's along Nissan's Drive Electric Tour route shoot - [Intel Oregon employees plug into sun](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/03/26/intel-oregon-employees-plug-into-sun/) - High-tech companies are often among the most progressive in the world when it comes to renewable energy. For example, Google's got a giant 1.9 megawatt solar carport at its Mountain View, Calif. headquarters, Dell's got a series of Envision Solar Solar Trees up at its Texas headquarters, and Intel has 508 kilowatts of solar up - [Partnership boosts solar-powered EV charging](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/03/26/partnership-boosts-solar-powered-ev-charging/) - Envision Solar has been selected by Renewvia Energy to be the exclusive provider of EnvisionTrak™ Solar Tree® structures and CleanCharge™ Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure for the company's growing pipeline of solar deployments. The companies are currently approaching completion on a major project in Arizona. Envision Solar’s solar parking arrays provide both shade and clean electricity - [Cruise Cars getting great solar mileage](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/03/17/cruise-cars-getting-great-solar-mileage/) - Many of the customers who have bought Cruise Car, Inc. ‘All American’ solar electric Low Speed Vehicles (LSV) are reporting that after their initial full capacity charge they are able to drive up to 10 miles daily without having to recharge their vehicles using external power sources. In other words, the onboard solar panels are - [New York City park gets solar EV charging station](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/03/17/new-york-city-park-gets-solar-ev-charging-station/) - Brooklyn Bridge Park in New York City is now home to a unique, portable, off-grid solar-powered EV charging station. Designed and built by Beautiful Earth Group, a Brooklyn-based renewable energy company, the station is the first solar-powered charging station in New York City and one of only a few in the world. Brooklyn Bridge Park - [Extra solar production = future gas savings](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/03/19/extra-solar-production-future-gas-savings/) - We hit 3,000 extra kWh produced by our 5.59 kW solar system this week -- and we've had our array on our roof for just 8 1/2 months. Meanwhile, we've used about 2,700 kWh, or about 320 kWh per month. If things continue to play out as they have, we will have generated a total - [Hosing snow off of solar panels](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/03/19/hosing-snow-off-of-solar-panels/) - Yes, the snow is still falling here on Colorado's Front Range in mid-March. We got about 1/2 inch of the white stuff last night. However, snow on solar panels in March is vastly different than it is in January. The sun's way more powerful and the temperatures typically much warmer. {module 325} That didn't stop - [The problem with solar in the United States](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/03/20/the-problem-with-solar-in-the-united-states/) - Solar is on the rise in the U.S big time, and that’s very, very good news. And yet there is something deeply wrong with solar in America. From a cost standpoint, it’s just way too complex, variable, and unpredictable. {module 377} On a broader social, political and economic level, solar is wildly under-supported here in - [KB Home makes solar standard on some houses](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/03/22/kb-home-makes-solar-standard-on-some-houses/) - KB Home, one of America’s largest homebuilders, has announced a new initiative to provide solar power systems for its new homes as a standard feature in 10 Southern California communities. While KB Home has provided solar power systems as an option for its homebuyers in select communities in California and Colorado for a number of - [They’re plugging a Volt and a LEAF into solar](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/03/23/theyre-plugging-a-volt-and-a-leaf-into-solar/) - If you think no one is going to buy electric cars, much less power them with solar, you might want to re-think your thinking. As the pages of SolarChargedDriving.Com show, there’s plenty of evidence to the contrary. But don’t take our word for it. Go and see for yourself. You might want to start with - [College students intrigued by solar, EV synergy](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/03/09/college-students-intrigued-by-solar-ev-synergy/) - College students are often viewed as being at the cutting edge of technological change. But that apparently doesn’t hold true when it comes to solar-charged driving. Based on interviews with several students at the University of Denver (DU) it seems there is a general lack of knowledge about the synergy between solar energy and electric - [Nissan Americas to get solar EV charging station](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/03/10/nissan-americas-to-get-solar-ev-charging-station/) - First, General Motors plugged its new EV, the plug-in hybrid Chevy Volt, into the sun, constructing an 18 kW solar-powered EV charging station at the Detroit-Hamtramck plant where it builds the Volt. Now, Nissan, builder of the all-electric LEAF, is doing the same. It’s planning to construct a solar-powered EV charging station at its Nissan - [10 EV+PV tips for the progressive solar company](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/03/11/10-evpv-tips-for-the-progressive-solar-company/) - When I created SolarChargedDriving.Com in the summer of 2009, I knew solar companies -- at least the smart ones -- were going to eventually understand that electric cars represent a potentially huge, possibly even unprecedented, growth opportunity for solar in the U.S. However, I didn’t see a lot of solar companies who actually grasped the - [America's addiction to oil is un-American](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/03/13/americas-addiction-to-oil-is-un-american/) - You know what’s un-American? Our addiction to oil – and the pathetic appeal so many Americans make to the inevitably of our oil addiction. You hear the sob story all the time – the standard line people interviewed in those endless stream of person-on-the-street stories about higher gas prices give time and time again: “There’s - [New Sierra Club electric car czar talks up plug-ins](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/03/14/new-sierra-club-electric-car-czar-talks-up-plug-ins/) - The Sierra Club, America’s oldest and largest grassroots environmental organization, recently threw its support behind electric vehicles. SolarChargedDriving.Com caught up with the Sierra Club’s new Senior Campaign Representative for Electric Vehicles, Gina Coplon-Newfield. We spoke with her about the Sierra Club’s reasons for creating its brand new “Go Electric" campaign, what the campaign’s aims are, - [Solar powers this unique wheelchair](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/03/15/solar-powers-this-unique-wheelchair/) - SolarChargedDriving.Com is dedicated to educating people about the fact that solar can power the transportation sector – hence one of our slogans, Where solar and electric driving merge™. And, in an effort to highlight the synergy between solar and driving of all kinds, we’ve covered solar-charged planes, solar-charged boats, and, of course, solar-charged cars. But - [Public reacts to White House spring solar plans](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/03/16/public-reacts-to-white-house-spring-solar-plans/) - President Barack Obama has been a strong proponent of green energy, advocating for solar, wind and other renewables as well as for electric cars in the hopes of creating new jobs and a robust green economy along with a more sustainable future. Soon, the President will be doing more than politicking for renewable energy, he’ll - [Tesla, renewable energy come together in Australia](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/03/17/tesla-renewable-energy-come-together-in-australia/) - Tesla Motors is showing folks Down Under how clean a sports car can run with a 3,000 kilometer (1,865 mile) Tesla Roadster tour across Eastern Australia that will be powered by renewable energy. According to Tesla, throughout the Oz Goes Electric Tour, the Roadster will charge using solar, wind, hydro and biomass energy provided by - [The Bye Hawk: A solar-powered Cessna](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/03/03/the-bye-hawk-a-solar-powered-cessna/) - Bye Energy, a company devoted to developing and commercializing alternative energy technologies for general aviation, is on the verge of creating a solar-powered plane that may completely transform the industry, according to a recent article published in Triple Pundit. Electric planes, which have obvious environmental and cost benefits, are not an entirely new concept. A - [Solar-electric boat to be built in New York](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/03/06/solar-electric-boat-to-be-built-in-new-york/) - The Tamarack Lake Electric Boat Company, a zero-emissions start-up firm, is relocating the production of its solar-powered boat, called the Loon, from Ontario to Rome, New York, Earthtechling.Com reports. The firm decided on New York as opposed to states like Georgia and Maine because of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority’s (NYSERDA) - [Sierra Club signs on to pro-EV movement](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/03/02/sierra-club-signs-on-to-pro-ev-movement/) - A few weeks ago, I argued that some, maybe even many, within the green movement have been slow -- way too slow -- to come around to electric cars. In fact, more than a few greenies are still die-hard anti-EV. The reasons vary, though Dirty Coal is the primary one, with the idea that everyone - [Why rising oil prices make me smile](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/03/05/why-rising-oil-prices-make-me-smile/) - I’m not stupid. I get that higher oil prices are, generally speaking, not a good thing. They could stall the slow economic recovery that’s underway in the U.S. And, on a personal level, they mean we’ll pay more to fuel our two gasoline cars (one of which we’ll be ditching for an EV as soon - [Solar brews beer, charges EVs at Sierra Nevada](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/03/07/solar-brews-beer-charges-evs-at-sierra-nevada/) - Next time you raise a cold one – as in a cold beer, make sure it’s a Sierra Nevada. The Chico, California-based brewery is literally covered in solar panels, with a large array on the brewery’s roof plus an impressive number of panels soaking up the sun while also providing shade for employee cars in - [Yes, snow on solar panels does matter](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/03/08/yes-snow-on-solar-panels-does-matter/) - Snow has affected our solar production much more than I expected it would in our first winter with a 5.59 kW solar system on our Aurora, Colo. rooftop. No one, including solar companies, has really paid much attention to the issue of snow on solar panels. The conventional wisdom – which, by the way, in - [Colorado solar fight has global repercussions](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/02/23/colorado-solar-fight-has-global-repercussions/) - A showdown between the solar industry and a large electric utility, Xcel Energy, is unfolding here in Colorado. In play: Xcel’s Solar*Rewards rebates for residential solar systems. The utility, which has handed out $178 million in rebates over the past four years, wants to slash its rebate by 38 percent, from $2.01 per watt to - [Dutch bicyclists will be rolling on solar bike path](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/02/24/dutch-bicyclists-will-be-rolling-on-solar-bike-path/) - Governments and businesses around the world are continuing to innovate new and creative ways to utilize solar power. The government of North Holland is planning to install solar panels on a bicycle path near the town of Krommenie in 2012, according to an article on SpringWise.Com. The TNO Research Institute developed the Solaroad project with - [Historic global Zero Emissions Race completed](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/02/24/historic-global-zero-emissions-race-completed/) - Today marked the end of the 80-day Zero Emissions race around the world. For the final leg of the race, from day 72 to 80, the four participating teams traveled northward across Spain and France before completing their 28,000 km around-the-world race with electric cars at the United Nations Palace in Geneva, Switzerland. Organizer Louis - [Penn State professor: EV + PV a "no-brainer"](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/03/01/penn-state-professor-ev-pv-a-qno-brainerq/) - Bill Carlsen, a professor of Environmental Education at Penn State University and the innovator behind the world’s first sustainably powered boat trip around America’s “great loop,” believes that the synergy between solar power and electric vehicles is a “no brainer.” In fact, he says that, “90 percent of all auto traffic could be handled with - [Street lights going solar in Europe](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/02/25/street-lights-going-solar-in-europe/) - Solar-powered street lamps are spreading across Europe. Produced by Danish Company Scotia, the SunMast, a grid connected lamp that integrates 480 watts of solar cells, has been installed in Denmark and the U.K. PV cells cover the light’s entire pole and an inverter at the base converts the DC electricity to AC for the grid. - [Colorado solar industry rallies for solar](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/02/26/colorado-solar-industry-rallies-for-solar/) - Known for being one of the best places in the U.S. for sun, Colorado has hit a potential gray patch for solar thanks to a decision by its largest utility, Xcel Energy, to seek a 47 percent cut in the subsidies it provides through its Solar*Rewards program. Given the darkness now hanging over the future - [Sunny Colorado tries to save solar jobs](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/03/01/sunny-colorado-tries-to-save-solar-jobs/) - SolarChargedDriving.Com is a side gig for me. In real life, I’m a journalism professor at the University of Denver where I teach journalism and communication courses. One of the great things about being a journalism professor who’s not only teaching but who’s also actively practicing online journalism is the way that my professional and hobby - [Save extra solar kWh you produce for your EV](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/02/20/save-extra-solar-kwh-you-produce-for-your-ev/) - Imagine producing 900 kWh of extra solar electricity with your grid-tied home solar system – and getting a big, “fat” check for $26 from your utility for pumping out all of that extra clean electricity. That’s how many extra kWh a friend of mine in Colorado Xcel Energy territory generated with a 6.6 kW solar - [Preaching PV + EV in solar heaven: Arizona](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/02/20/preaching-pv-ev-in-solar-heaven-arizona/) - Can one person persuade America – and the world -- that solar-charged driving is the future? Probably not. But if there’s someone who could come close, it’s Paul Moore. Articulate, funny, able to tell good stories, and, most importantly, someone you can connect with on a personal level, whether you’re a left-leaning greenie or a - [Welcoming longer, sunnier solar days](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/02/22/welcoming-longer-sunnier-solar-days/) - Here comes the sun again! After two and a half months in which we essentially stood still in terms of generating excess kWh with our 5.59 kW solar system due to winter’s shorter, grayer and snowier days, we’re finally driving forward again on our banked Sun Miles® total here in Aurora, Colo. Frankly, it’s seemed - [Germany far and away the global solar leader](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/02/22/germany-far-and-away-the-global-solar-leader/) - Germany nearly doubled the previous year's solar installations with new systems in 2010 totaling more than 7 gigawatts and accounting for approximately half of the world market. "Germany continues to confirm its standing as the largest photovoltaic market worldwide. With record demand every year and growing markets across Europe, it's not surprising that many of - [Say no to high gas prices: Fuel an EV with solar](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/02/22/say-no-to-high-gas-prices-fuel-an-ev-with-solar/) - Gasoline prices in the U.S. are at their highest since 2008, when gas spiked to $4 gallon, with some places beginning to flirt with $4 gallon again. And many Americans are claiming, once again, that they’re helpless in the face of rising oil prices. Take Culver City, Calif. resident Alonso Larita, for example. Larita, who - [Auto, air pollution still a major problem in U.S.](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/02/10/auto-air-pollution-still-a-major-problem-in-us/) - One of the most important benefits of driving a solar-charged electric car is the ways in which this reduces local, regional and global air pollution and thereby improves environmental health. SolarChargedDriving.Com writer Jenna Johnson examines some of the environmental dimensions of air pollution in this article. Despite significant progress nearly 58 percent of Americans regularly - [Hertz goes solar -- but will it go EV+PV?](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/02/10/hertz-goes-solar-but-will-it-go-evpv/) - Hertz is going solar, but there's no word yet on whether any of its 16 planned solar installations at rental car locations around the U.S. -- some of which already offer the plug-in hybrid electric Chevy Volt and some of which will soon offer the all-electric Nissan LEAF -- will be directly integrated with electric - [Snow on solar panels: Six design considerations](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/02/12/snow-on-solar-panels-six-design-considerations/) - One of the things about going solar is that you learn as you go along. We’re definitely learning a lot about solar panels and snow this winter, our first with our 5.59 kW home solar system, which was installed in June 2010. There are a number of things about snow on solar panels I would - [Weak local grid + Nissan LEAF: A bad mix?](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/02/14/weak-local-electric-grid-nissan-leaf-a-bad-mix/) - Just got a notice from Nissan seeking my permission to share our impending LEAF purchase with our utility, Xcel Energy. Here’s the short e-mail I received from Nissan a few days ago, one I’m sure a lot of folks who plan on getting a LEAF (or the few that already have one) have already gotten, - [Solar canal boat on historic river journey](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/02/16/solar-canal-boat-on-historic-river-journey/) - Bill Carlsen, a professor of Environmental Education at Penn State University, and his wife, Cynthia Berger, a public radio reporter and news director for WPSU-FM in State College, Penn., are on the world’s first sustainably powered boat trip around Eastern North America. The 20-year-old steel-hulled lockmaster canal boat named the Dragonfly is 41 feet long - [Solar used to power boat in oil-rich U.A.E.](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/02/20/solar-used-to-power-boat-in-oil-rich-uae/) - Solar panels have recently been installed near a floating bridge in the United Arab Emirates to power a boat used by maintenance engineers in Waagner Biro Gulf, a German-engineering firm, according to an article in Gulf News. The engineering firm has created a system to wash dust off solar panels with treated sewage water, which - [Icy roof stops solar snow sweeper in his tracks](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/02/01/icy-roof-stops-solar-snow-sweeper-in-his-tracks/) - Solar Dweeb 3, Snow and Ice 1. That's the new score in my ongoing quest to keep our 5.59 kW solar system producing following a snowfall. It was 3-0, me -- until today. About two inches of snow fell yesterday (Jan. 31) here in the Denver area. In other words, not very much. Unfortunately, a - [Solar-powered EV charging station has batteries](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/02/03/solar-powered-ev-charging-station-has-batteries/) - Electric vehicle charging just went solar at the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). The two organizations have come together to build an EV charging station that can make electricity from sunlight, store electricity and put electricity back in the power grid when needed. The prototype Smart Modal Area Recharge - [President, Congressman aim to drive EVs forward](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/02/06/president-congressman-aim-to-drive-evs-forward/) - Political support for electric cars continues to grow in the U.S. After President Obama reiterated his goal of getting 1 million more electric cars on America’s roads by 2015 in his State of the Union address, U.S. Representative, Sander M. Levin, D-Mich., has introduced a bill that would more than double the number of plug-in - [February a home solar loser so far](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/02/06/february-a-home-solar-loser-so-far/) - The beginning of February’s been a dud -- as in a solar production dud -- for us and our 5.59 kW solar system in Aurora, Colo. In six days, we’ve managed to produce 6 kWh of electricity. That’s a whopping 1 kWh per day. I wouldn’t be so frustrated if we were living on the - [The Volt: At a dealer near you this year](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/02/07/the-volt-at-a-dealer-near-you-this-year/) - It's a map plug-in advocates want to see: By the end of the year, the Chevrolet Volt will be available nationwide in the U.S. -- six months sooner than expected. Yes, that means that even those of us not fortunate enough to live in the first and second-tier Volt rollout states (in orange and green - [Mr. Longarm not perfect for solar snow problem](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/02/07/mr-longarm-not-perfect-for-solar-snow-problem/) - After a rough week for solar production for our 5.59 kW solar system (7 kWh produced), made more frustrating by the fact that we had small snow amount totals and considerable sun in between our snowfalls here in Aurora, Colo., I went out and bought a 23-foot Mr. Longarm extender pole. As I suspected, even - [Solar creates jobs in W. Virginia coal country](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/02/07/solar-creates-jobs-in-w-virginia-coal-country/) - One of the criticisms of solar is that it threatens the jobs of those who work to mine coal. Solar supporters haven't done much in the way of undertaking concrete action to undermine this claim -- until now. The Jobs Project, a group working to create alternative energy jobs in Central Appalachia, is installing a - [Ford Focus Electric: No oil changes needed](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/02/09/ford-focus-electric-no-oil-changes-needed/) - When it comes to regularly scheduled maintenance, the Ford Focus Electric will be the easiest car to own that Ford Motor Company has ever built. Because the Focus Electric does not have a conventional piston engine or an automatic or manual transmission, its drivers will wave goodbye to such things as oil changes and tuneups - [Bill McKibben talks about EVs, solar and more](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/01/24/bill-mckibben-talks-about-evs-solar-and-more/) - SolarChargedDriving.Com recently interviewed environmentalist and author Bill McKibben on his views about electric cars, the synergy between renewable energy and electric cars, and, more generally, on climate change, about which McKibben has written widely. McKibben’s newest book, Eaarth, which we recently reviewed, focuses on global warming, both on the nature of the problem and on - [S. Carolina gets first solar EV charging station](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/01/26/s-carolina-gets-first-solar-ev-charging-station/) - South Carolina recently became the latest state in the U.S. with a solar-powered EV charging station, according to CBS 7News, Spartansburg. Gary Davis, one of the first Chevy Volt owners in South Carolina, now has both a ChargePoint EV charging station and a solar system to power it, reports 7News. Davis had the solar EV - [Survey: Americans' interest in EVs drops](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/01/27/survey-americans-interest-in-evs-drops/) - Despite renewed concerns about the price of gas, most Americans still aren’t likely to buy an electric car in the next 10 years, according to a new survey. According to the same Rasmussen Reports survey, the number of Americans who say investing in renewable energy resources is the best investment for America has reached its - [Tesla greens EVs further with battery recycling](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/01/30/tesla-greens-evs-further-with-battery-recycling/) - Tesla's got the right idea about what to do with EV batteries: Recycle them. Tesla has launched a comprehensive strategy to recycle its industry-leading battery packs throughout Europe. Now, if we could only get the solar industry to do the right thing too and create a comprehensive recycling plan for the millions of PV panels - [IEEE analysis: Electric cars won't overtax the grid](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/01/31/ieee-analysis-electric-cars-wont-overtax-the-grid/) - One of the most persistent EV myths is that electric cars will bring down the electric grid. Research shows this isn't true. But the myth won't go away. Just because the myth won't die doesn't mean it isn't worth it to keep combatting it. So, here goes: Another analysis, this one by the Institute of - [Anti-EV greenies just don't seem to get it](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/01/31/anti-ev-greenies-just-dont-seem-to-get-it/) - You’d think I would have gotten this earlier, but somehow it’s taken longer to sink in than you would think. After nearly 1 ½ years of publishing SolarChargedDriving.Com, I’m finally starting to understand that a lot of environmentalists don’t like EVs. In fact, more than a few greenies I’ve “met” online, usually in the comments - [Solar-charging no better than coal? Part 2](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/01/18/solar-charging-no-better-than-coal-part-2/) - Silly me. Here I was thinking how great solar-charged driving can be for our world and then along comes someone like “Glenn Doty.” As those of you who read the first installment of “Solar-charging: No better than plugging into coal?” recall, “Glenn Doty’s” the guy over at RenewableEnergyWorld.Com who, in a comment string at the - [A new solar EV charging station for Oregon](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/01/20/a-new-solar-ev-charging-station-for-oregon/) - Solar-charged driving recently received a boost in Oregon where our friends at CelticSolar report that the owners of Farrell & Associates Inc., a real estate and property management company in Portland, had a 9.8 kW solar system, complete with an on-site EV charging station, installed. Farrell & Associates is aiming to attract eco-friendly customers with - [Greenlots makes solar EV charging easy](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/01/20/greenlots-makes-solar-ev-charging-easy/) - Singapore-based Greenlots is encouraging people to switch from their gas-guzzling vehicles to electric vehicles by providing affordable and easy-to-use solar-powered charging networks to global markets. Greenlots allows utilities, municipalities, car park operators, and EV manufacturers and distributors to install, own, and operate their own local charging networks, including fully solar-powered units called Greenlots Solar Charging - [Electric scooters of future could be solar-powered](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/01/21/electric-scooters-of-future-could-be-solar-powered/) - In China, battery-powered electric scooters are almost as common as cars, with five million being sold each year. And the numbers are rising. The biggest challenge in terms of using electric scooters, however, is that those being sold today rely on plug-in battery rechargers. The lead acid batteries take eight hours to recharge, and, if - [2010 was record year for Australian rooftop solar](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/01/21/2010-was-record-year-for-australian-rooftop-solar/) - Australia is leading by example in the effort to use more solar power as an alternative to using finite and contaminating resources like fossil fuels, according to a recent article in EnergyMatters.Com.Au. According to the Clean Energy Council’s (CEC) Clean Energy Australia 2010 report, Australia installed more rooftop solar power between January and October of - [Another snowfall, another solar sweeping session](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/01/21/another-snowfall-another-solar-sweeping-session/) - I’m on a mission to see how much solar generated electricity we can save by sweeping the lower of two solar arrays that together make up our 5.59 kW rooftop system. On Jan. 19, one inch of white powdery snow fell on our Colorado rooftop. I swept the snow off of the lower of the - [Cincinnati Zoo goes green with giant solar carport](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/01/22/cincinnati-zoo-goes-green-with-giant-solar-carport/) - Want to take a trip to the zoo with the family but don’t want your car to fry in the hot summer sun? Then you might want to take a trip to the Cincinnati Zoo, or, if that’s a little too far away, begin lobbying your local zoo to follow in Cincinnati’s footsteps. By summer, - [Report: Building codes slow home solar in U.S.](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/01/23/sunrun-report/) - Wildly ranging utility and state solar incentives are part of the reason for what can be radical differences in home solar costs across different states and even across different counties and cities within the same state in the U.S. Another reason might be your local building codes, according to a new White Paper report released - [Two videos shed light on Ford Focus Electric](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/01/09/two-videos-shed-light-on-ford-focus-electric/) - Until recently, Ford hasn't been pushing its electric vehicles as much as Nissan and GM, at least not in the U.S. But that's really beginning to change. For instance, in the article below this one you'll see that Ford is teaming up with electronics store giant Best Buy to install home EV charging stations to - [Man on a solar snow mission](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/01/12/man-on-a-solar-snow-mission/) - It’s 7:30 a.m. on a biting cold January day. Outside, the sun is beginning to break up low, puffy gray clouds, the remaining vestiges of a winter storm that’s just dumped six inches of powdery white snow on Colorado’s Front Range. Inside, an admittedly sometimes obsessive man in his middle 40s is contemplating the question - [The '3-legged chair': Solar, wind & electric cars](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/01/13/the-3-legged-chair-solar-wind-a-electric-cars/) - One of the great things about the small but growing solar-charged driving movement is that much of the impetus behind it is genuine grassroots energy. There are a lot of people out there who are pushing EV + PV not because it will make them money, but because they're genuinely excited about it. We at - [Cut the earth a break: Solar-charge an EV](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/01/14/cut-the-earth-a-break-solar-charge-an-ev/) - In case you missed it – and you might have if your primary news outlet is anything like The Denver Post, which buried this news in a one-paragraph brief on page 13A – 2010 officially tied 2005 as the warmest year on record globally, according to a report released by the National Climatic Data Center. - [Report: Oil dependence risky for U.S.](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/01/14/report-oil-dependence-risky-for-us/) - WASHINGTON, D.C. – Transportation – literally the American economy’s driving force – presents major energy and climate challenges in terms of oil dependence and greenhouse gas emissions. A new report released by the Pew Center on Global Climate Change examines cost-effective solutions to begin to cut U.S. transportation emissions and oil use now and move - [Snow count: 40 kWh saved, 40 kWh lost](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/01/14/snow-count-40-kwh-saved-and-40-kwh-lost/) - As you might know, I’m on a mission to see how much solar generated electricity we can save by sweeping the lower of two solar arrays that together make up our 5.59 kW rooftop system. On Jan. 9, six inches of white powdery snow fell on our Colorado rooftop. This was followed by two bright, - [Solar Expo snags Chelsea Sexton as speaker](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/01/16/solar-expo-snags-chelsea-sexton-as-speaker/) - We have to admit toward being partial toward Chelsea Sexton, perhaps best know for her starring role in Chris Paine's hit documentary "Who Killed the Electric Car?" Sexton's smart, articulate, a great writer and an outstanding advocate for plug-in vehicles. And, of course, last year, she agreed to do a Q&A with SolarChargedDriving.Com in what - [Solar-charging: No better than plugging into coal?](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/01/17/solar-charging-no-better-than-plugging-into-coal/) - I spend a lot of time -- too much of it, really -- trolling the Internet and advocating for EV + PV, and taking on, and attempting to deconstruct, anti-EV rhetoric. Usually, it's not too difficult to take apart anti-EV commentary. However, I may have met my match in a comment string that's running below - [Solar boat crew rescues turtle from floating trash](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/01/17/solar-boat-crew-rescues-turtle-from-floating-trash/) - In a sobering reminder of humans' contrasting capacities to both preserve and destroy the environment, PlanetSolar, a giant solar-powered boat making an historic around-the-world journey on solar power only, recently pushed into a giant island of floating trash about 100 miles off the coast of Panama and, in a poignant moment, managed to pluck a - [To sweep your home solar system or not to?](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/01/03/to-sweep-your-home-solar-system-or-not-to/) - Is it worth it to brush snow off of your home solar system? The answer depends on a number of different factors, including, but necessarily limited to: How much snow; How cold it is, or will be, and for how long; How cloudy it is, or will be, and for how long; How accessible your - [Bill McKibben's Eaarth: Where solar helps, but isn't enough to turn things around on its own](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/01/05/bill-mckibbens-eaarth-where-solar-helps-but-isnt-enough-to-turn-things-around-on-its-own/) - Just finished reading Bill McKibben’s new book, Eaarth: Making Life on a Tough New Planet. For those who don’t know him, McKibben’s a long-time environmental activist, writer and journalist who’s written a number of books about the environment, including the groundbreaking The End of Nature, which more than two decades ago warned the world of - [Many early EV adopters likely to solar charge](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/01/07/many-early-ev-adopters-likely-to-solar-charge/) - It’s difficult to know how many people: a) Are already solar-charging an EV in the U.S. – and around the world; b) Are planning to do so; c) Eventually may end up doing so; One knowledgeable source we know estimates there could be up to 1,000 people in the U.S. who are already using solar - [Ford to team up with Best Buy on EV charging](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/01/09/ford-to-team-up-with-best-buy-on-ev-charging/) - Ford is working with consumer electronics leader Best Buy to offer a 240-volt home charging station for the company’s all-new Ford Focus Electric battery electric vehicle and future electric vehicles in the United States. Best Buy intends to sell the charging station and offer complete consultation and installation services through its Geek Squad subsidiary and - [The real EV competition is coming for Nissan](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/01/09/the-real-ev-competition-is-coming-for-nissan/) - En garde Nissan: Ford is beginning to fire away at the LEAF, directly attacking it in some of its most recent press releases, including a brand new release about Ford's plans to team with Best Buy on EV home charging stations. In that release, Ford plays up the fact that the Focus Electric 2012, which - [As gas prices rise, Americans buy more pick-ups](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/12/29/as-gas-prices-rise-americans-buy-more-pick-ups/) - Okay, let’s see: Experts are beginning to mutter about $100 per barrel oil, and one former oil industry executive, John Hofmeister of Shell Oil, is predicting $5 per gallon gasoline prices in the U.S. in 2012. Meanwhile, CNN reports that gasoline prices have been steadily rising in the U.S. Last week, gas prices crossed the - [Top 5 stories that drove EV+PV forward in 2010](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/12/30/top-5-stories-that-drove-evpv-forward-in-2010/) - Everyone’s breaking out their ‘Best of’ and ‘Worst of’ 2010 lists right now. So, we’d figured we’d join in too. Okay, we know it’s not an original format, but, as far as we know, no one else is going to look at 2010 through the lens of solar-charged driving. So, here goes, SolarChargedDriving.Com’s list of - [SolarChargedDriving's Top 10 articles from 2010](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/01/01/solarchargeddrivings-top-10-articles-from-2010/) - We thank the many folks who've surfed to our site in 2010. We know you don't all come for exactly the same reason, though we hope many of you come away feeling charged up about the amazing synergy between solar energy and electric vehicles, which, at once, can deliver cleaner air, individual and national fueling - [Solar leasing spurs national growth for Calif. firm](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/01/02/solar-leasing-spurs-national-growth-for-calif-firm/) - Don’t think residential solar leasing, which allows consumers to go to solar with little to no money down, is changing the landscape of solar in the U.S., not to mention the rooftops of America, more and more of which now have solar? You might want to reconsider. Leasing, at least for some solar companies, is - [Global Zero Emissions Race enters final leg](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/01/02/global-zero-emissions-race-enters-final-leg/) - After 25, 000 km of driving across 71 days, the Eurasian and North American leg of the Zero Emissions Race are now complete. Still to come: The second European leg of the race which will bring participants full circle back to Switzerland, where they started nearly three months ago. The North American leg of the - [After 4-year wait, Volt's No. 1 fan gets his car](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/12/20/after-4-year-wait-volts-no-1-fan-gets-his-car/) - Lyle Dennis, founder of GM-Volt.Com and arguably the world's most famous Volt consumer, offically has his dream car, a 2011 Chevy Volt. Dennis, who SolarChargedDriving.Com profiled about a month ago, received Volt No. 8 off the GM Detroit-Hamtramck assembly line on Dec. 17. In fact, for awhile, the long-time Volt and plug-in advocate will have - [Honda checks out EV+PV in Land of Rising Sun](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/12/20/honda-checks-out-evpv-in-land-of-rising-sun/) - Former EV-laggard Honda is pushing the leading-edge of solar-charged driving with plans to trial a solar-powered public EV charging station and conduct testing of a range of electric vehicles and technologies in real-world urban transportation environments, starting with Japan, according to a Gizmag.com story. {googleAds} - [Volt + LEAF + solar combo = little to no gas](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/12/21/volt-leaf-solar-combo-little-to-no-gas/) - We want to replace our two aging gasoline cars with one pure electric vehicle (EV) and one plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) and power both with solar electricity generated by our home solar system. We’re not alone in our desire to transform our two gasoline car household into one in which as much of our - [Solar, solar everywhere](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/12/22/solar-solar-everywhere/) - {module 335} Solar is going up everywhere, and in some places it’s going up fast as well.Just take a look around you. Chances are you’ll see more solar than you did 10 years, five years, and, if you live in solar hot spot like Colorado, more even than just one year ago. I was in - [The ultimate gift for neighbors: A solar system](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2011/12/23/the-ultimate-gift-for-neighbors-a-solar-system/) - Turns out going solar is contagious: It inspires neighbors to go solar too. A study by a few interprid folks over at 1 Block Off the Grid shows that if you have a neighbor with solar panels on his or her house, you’re more than twice as likely to go solar yourself than if none - [Google's got our solar panels now](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/12/23/googles-got-our-solar-panels-now/) - Ever wonder how often Google updates its Google Earth and Google Maps images? Me too. I'm still not sure exactly how frequently Google does this, but I do know that sometime in the last few weeks Google updated the satellite image of our Aurora, Colo. neighborhood. How do I know? The 26-panel, 5.59 kW solar - [Home solar production falls with shorter days](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/12/26/home-solar-production-falls-with-shorter-days/) - As the sun has dropped in the sky and the days have gotten shorter and shorter, so too has our solar production. Not surprising. That’s the nature of the sun as an energy source, or really of the earth as a planet which rotates as it orbits the sun. Still, our solar production, and the - [Solar boat on global journey 1/3 of way into trip](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/12/28/solar-boat-on-global-journey-13-of-way-into-trip/) - Planet Solar, a giant catamaran shaped boat powered entirely by solar energy generated by its own solar surfaces has traversed the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean and is currently in Cartagena, Colombia where crew members are resting for the next leg of the boat’s historic around-the-world journey. PlanetSolar has made stopovers on three continents – Europe, - [Solar makes EV revenge sweeter](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/12/12/solar-makes-ev-revenge-sweeter/) - Electric car revenge is sweet. Add solar to the mix and it's even sweeter. Chris Paine's forthcoming documentary 'Revenge of the Electric Car' -- the much anticipated follow-up to the hit documentary 'Who Killed the Electric Car?' -- is now out in trailer form, after it hit 10,000 fans on Facebook a few days ago. - [Senate kills hope for a quieter urban world](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/12/13/senate-kills-hope-for-a-quieter-urban-world/) - We've produced an ongoing series about the plug-in and hybrid noise issue. And we'll soon add to the series -- we want to talk to the people no one's talked to: Noise experts and researchers as well as noise pollution activists. But for now, we'll just offer a bit of commentary (can you tell we're - [GM ships Volts on heels of Nissan LEAF launch](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/12/14/gm-ships-volts-on-heals-of-nissan-leaf-launch/) - Plug in baby! Nissan delivered its first LEAF to a customer in the San Francisco Bay area Saturday and General Motors has just shipped its first Chevy Volts from its Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Plant for initial retail launch markets ushering in a brand new automotive era of electric driving in the U.S. in the span of - [Solar carports popping up everywhere](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/12/16/solar-carports-popping-up-everywhere/) - News about a growing solar carport and solar-powered EV charging station revolution in the U.S. continues to pour in. In fact, there’s so much happening at an ever quickening pace that it’s impossible to keep track of it all. Here are a few highlights from the last couple of weeks--> {googleAds} - [Coming soon: A net zero solar + EV house](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/12/16/coming-soon-a-net-zero-solar-ev-house/) - A German architectural institute, the Institute for Lightweight Structures and Conceptual Design (ILEK) at the University of Stuttgart, has won First Prize in the architectural planning competition "Plus-Energy House with Electromobility" issued by the German Federal Ministry of Transport, Building, and Urban Development. The "Plus-Energy House" integrates a variety of green and high-energy efficiency building - [Defining solar EV miles could be controversial](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/12/17/defining-solar-ev-miles-could-be-controversial/) - Here’s a question I’ve chewed on for awhile and which I figured I would put in front of the SolarChargedDriving.Com community to see what others think: Should solar offset count as a solar-charged mile in an electric vehicle? Or, differently put, is the only “true” Sun Mile®, or Sun Kilometer, one which has been powered - [Key EV and PV tax incentives remain intact](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/12/18/key-ev-and-pv-tax-incentives-remain-intact/) - WASHINGTON -- Crucial tax incentives for the PV + EV equation in the United States both survived the Congressional wringer and are alive for at least one more year thanks to a mammoth -- and controversial -- federal tax bill signed into law by President Barack Obama Friday. The legislation extends the Department of Treasury - [KU students driving sustainable motoring forward](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/12/06/ku-students-driving-sustainable-motoring-forward/) - A group of University of Kansas students is giving solar-powered EV charging, electric cars, and alternative fuel motoring a boost . Every senior at the University of Kansas is required to do a senior design project. For many students interested and/or majoring in Mechanical Engineering, joining the EcoHawks is an obvious choice. “We’re committed to - [Solar car charging pulls into E. Washington](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/12/06/solar-car-charging-pulls-into-e-washington/) - Seven-hundred thousand miles per year of solar-charged driving just pulled into the parking lot of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) in Richland, Wash. in the form of a giant solar-powered EV charging station. According to the company that installed the system, it is currently the largest of its kind in Washington State. Completed by Hire - [Automakers plugging into power of the sun](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/12/06/automakers-plugging-into-power-of-the-sun/) - In what one might call a welcome case of double-dipping, as in solar double-dipping, major carmakers such as GM, Ford and Audi are working to produce cars, some of which you can fuel with solar-generated electricity, via solar electricity generated by solar arrays on their manufacturing plants. GM has announced that it will be adding - [Solar growth continues to rev up in U.S.](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/12/07/solar-growth-continues-to-rev-up-in-us/) - In case you haven't noticed, solar is popping up everywhere in the U.S. these days, from professional sports stadiums to the parking lots of large corporations. And there's more to come. According to a new report by IDC Energy Insights, the rate of North American solar PV installations will double in 2011. Following a strong - [Solar purists don't like gasoline savings claim](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/12/08/solar-purists-dont-like-gasoline-savings-claim/) - Look out: The solar purists are on the prowl, and they very definitely don’t like the idea of viewing gasoline costs as being offset by a home PV solar system. In other words, they don’t very much like what we’re doing here at SolarChargedDriving.Com where we’re using a simple formula to calculate gasoline savings produced - [Key EV and PV tax incentives on the line](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/12/09/key-ev-and-pv-tax-incentives-on-the-line/) - Two crucial tax incentives, one integral to solar, the other crucial to electric vehicles, are set to expire at the end of 2010. Both solar and EV advocates are working feverishly to ensure the tax measures stay – which is no sure thing given the political uncertainty on Capitol Hill right now -- and both - [German firm packages Tesla with green energy](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/12/10/german-firm-packages-tesla-with-green-energy/) - Clean and green, baby, really clean and green. A German company, Brabus, is working to give Tesla consumers what draws many of them to electric vehicles in the first place: Electric charging via clean, green renewable energy. {googleAds}{/googleAds} - [EVs go mainstream with historic LEAF delivery](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/12/11/evs-go-mainstream-with-historic-leaf-delivery/) - SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 11, 2010 -- Nissan North America Inc. (NNA) made history by bringing sustainable mobility to the mass market, with the world's first delivery of a Nissan LEAF all-electric vehicle this afternoon. Olivier Chalouhi, a San Francisco Bay Area resident and the first person in the United States to place a Nissan LEAF - [California schools soak up sun with solar carports](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/11/26/california-schools-soak-up-sun-with-solar-carports/) - We’ve written before about a solar carport and solar-powered EV charging station revolution that is underway in the United States, in particular in the American West and Southwest. More evidence of the growing presence of solar carports and solar EV charging stations comes in the form of an article published today in the New York - [GM-Volt.Com's Lyle Dennis juiced up about Volt](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/11/28/gm-voltcoms-lyle-dennis-juiced-up-about-volt/) - There are bandwagon jumpers and then there are the people who start the bandwagon long before it’s a bandwagon. Lyle Dennis, founder of the popular web site GM-Volt.com, which is devoted to Chevy’s new plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), or as GM prefers to call it, an “extended range electric vehicle” (EREV), is very definitely - [First consumer Chevy Volt rolls off assembly line](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/11/30/first-consumer-chevy-volt-rolls-off-assembly-line/) - DETROIT -- In a moment many electric vehicles advocates have been ancipating for a long time, GM drove its first consumer Chevy Volt off the assembly line today. GM expects to produce 10,000 Volts at its Detroit-Hamtramck plant in the next year with each going for about $33k after a Federal tax credit of $7,500. - [Why we're getting a pure EV 1st and a PHEV 2nd](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/12/01/why-were-getting-a-pure-ev-1st-and-a-phev-2nd/) - The first official consumer Chevy Volts have rolled off the assembly line and the Nissan LEAF is scheduled to arrive very soon on U.S. dealer lots with many additional mainstream production plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) and pure electric vehicles (EVs) arriving within the next year in the U.S. We eventually want to own one - [Why SCD.Com -- & all of us -- need a neutral Net](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/12/03/why-scdcom-a-all-of-us-need-a-neutral-net/) - What does ‘net neutrality’ have to do with solar-charged driving? A lot, actually – at least if we’re talking about SolarChargedDriving.Com and our grassroots attempt to promote the revolutionary synergy between solar energy and electric vehicles and to create an online community where people interested in solar-charged driving can exchange ideas, information, experiences, and collectively - [Green parking lands at Denver International Airport](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/11/19/green-parking-lands-at-denver-international-airport/) - Wouldn’t it be nice to have somewhere to plug in your electric vehicle while traveling? That is just what Canopy Airport Parking envisioned when planning its state-of-the-art, EV-friendly and green parking structure. The parking lot near Denver International Airport (DIA) is a collaboration between ProPark America and Greenscape, and is partnered with Frontier Airlines to - [Focus Electric gets new Facebook page](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/11/19/ford-focus-electric-gets-new-facebook-page/) - We’re on the waiting list for a Nissan LEAF but, as we’ve written elsewhere, we find the Ford Focus Electric intriguing. It’s looking like the Focus Electric could possibly come to market around the same time as the LEAF here in Colorado, too. This makes the Focus Electric that much more intriguing – we definitely - [Solar energy gets its own road trip](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/11/21/solar-energy-gets-its-own-road-trip/) - The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA®) has started a new campaign to educate the public on the benefits of clean solar energy and to demonstrate how the technology is working reliably across the United States and saving clients money on their utility bills. The nonprofit trade association hired Alan Blake, award-winning director and owner of - [How many Sun Miles® can a Nissan LEAF get?](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/11/23/how-many-sun-milesr-can-a-nissan-leaf-get/) - The big news in the EV world is that the EPA has officially rated the Nissan LEAF at 99 miles per gallon. The designation has generated plenty of talk and controversy on the internet. But, as far as we can tell, no one's been talking about how many Sun Miles® the LEAF will be able - [Solar energy + electric car combo is no turkey](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/11/25/solar-energy-electric-car-combo-is-no-turkey/) - Traditionally, in the U.S. we use the last Thursday in November to note the many different things for which we ought to be thankful. Here are a few things to be thankful for if you're a fan of solar, electric vehicles, and, last but not least, a cleaner, greener world for us all: 1. Solar - [GM embracing solar-charged driving](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/11/26/gm-embracing-solar-charged-driving/) - You know solar-charged driving is poised to go mainstream when one of America's three major automakers begins to seriously pitch EV+PV, which is exactly what GM is doing with the Chevy Volt, due to hit dealer lots any day. GM says it's dedicated to embracing the green movement, and, while it -- like all automakers - [Prudential gets a piece of the sun](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/11/11/prudential-gets-a-piece-of-the-sun/) - Prudential Financial, Inc., which has long focused on helping customers ‘Get a Piece of the (Financial) Rock’, is helping itself to a piece of the sun while also helping some of its Arizona-based employees plug into electric vehicles. The global financial services company recently installed nearly 8,000 solar panels on Prudential office buildings in Arizona - [Solar delivers 10,000 Sun Miles® for an EV](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/11/13/solar-delivers-10000-sun-milesr-for-an-ev/) - Not that we’re counting obsessively or anything – OK, so we are ;-) – but we hit 10,000 miles worth of banked Sun Miles® this week. Sun Miles® are miles driven by an electric vehicle (EV) or plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) whose batteries have been charged using solar energy and/or using electricity credits amassed - ['Revenge of Electric Car' trailer coming soon](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/11/15/revenge-of-electric-car-trailer-coming-soon/) - WestMidWest Productions has announced that it will premiere the highly anticipated "Revenge of the Electric Car" trailer exclusively on Facebook as soon as the forthcoming film's Facebook Fan page acquires its 10,000th fan. "Revenge of the Electric Car" is the new feature documentary film about electric cars by Chris Paine, director of the 2006 film, - [Asphalt: The next solar gold mine?](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/11/15/asphalt-the-next-solar-gold-mine/) - The heat radiating off roadways has long been a factor in explaining why city temperatures are often considerably warmer than nearby suburban or rural areas. Now a team of engineering researchers from the University of Rhode Island is examining methods of harvesting that solar energy to melt ice, power streetlights, illuminate signs, heat buildings and - [Ford to plug 20 cities into Focus Electric next year](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/11/15/ford-to-plug-15-cities-into-focus-electric-next-year/) - DEARBORN, Mich., Nov. 15 – Ford Motor Company has announced the first U.S. markets that will sell the Focus Electric, Ford’s first all-electric passenger car. The Focus Electric is expected to first go on the market in late 2011. The first markets selected for Ford Focus Electric: Atlanta, Austin and Houston, Texas; Boston, Chicago, Denver, - [SolarCity may include EV savings in its bids](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/11/16/solarcity-may-include-ev-savings-in-its-bids/) - In a sign that solar-charged driving is poised to transform not only the transportation sector but the solar industry as well, one of America's leading solar companies, SolarCity, is reportedly moving toward officially incorporating EV+PV into its bidding process. As we at SolarChargedDriving.Com have discovered, calculating solar PV as offsetting gasoline -- which is far - [Fisker Karma will sport large solar roof](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/11/18/fisker-karma-will-sport-large-solar-roof/) - Quantum Fuel Systems Technologies Worldwide, Inc. has received a $9.4 million production release for the first production series of solar roofs for the Fisker Karma. Under the release, Quantum, with affiliate Asola of Germany, will initiate volume production of the solar roofs for the Fisker Karma in early 2011. According to Quantum, the Fisker Karma - [Will new ads deliver home run for the Volt?](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/11/05/will-new-ads-deliver-home-run-for-the-volt/) - Have you seen the new Chevy Volt commercials? The ads were first aired during the World Series, and include four, 30-second TV spots narrated by comedian Tim Allen. The ad campaign’s slogan is “Chevy Runs Deep,” and all of the ads -- some of which focus on more than the Volt -- emphasize Chevy’s experience - [Study: EVs could have 10% of market by 2020](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/11/06/study-evs-could-have-10-of-market-in-2020/) - Bloomberg New Energy Finance predicts that electric vehicles are likely to account for about nine percent (about $1.6 million) of automobile sales in 2020, and up to 22 percent ($4 million) of sales in 2030.In order for these numbers to prove true, there needs to be a decrease in cost of batteries, as well as - [Solar as EV ‘gas’ can pay more than feed-in tariffs](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/11/06/solar-as-ev-gas-can-pay-more-than-feed-in-tariffs/) - We’ve had our 5.59 kW home solar system for a little over four months now and we’ve already saved nearly $1,500 worth of “gasoline” for use for a future electric car -- at least if you calculate this according to the following formula: 1 kWh = 4 miles (our current extra kWh total = 2,473 - [CODA's Czinger unplugs from CEO post](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/11/06/codas-czinger-unplugs-from-ceo-post/) - SANTA MONICA, Calif. -- CODA has announced the resignation by mutual consent of Kevin Czinger as Chief Executive Officer, the designation of Steven "Mac" Heller as Interim Chief Executive Officer, and the appointment of Mark Jamieson as Chief Operating Officer. Czinger will continue his relationship with the company as Senior Strategic Advisor and as a - [Sherry Boschert works to spread the EV+PV grin](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/11/09/sherry-boschert-works-to-spread-the-evpv-grin/) - For Sherry Boschert, driving an electric vehicle is more than just a means of transportation; it symbolizes a way of life. Co-founder of the non-profit volunteer organization Plug-In America and a long-time environmentalist, Sherry Boschert currently drives a Toyota Rav4 EV that she says goes about one hundred miles on one charge. But Boschert’s EV - [Study: Solar pays off more than energy efficiency](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/11/10/study-solar-pays-off-more-than-energy-efficiency/) - Typical U.S. homes will reduce their energy bills most by generating their own power rather than implementing energy efficiency measures, according to a new study sponsored by the California Solar Energy Industries Association (CALSEIA) and Westinghouse Solar. The so-called 'White Paper' -- "Reducing Home Energy Costs by Combining Solar and Energy Efficiency" -- used U.S. - [Georgia -- the country -- to electrify auto fleet](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/11/10/georgia-the-country-to-electrify-auto-fleet/) - Not moved by the environmental argument to convert to plug-in vehicles? Then you might want to consider the significant geopolitical ramifications of an American – and global – movement toward electric vehicles. Plug-in vehicles dramatically reduce oil consumption. This means increased fueling independence on both an individual and societal level. And, to combat the Ameri-centrism - [Solar Zerotracer leads first Zero Emissions Race](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/11/10/solar-zerotracer-leads-first-zero-emissions-race/) - The Oerlikon Solar Racing Team Zerotracer electric vehicle will soon resume the Zero Emissions Race, a renewable-energy powered EV competition that is taking participants around the world in 80 days. The Zerotracer is currently in first place. After having their vehicles shipped across the Pacific Ocean, the three remaining participating teams continue their race in - [Electric cars get a solar boost at NREL](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/10/29/electric-cars-get-a-solar-boost-at-nrel/) - A visit to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colo., makes it clear that the laboratory is leading today’s renewable energy revolution. Much of NREL’s campus is powered by solar energy, something the numerous solar panels, which line everything from its buildings to the security gates at its entrance, immediately make noticeable. For example, - [Nissan drives LEAF electric tour to SolarWorld](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/11/01/nissan-drives-leaf-electric-tour-to-solarworld/) - SolarWorld’s manufacturing campus in Hillsboro, Ore. – the largest crystalline silicon solar production facility in the Americas – will host a stop on the Nissan LEAF Drive Electric Tour Nov. 5, 6 and 7, giving the region’s electric-vehicle enthusiasts a long-awaited chance to get behind the wheel of the zero-emission sedan. “Nissan deliberately chose the - [Solar industry leader: Solar a bipartisan issue](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/11/04/solar-industry-leader-solar-a-bipartisan-issue/) - WASHINGTON – With political change set to sweep Capitol Hill early next year, Rhone Resch, president and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) says that solar is, has been, and must continue to be a bipartisan issue in the U.S. In a statement released on the eve of this past Tuesday's elections, which - [Solar EV charging stations give Volt green jolt](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/10/16/solar-ev-charging-stations-give-volt-green-jolt/) - General Motors will work with Envision Solar to install CleanCharge™ solar powered electric-vehicle charging stations integrated into EnvisionTrak™ tracking Solar Trees® at a number of different locations in the U.S. Currently, installations are planned at General Motor’s Warren Technical Center and the Milford Proving Ground “These strategic installations will enable Chevy Volt to leverage clean - [Solar powers this college maintenance vehicle](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/10/18/solar-powers-this-college-maintenance-vehicle/) - Patrick Willoughby drives through the Wellesley College campus in the college’s maintenance van and everyone stops to look. This car is not like any other college maintenance vehicle. Adorned with graphics that promote the school’s commitment to sustainable landscape, water, waste and energy practices, this maintenance car is electric and uses energy from a solar - [BYD builds 'Complete Zero Emissions Story'](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/10/20/byd-builds-complete-zero-emissions-story/) - BYD, the Chinese company backed by the money of billionaire Warren Buffett, definitely sees the big picture -- as in the electric car + solar + battery storage = a better world for everyone picture. BYD's investing heavily in electric cars, in solar, in battery technology and in LED lighting, among other things. So for - [North America next for Zero Emissions racers](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/10/21/north-america-next-for-zero-emissions-racers/) - After 46 days and nearly 17,000 kilometers of driving, Zero Emissions racers have crossed Europe and Asia. Next up, North America. The four electric vehicles belonging to Orlikon Solar Racing Team of Switzerland, Power Plaza Team of China, Team Trev of Australia, and Vectrix Team of Germany are currently being shipped across the Pacific Ocean. - [Is EV+PV too weird for The New York Times?](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/10/22/is-evpv-too-weird-for-the-new-york-times/) - A few months ago, I got excited because I thought the mainstream media were starting to get it. I found a story in the L.A. Times about solar-charged driving and another in The New York Times. Not so fast, Christof. This week, America’s two biggest flagship newspapers – The Wall Street Journal and The New - [Era of electric cars may be closer than we think](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/10/22/era-of-electric-cars-may-be-closer-than-we-think/) - Ever since I started writing for SolarChargedDriving.Com about a month ago I have begun to see information and news about solar power and solar-powered cars everywhere. The other day while I was watching TV an ad came on for GE that I had never seen before. I wasn’t really paying attention, and for a while - [There's a better way than oil: Solar](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/10/24/theres-a-better-way-than-oil-solar/) - You might think that drinking water in Nebraska and roadway safety in Idaho have nothing to do with solar-charged driving. But you’d be wrong. They’re intricately connected – via the hypodermic needle of oil addiction. Some eye-opening stats on our addiction to oil -- & some alternatives > The transportation sector is the fastest growing - ['Generation Next' looks at next generation autos](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/10/25/generation-next-looks-at-next-generation-autos/) - Electric vehicles are going to show up at American dealerships within the next few months and many are wondering who their potential buyers will be. Are college students among those who will be buying into such new technology, and how much do young adults truly know about electric vehicles? These are the types of questions - [Solar power and bike sharing a green mix](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/10/27/solar-power-and-bike-sharing-a-green-mix/) - As I was walking to class earlier this week, I couldn’t help but notice that the bike-sharing stations scattered around the University of Denver campus are solar-powered. I had always thought that the Denver B-cycle stations were an efficient idea, but I never noticed how environmentally friendly they were! Denver B-cycle was introduced on Earth - [Charge your EV in a PHAT solar carport](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/10/08/charge-your-ev-in-a-phat-solar-carport/) - California resident Susan Paradise says it’s a great feeling to know she’s not using any coal or oil for her daily activities or her commute to work. In December of 2009, she had a 5.2 kW solar system installed at her residence with PHATportTM, a product line of PHAT Energy. PHAT Energy, run by General - ['Get the f--- off the road!'](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/10/10/get-the-f-off-the-road/) - I’m going to get myself killed some time -- and it’s probably going to happen when I’m on my bicycle and right after yet another motorist has screamed, “Get off the f------ road.” You see, sometimes I just can’t contain myself when this happens, and, against my better judgment, I flip the bird. It’s a - [The Volt: Just a Prius with a bigger battery?](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/10/11/the-volt-just-a-prius-with-a-bigger-battery/) - The big news in the plug-in vehicle world is that GM's Chevy Volt isn't exactly what GM led us to believe it is, meaning it might not be a pure EREV (Extended Range Electric Vehicle). A recent test drive by Motor Trend has revealed that when driven consistently at about 70 m.p.h. or more the - [CODA to electrify Enterprise Rent-A-Car fleet](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/10/12/coda-to-electrify-enterprise-rent-a-car-fleet/) - For most people, renting a car isn't an electrifying experience. But that could change now that automakers and rental car companies are working together to add EVs to rental fleets. First, Hertz hooked up with Nissan in an agreement earlier this year that will see Hertz begin offering the all-electric LEAF to customers in select - [Nearly 100% of Americans want more solar](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/10/13/nearly-100-of-americans-want-more-solar/) - It's unanimous -- or about as close to it as you can come in a diverse, highly populated country like the United States: A new national poll shows that the vast majority of Americans support development and funding of solar energy. Moreover, their support for solar has remained consistent over the last three years. These - [Electric car perks are tempting](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/10/13/electric-car-perks-are-tempting/) - After coming across an article in a recent edition of The Denver Post about the perks a Nissan LEAF offers, I couldn’t help but ponder whether my next car purchase should be a LEAF. Nissan’s first all-electric vehicle reduces dependency on fossil fuels, essentially releases zero-emissions, and has some nice incentives to go with it. - [Solar firm discovers solar-charged driving](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/10/14/solar-firm-discovers-solar-charged-driving/) - Some people have been solar-charging an electric vehicle for years, if not decades. And SolarChargedDriving.Com has been publishing stories about people who solar-charge for more than a year now. However, EV+PV is still not on the radar screen for most of the solar industry. That’s changing, though – in part because solar companies are beginning - [Air pollution kills people -- & local economies too](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/10/02/air-pollution-kills-people-a-local-economies-too/) - The fact that air pollution – much of it produced by gasoline-powered cars and trucks – kills doesn’t seem to be enough to move many people to care about it, or to do something about it themselves, for instance by driving less, taking public transportation, or buying an electric car and plugging it into renewable - [Savings add up fast with EV+PV combo](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/10/04/savings-add-up-fast-with-evpv-combo/) - In just three months with a 5.59 kWh solar system here in Aurora, Colo., we've produced 2,000 more kWh of electricity than we've consumed. We're banking these kWh with our utility, Xcel Energy, and will be using them to power a future electric car, either a Ford Focus Electric or a Nissan LEAF. For those - [Solar-powered boat sails on sun electricity](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/10/05/solar-powered-boat-sails-on-sun-electricity/) - Bruno Hervouet wanted a boat that he could sail with his family that didn’t make too much noise, didn’t depend on the wind to navigate, and that didn’t pollute the air with fumes. As the manager of boat-building company Philéas, Hervouet introduced the Open 500 and the Open 570 in 2000, two small, dinghy-sized boats - [Obama brings solar back to the White House](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/10/06/obama-brings-solar-back-to-the-white-house/) - Maybe the Obama Administration was planning on putting solar panels on the White House all along, or maybe the grassroots campaign to put panels on the White House that began with solar advocate Tor Valenza, of SolarPowerRocks.Com, and Sungevity, a California-based solar company, and which was taken up by 350.org’s Bill McKibben and college students - [University students building cutting-edge EVs](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/10/07/university-students-building-cutting-edge-evs/) - Purdue University student inventors displayed their novel electrical vehicles at an alternative energy transportation show Oct. 6. The show featured a solar-powered Suzuki motorcycle, and electrified Porsche, an electric car built from trash and electric race karts built for the world's first evGrandPrix. General Electric presented one of its new electric car charging stations. Beginning - [Solar-powered motorcycle runs on sun](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/10/08/solar-powered-motorcycle-runs-on-sun/) - Tony Danger Coiro, a junior at Purdue University, has redesigned a 1978 Suzuki motorcycle into a street-legal, solar-powered mode of transportation. Coiro originally spent $50 for his Suzuki then spent $2,500 refurbishing the motorcycle to include two fold-able solar panels, one on each side of the bike. {module 317} Although the physics major may have - [Merit's charging station plugs businesses into sun](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/09/27/merits-charging-station-plugs-businesses-into-sun/) - As more electric vehicles become available in the United States and around the world, EV buyers are not only going to have to charge their own vehicles at home but at work and in public places. This means businesses and workplaces will need to provide customers and employees with EV charging stations. Merit Builders, Inc. - [CODA vs. Ford Focus Electric vs. LEAF: Part III](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/09/29/coda-vs-ford-focus-electric-vs-leaf-part-iii/) - This is the third in a series of three entries focused on the pros and cons of three electric vehicles we are considering buying, the CODA Automotive Sedan EV, the Ford Focus Electric, & the Nissan LEAF. The first focused on the CODA EV and the second on the Ford Focus Electric. This one looks - [Tesla Roadster completes around-the-world trip](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/09/30/tesla-roadster-completes-around-the-world-trip/) - A Tesla Roadster traveling around the world concluded its epic voyage last night in Paris where Tesla will open a new showroom today (Sept. 30). Sponsored by electric carmaker Tesla Motors and TAG Heuer to commemorate the Swiss watchmaker's 150th anniversary, the Odyssey of Pioneers tour has traveled through hundreds of towns and 16 major - [Envision to plant Solar Trees in W. Pennsylvania](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/09/30/envision-to-plant-solar-trees-in-w-pennsylvania/) - Envision Solar International, Inc., has begun installation of electric-vehicle (EV) charging enabled solar tracking trees at Axion Power International's facility in Western Pennsylvania. The installation is being financed through a Pennsylvania state grant to fund the deployment of the EnvisionTrak and CleanCharge Solar Trees. It is expected to be completed by the first quarter of - [Converting us to solar, one parking lot at a time](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/10/01/converting-us-to-solar-one-parking-lot-at-a-time/) - Not too many people think solar when they park their car in one of the millions of lots around the world. ProtekPark Solar, a Cincinnati, Ohio based company is trying to change that, working, as it puts it, “to convert the world to solar power, one parking lot at a time.” ProtekPark Solar concentrates on - [Home solar nets $1,000 worth of "gas" in 81 days](https://solarchargeddriving.com/2010/09/17/home-solar-nets-1000-worth-of-qgasq-in-81-days/) - We hit $1,000 worth of “gasoline” savings today! In just 81 days with a 5.59 kW home solar system, we’ve produced 1,679 kWh more than we’ve used. And, thanks to our utility’s indefinite kWh rollover option – an option which, to be truthful, I’m not sure how many other electric utilities in the U.S. offer ## Pages - [SolarChargedDriving](https://solarchargeddriving.com/) - [Contact us](https://solarchargeddriving.com/contact-us/) - SolarChargedDriving.Com welcomes reader feedback, ideas, FAQ ideas, article and column submissions (although, at this time, unfortunately, we cannot pay for these). We also welcome events listings and URL submissions for our various resources pages. Finally, because one of our primary aims is to promote -- really, advertise -- the incredible synergy between solar energy and - [Privacy policy](https://solarchargeddriving.com/privacy-policy/) - Website Visitors Like most website operators, SolarChargedDriving.Com collects non-personally-identifying information of the sort that web browsers and servers typically make available, such as the browser type, language preference, referring site, and the date and time of each visitor request. SolarChargedDriving.Com’s purpose in collecting non-personally identifying information is to better understand how SolarChargedDriving.Com’s visitors use its - [Site map](https://solarchargeddriving.com/site-map/) - This page contains a basic site map for SolarChargedDriving.Com. home about us general overview why we’re here what we are & are not SCD.com bios terms of service privacy policy advertise solar-charged driving why solar charge? SCD 101 editor’s SCD story solar plug-in stations going solar solar 101 editor’s solar story going solar photo gallery leasing vs. ## Categories - [Uncategorized](https://solarchargeddriving.com/category/uncategorized/) - [About us](https://solarchargeddriving.com/category/about-us/) - We saw an opportunity — an opportunity to help create a world in which more and more of us drive vehicles powered at least partially, and ideally fully, by renewable energy. We also saw an opportunity to create a new online space, a space focused exclusively on the intersection between solar power and EVs and PHEVs. Surprisingly, no one has yet created such an online space. Now we have. We hope you’ll help us grow this space and, more importantly, help us grow what we hope will become a truly revolutionary move to a world in which millions of us run our cars on sun. To learn more about us, please read the articles in our “About Us” section. - [Editor's blog](https://solarchargeddriving.com/category/editors-blog/) - Few things are more satisfying and rewarding than writing about something about which you are passionate. For me, the environment is one of the things for which I have the greatest passion. As a father of two young girls, and, more generally, as a member of global humanity, I believe there is nothing more important than ensuring that our planet is a livable place for its incredible array of organisms for as long as possible. Few things are more crucial to making sure this occurs than a truly massive shift from fossil — and finite — fuels to renewable, clean forms of energy like solar. - [FAQs](https://solarchargeddriving.com/category/faqs/) - Have questions about solar-charged driving and its many different angles and facets? In this section, we offer at least initial, and sometimes in-depth, answers to frequently asked questions surrounding solar, EVs & PHEVs, solar-charging your EV and/or PHEV, and last, but certainly not least, about some of the environmental repercussions of solar energy and EVs and PHEVs. In at least some cases, we will work hard to develop shorter answers to a particular FAQ into a full-fledged article and publish it in another section. If we’ve done a feature-length article on a particular FAQ, we’ll link to it from the shorter answer provided in our FAQs section. Finally, we encourage you to contact us with FAQs we’ve missed and/or with feedback on the answers we’ve provided to the FAQs we have here. - [An intro to solar-charged driving](https://solarchargeddriving.com/category/scd-intro/) - Solar-charged driving has been around for awhile. That’s not surprising, given that all it really takes is solar panels somewhere producing electricity and a battery powered vehicle, whose batteries are charged by electricity produced by the sun. Imagine a tiny, remote controlled, battery-powered car and a tiny solar panel with a tiny inverter. Plug your remote-controlled car into the solar-recharger and, voila, in a little while you’re running it on the sun. It’s that easy — and at a general level (meaning above the level of the engineering of a car, batteries themselves, etc.) — that simple. In the articles in the section, we give you the basic information that you need to get started. - [Going solar](https://solarchargeddriving.com/category/going-solar/) - There are many considerations to “going solar”, among them, practical, economic, environmental and political considerations. In this section, we offer you an overview what it takes, and means, to “go solar”. We don’t pretend that going solar is for everyone, although if you are a committed environmentalist — as SCD.Com Editor Christof Demont-Heinrich is, we believe there are few more concrete and effective ways to grow the “green economy” and the environmental movement in the United States and globally than to put panels on your home and/or garage and power your home and car that way! - [SolarChargedDriving.Com news features](https://solarchargeddriving.com/category/news/) - Our news features section comprises the heart of SolarChargedDriving.Com. Here, we publish news content focused on various aspects of the fascinating and potentially revolutionary synthesis between solar power and electric driving. We zero in on general news and information, people, and companies and products from both the solar and EV and PHEV worlds. But some of our content is more general. For instance, we cover news, information, people, companies and products in the fossil fuel realm as well, though we do so from a critical — but also multiple-perspective — angle. - [Sun Miles® Club](https://solarchargeddriving.com/category/sun-miles-club/) - Welcome to SolarChargedDriving.Com’s Sun Miles® Club. The aim of the club is simple, and, we think, important: To create an online space where the growing and dynamic — but for now also widely dispersed and scattered — solar-charged driving community can share ideas, experiences, knowledge, and information with one another and, more generally, share with one another, and the entire world, the joy and excitement of running a car on sun. - [evs & phevs](https://solarchargeddriving.com/category/evs-a-phevs/) - Electric vehicles (EVs) have been around a long time — though plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) are, comparatively speaking, a much more recent phenomenon. The ability to charge an EV’s battery with energy produced by solar panels has also been around a long time. What hasn’t been around yet is easy, and mass, access to EVs. That’s about to change. In this section we offer an explanation of EVs and PHEVs and provide you with the basic tools that you need to establish whether an EV/PHEV is for you. As we note on our “What we are & are not” page, we don’t purport to be car experts. We’re just trying to help solar-charged driving go mainstream, and providing basic overview of EVs/PHEVs as well as EV and PHEV models, along with pointing you to other resources on EVs/PHEVs — none of which focus on solar-charging EVs/PHEVs — is one way we hope to accomplish this. - [Solar carports and solar EV charging stations](https://solarchargeddriving.com/category/news/solar-powered-plug-in-stations/) - There are most certainly thousands of solar carports and solar-charged EV stations around the world. BUT no one is keeping track of them. SolarChargedDriving.Com hopes that — with your help — we can change this and map all of the solar carports and solar-charged EV stations around the world. This collective attempt to map all solar carports solar-charged EV charging stations globally only works if everyone who contributes to the map does so accurately — and does not, for example — enter incorrect locations and/or information :-) Please help map the global rise of solar in parking lots and park places around the world! Here is the URL to the Google Map we — meaning all of us — are creating to map all of the world’s solar carports/canopies and solar EV charging stations: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1MetsinNtPN6KtW-AjB2cPPIAtx8&usp=sharing - [SCD Bios](https://solarchargeddriving.com/category/about-us/scd-bios/) - [What We Are -- And Are Not](https://solarchargeddriving.com/category/about-us/what-we-are-and-are-not/) - [Why We're Here](https://solarchargeddriving.com/category/about-us/why-were-here/) - [Musings on going solar](https://solarchargeddriving.com/category/editors-blog/musings-on-going-solar/) - In the Editor’s “On Going Solar” blog section, I’ll write about experiences I have with going solar. While many of the entries will involve a description of the process of going solar, some will also be general musings on going solar. The entries about my, really, our – my wife and family are also part of the whole experience — going solar experience will be more informal and more current than the articles about my solar-charged driving experience and my general experience going solar I’ve posted to the “SCD primer” and “Going solar” sections. I hope some of you find at least some of my musings on “going solar” interesting, potentially useful, and, ideally, thought-provoking. - [General Contact Us Info](https://solarchargeddriving.com/category/general-contact-us-info/) - [How you do it](https://solarchargeddriving.com/category/scd-intro/how-you-do-it/) - [Editor's story](https://solarchargeddriving.com/category/scd-intro/editors-story/) - [Solar resources](https://solarchargeddriving.com/category/going-solar/solar-resources/) - [Editor's solar story](https://solarchargeddriving.com/category/going-solar/editors-solar-story/) - [Going solar: General overview](https://solarchargeddriving.com/category/going-solar/going-solar-general-overview/) - There are many things to consider when weighing whether to install a home solar system. These can be usefully thought of in terms of three broad categories: Economic considerations Environmental considerations Personal & political considerations - [Why solar-charge?](https://solarchargeddriving.com/category/scd-intro/why-solar-charge-your-car/) - [What to ask a solar consultant](https://solarchargeddriving.com/category/going-solar/what-to-ask-a-solar-consultant/) - [General Overview](https://solarchargeddriving.com/category/evs-a-phevs/general-overview/) - [EV & PHEV resources](https://solarchargeddriving.com/category/evs-a-phevs/ev-a-phev-resources/) - [Best & worst plug-in states](https://solarchargeddriving.com/category/evs-a-phevs/best-a-worst-plug-in-states/) - [News features: Interviews](https://solarchargeddriving.com/category/news/news-features-interviews/) - [News features: People profiles](https://solarchargeddriving.com/category/news/news-features-personal-profiles/) - [News features: Editorials & columns](https://solarchargeddriving.com/category/news/news-features-editorials/) - [News features: Solar carports & solar EV charging stations](https://solarchargeddriving.com/category/news/solar-carports/) - There are most certainly thousands of solar carports and solar-charged EV stations around the world. BUT no one is keeping track of them. SolarChargedDriving.Com hopes that — with your help — we can change this and map all of the solar carports and solar-charged EV stations around the world. This collective attempt to map all solar carports solar-charged EV charging stations globally only works if everyone who contributes to the map does so accurately — and does not, for example — enter incorrect locations and/or information :-) Please help map the global rise of solar in parking lots and park places around the world! Here is the URL to the Google Map we — meaning all of us — are creating to map all of the world’s solar carports/canopies and solar EV charging stations: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1MetsinNtPN6KtW-AjB2cPPIAtx8&usp=sharing - [News features: Environment](https://solarchargeddriving.com/category/news/news-features-environment/) - [Press room](https://solarchargeddriving.com/category/about-us/press-room/) - [evs & phevs](https://solarchargeddriving.com/category/faqs/c52-evs-a-phevs/) - [Solar charging](https://solarchargeddriving.com/category/faqs/solar-charging/) - [Key terms](https://solarchargeddriving.com/category/faqs/key-terms/) - [Submit a question](https://solarchargeddriving.com/category/faqs/submit-a-question/) - [Politics of sun & fossil fuels](https://solarchargeddriving.com/category/editors-blog/politics-of-sun-a-fossil-fuels/) - Energy is an inherently political topic. In the “On Sun and Fossil Fuels” blog section, I’ll focus in particular on the often highly-charged politics of sun (and renewable energy) and fossil fuels. Thanks in large part to the election of Barack Obama as President of the United States there is far more political momentum behind the “greening” of America and its economy than in the days of “W”. I hope to help build this momentum, if perhaps in a small way, through my “On Sun and Fossil Fuels” blogging entries. - [Save more for the ride](https://solarchargeddriving.com/category/editors-blog/save-more-for-the-ride/) - The “Save More for the Ride” blog section is devoted to energy efficiency and my own personal experiences and observations on this crucial topic. If you have already have a solar system – or when you do go solar, clearly, the more sparing you are with your home electric use, the higher the percentage of the electric miles you drive which will be what we at SolarChargedDriving.Com call Sun Miles™ — solar-powered miles driven by an electric vehicle (EV) or plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) whose batteries have been charged using solar energy. “Save More for the Ride” focuses on different – and often cool – things you can do to reduce your home electric use and therefore save more of the annual electricity generated by your home PV solar system for, that’s right, the Ride! - [What are Sun Miles?](https://solarchargeddriving.com/category/sun-miles-club/what-are-sun-miles/) - [Solar-powered EV charging stations](https://solarchargeddriving.com/category/news/solar-powered-plug-in-stations/solar-powered-ev-charging-stations/) - One of the most exciting things about the solar EV/PHEV synergy is the potential for solar-powered EV charging stations, solar EV chargning carports, solar EV charging canopies to spring up around America and around the world. The map below seeks to both promote the solar-EV/PHEV synergy and to inform you about where you can go to charge your car with sun. Please contact us if you know of a solar-powered EV charging station or solar-powered EV canopy that is not on our map so that we can add it to the map! - [Site navigation](https://solarchargeddriving.com/category/c73-site-navigation/) - [On evs & phevs](https://solarchargeddriving.com/category/editors-blog/on-evs-a-phevs/) - In this blogging section, I’ll riff on EVs & PHEVs, from both a practical perspective and from a political perspective. - [News features: General solar](https://solarchargeddriving.com/category/news/news-features-general-solar/) - [News features: evs/phevs](https://solarchargeddriving.com/category/news/news-features-evsphevs/) - [News features: Solar-charged driving](https://solarchargeddriving.com/category/news/news-features-solar-charged-driving/) - [News features: General environment](https://solarchargeddriving.com/category/news/news-features-general-environment/) - [News features: Solar-powered driving](https://solarchargeddriving.com/category/news/news-featurs-solar-powered-driving/) - [Solar leasing vs. buying](https://solarchargeddriving.com/category/going-solar/solar-leasing-vs-buying/) - In this section, SolarChargedDriving.Com examines various aspects of solar leasing, which is expanding right now in the United States. As of February 2013, solar leasing is available in 14 U.S. states and Washington, D.C.: Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Washington, D.C., and Washington State. Solar leasing allows consumers to leap over arguably the biggest barrier to going solar: Solar’s substantial upfront costs. - [HOAs & solar](https://solarchargeddriving.com/category/going-solar/hoas-a-solar/) - [Going solar: A photo gallery](https://solarchargeddriving.com/category/going-solar/going-solar-a-photo-gallery/) - Ever wonder what going solar and installing a home solar system entails? Wonder no more. We took hundreds of photos of our 5.59 kW solar system being installed by REC Solar workers. We selected the best ones and put together a step-by-step photo montage of our solar system going up on our our perfect-for-solar, south-facing Colorado rooftop. - [News features: Activism](https://solarchargeddriving.com/category/news/news-features-activism/) - Our core driving principle is environmentalism. And we want to help you help the environment. To this end, we have created this Solar, envirionmental & EV/PHEV Activism section. This section is devoted to publicizing and promoting solar, renewable energy, EV & PHEV and general environmental activism. Please e-mail us information about upcoming events. We look forward to hearing from you — and to working together with you to build a greener, more sustainable world for us all! - [Your going solar stories](https://solarchargeddriving.com/category/going-solar/your-going-solar-stories/) - [On driving & drivers](https://solarchargeddriving.com/category/editors-blog/on-driving-a-drivers/) - [Advertise](https://solarchargeddriving.com/category/about-us/advertise/) - [EVs/PHEVs and U.S. tax incentives](https://solarchargeddriving.com/category/evs-a-phevs/evsphevs-and-us-tax-incentives/) - [on EV + PV](https://solarchargeddriving.com/category/editors-blog/on-ev-pv/) ## Tags - [going solar](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/going-solar/) - [home solar](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/home-solar/) - [solar](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/solar/) - [solar tips](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/solar-tips/) - [solar charged electric car](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/solar-charged-electric-car/) - [electric car](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/electric-car/) - [electric vehicle](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/electric-vehicle/) - [rooftop solar](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/rooftop-solar/) - [solar gas station](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/solar-gas-station/) - [solar power](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/solar-power/) - [Tesla](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/tesla/) - [Tesla Model S](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/tesla-model-s/) - [Nissan LEAF](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/nissan-leaf/) - [grid parity](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/grid-parity/) - [solar charged driving](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/solar-charged-driving/) - [solar charged cars](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/solar-charged-cars/) - [solar charged electric vehicles](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/solar-charged-electric-vehicles/) - [utility monopoly](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/utility-monopoly/) - [war on rooftop solar](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/war-on-rooftop-solar/) - [solar EV charging stations](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/solar-ev-charging-station/) - [solar canopies](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/solar-canopies/) - [parking lot solar](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/parking-lot-solar/) - [fossil fuels](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/fossil-fuels/) - [distributive solar](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/distributive-solar/) - [hydrogen fairy](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/hydrogen-fairy/) - [hydrogen fuel cell vehicles](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/hydrogen-fuel-cell-vehicles/) - [Chevy Volt](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/chevy-volt/) - [fueling independence](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/fueling-independence/) - [climate change](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/climate-change/) - [environment](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/environment/) - [solar leasing](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/solar-leasing/) - [solar and HOAs](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/solar-and-hoas/) - [electric vehicle incentives](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/electric-vehicle-incentives/) - [BMW i3](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/bmw-i3/) - [Tesla Model 3](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/tesla-model-3/) - [Tesla Model X](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/tesla-model-x/) - [renewable energy](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/renewable-energy/) - [renewable energy charged electric cars](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/renewable-energy-charged-electric-cars/) - [EV + PV](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/ev-pv/) - [sun miles®](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/sun-miles/) - [driving on sunshine](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/driving-on-sunshine/) - [Tesla Superchargers](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/tesla-superchargers/) - [solar airplanes](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/solar-airplanes/) - [Dirty Coal](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/dirty-coal/) - [Big Oil](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/big-oil/) - [off grid solar](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/off-grid-solar/) - [gasoline RIP](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/gasoline-rip/) - [home solar system](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/home-solar-system/) - [car sharing](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/car-sharing/) - [gas free](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/gas-free/) - [Germany](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/germany/) - [electric cars 'too expensive'?](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/electric-cars-too-expensive/) - [EV charging infrastructure](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/ev-charging-infrastructure/) - [solar gas](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/solar-gas/) - [goodbye gas](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/goodbye-gas/) - [clean air](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/clean-air/) - [toyota](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/toyota/) - [EV tax credit](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/ev-tax-credit/) - [electric cars](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/electric-cars/) - [electric vehicles](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/electric-vehicles/) - [Twizy](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/twizy/) - [obama](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/obama/) - [solar EV charging canopy](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/solar-ev-charging-canopy/) - [earth](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/earth/) - [bill mckibben](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/bill-mckibben/) - [squirrels and solar](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/squirrels-and-solar/) - [solar micro-inverters](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/solar-micro-inverters/) - [enphase](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/enphase/) - [energy conservation](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/energy-conservation/) - [saving electricity](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/saving-electricity/) - [heat](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/heat/) - [solar electricity](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/solar-electricity/) - [gasoline](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/gasoline/) - [TED](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/ted/) - [The Energy Detective](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/the-energy-detective/) - [energy use monitor](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/energy-use-monitor/) - [central AC](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/central-ac/) - [acura integra](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/acura-integra/) - [carless](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/carless/) - [texting while driving](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/texting-while-driving/) - [texting](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/texting/) - [distracted driving](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/distracted-driving/) - [drunk driving](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/drunk-driving/) - [global solar leader](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/global-solar-leader/) - [hurricane sandy](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/hurricane-sandy/) - [White House](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/white-house/) - [solar jobs](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/solar-jobs/) - [presidential election](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/presidential-election/) - [EV myths](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/ev-myths/) - [nissan leave](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/nissan-leave/) - [autonomous vehicles](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/autonomous-vehicles/) - [google car](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/google-car/) - [national plug-in day](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/national-plug-in-day/) - [smart car](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/smart-car/) - [Powerwall](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/powerwall/) - [home battery storage](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/home-battery-storage/) - [Elon Musk](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/elon-musk/) - [ICEs](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/ices/) - [ethos electric car share](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/ethos-electric-car-share/) - [solarchargeddriving redesign](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/solarchargeddriving-redesign/) - [tires](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/tires/) - [Bridgestone tire wear](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/bridgestone-tire-wear/) - [solar panels and snow](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/solar-panels-and-snow/) - [range anxiety](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/range-anxiety/) - [National Drive Electric Day](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/national-drive-electric-day/) - [self-driving car](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/self-driving-car/) - [fully autonomous vehicle](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/fully-autonomous-vehicle/) - [autonomous vehicle](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/autonomous-vehicle/) - [self-driving cars](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/self-driving-cars/) - [Ford](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/ford/) - [Chevy Bolt](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/chevy-bolt/) - [EV lease](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/ev-lease/) - [oil](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/oil/) - [gas prices](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/gas-prices/) - [Model 3](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/model-3/) - [Smart grid](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/smart-grid/) - [energy efficiency](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/energy-efficiency/) - [Quebec](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/quebec/) - [Canada](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/canada/) - [Nissan](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/nissan/) - [2016 Nissan LEAF](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/2016-nissan-leaf/) - [solar-charged car](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/solar-charged-car/) - [SunRun](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/sunrun/) - [electric car + solar](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/electric-car-solar/) - [The Netherlands](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/the-netherlands/) - [battery storage](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/battery-storage/) - [solar carport](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/solar-carport/) - [net metering](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/net-metering/) - [electric grid](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/electric-grid/) - [solar-powered car](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/solar-powered-car/) - [solar race car](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/solar-race-car/) - [solar-charged carport](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/solar-charged-carport/) - [wind power](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/wind-power/) - [electric vehicle charging stations](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/electric-vehicle-charging-stations/) - [solar-charged EV charging station](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/solar-charged-ev-charging-station/) - [Chevrolet Bolt](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/chevrolet-bolt/) - [IKEA](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/ikea/) - [license plate](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/license-plate/) - [vanity plate](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/vanity-plate/) - [solar vanity plate](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/solar-vanity-plate/) - [electric vehicle vanity plate](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/electric-vehicle-vanity-plate/) - [EPA](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/epa/) - [solar-charged boat](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/solar-charged-boat/) - [solar boat](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/solar-boat/) - [Catamaran](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/catamaran/) - [solar energy](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/solar-energy/) - [United States](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/united-states/) - [solar capacity in United States](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/solar-capacity-in-united-states/) - [SEIA](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/seia/) - [solar panels](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/solar-panels/) - [Tesla Powerwall](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/tesla-powerwall/) - [condo](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/condo/) - [solar rights](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/solar-rights/) - [Google Map](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/google-map/) - [internal combustion cars](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/internal-combustion-cars/) - [death of the ICE](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/death-of-the-ice/) - [death of Big Oil](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/death-of-big-oil/) - [Nissan LEAF range](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/nissan-leaf-range/) - [EV range](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/ev-range/) - [2018 Nissan LEAF](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/2018-nissan-leaf/) - [electric car charger](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/electric-car-charger/) - [electric vehicle charger](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/electric-vehicle-charger/) - [Chevy Bolt lease](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/chevy-bolt-lease/) - [CARB](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/carb/) - [ZEV](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/zev/) - [EV charging](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/ev-charging/) - [electric car charging](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/electric-car-charging/) - [extension cord](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/extension-cord/) - [240-volt outlet](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/240-volt-outlet/) - [one car household](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/one-car-household/) - [Tesla solar shingles](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/tesla-solar-shingles/) - [Colorado solar](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/colorado-solar/) - [range](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/range/) - [Colorado](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/colorado/) - [hail](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/hail/) - [solar panels and hail](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/solar-panels-and-hail/) - [Tesla roof](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/tesla-roof/) - [fast charging](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/fast-charging/) - [Level 3 charging](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/level-3-charging/) - [Plugshare](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/plugshare/) - [Tony Seba](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/tony-seba/) - [EV revolution](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/ev-revolution/) - [home solar panels](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/home-solar-panels/) - [gasoline cars](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/gasoline-cars/) - [Bolt](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/bolt/) - [Denver](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/denver/) - [solar canopy](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/solar-canopy/) - [electric vehicle charging](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/electric-vehicle-charging/) - [SunMiles](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/sunmiles/) - [Envision Solar](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/envision-solar/) - [EV charging station](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/ev-charging-station/) - [Sono](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/sono/) - [Sono Sion](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/sono-sion/) - [solar-electric car](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/solar-electric-car/) - [solar-charged EV](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/solar-charged-ev/) - [solar-charged electric vehicle](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/solar-charged-electric-vehicle/) - [isun oasis](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/isun-oasis/) - [renewz](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/renewz/) - [electric car myths](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/electric-car-myths/) - [marketing](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/marketing/) - [selling EVs](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/selling-evs/) - [cost](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/cost/) - [utilities](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/utilities/) - [solar savings](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/solar-savings/) - [residential solar](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/residential-solar/) - [solar catamaran](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/solar-catamaran/) - [SoelYachts](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/soelyachts/) - [vanity plates](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/vanity-plates/) - [custom plates](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/custom-plates/) - [true cost economics](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/true-cost-economics/) - [100% renewable energy](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/100-renewable-energy/) - [electric car vanity plates](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/electric-car-vanity-plates/) - [LOL Gas](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/lol-gas/) - [LOL Oil](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/lol-oil/) - [solar custom plate](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/solar-custom-plate/) - [global solar](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/global-solar/) - [california solar 2020](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/california-solar-2020/) - [EVs](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/evs/) - [electric car range](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/electric-car-range/) - [EV regenerative braking](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/ev-regenerative-braking/) - [Rocky Mountains](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/rocky-mountains/) - [Littleon](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/littleon/) - [Florrisant](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/florrisant/) - [solar EV](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/solar-ev/) - [Xcel Energy](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/xcel-energy/) - [federal EV tax credit](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/federal-ev-tax-credit/) - [100 percent renewable energy](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/100-percent-renewable-energy/) - [Mark Jacobsen](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/mark-jacobsen/) - [Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/alexandria-ocasio-cortez/) - [youngest Congress person](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/youngest-congress-person/) - [solar cohousing](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/solar-cohousing/) - [solar gardens](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/solar-gardens/) - [Xcel Enegy Windsource](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/xcel-enegy-windsource/) - [free gas](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/free-gas/) - [gasoline savings](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/gasoline-savings/) - [solar-chargeddriving](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/solar-chargeddriving/) - [air pollution](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/air-pollution/) - [ozone](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/ozone/) - [EV fast charging](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/ev-fast-charging/) - [road trip](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/road-trip/) - [Santa Barbara](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/santa-barbara/) - [long-distance EV](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/long-distance-ev/) - [Mountain Chevrolet](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/mountain-chevrolet/) - [ChargePoint](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/chargepoint/) - [DCFC fast charger](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/dcfc-fast-charger/) - [Las Vegas](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/las-vegas/) - [Goleta](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/goleta/) - [long-distance electric cars](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/long-distance-electric-cars/) - [long-distance road trip](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/long-distance-road-trip/) - [DCFC stations](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/dcfc-stations/) - [DCFC charging](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/dcfc-charging/) - [EV Go](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/ev-go/) - [long-distance EV road trip](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/long-distance-ev-road-trip/) - [ICEd](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/iced/) - [michelin](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/michelin/) - [tread wear](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/tread-wear/) - [premature tire wear](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/premature-tire-wear/) - [tire wear](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/tire-wear/) - [Chevy Bolt tires](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/chevy-bolt-tires/) - [Nissan LEAF tires](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/nissan-leaf-tires/) - [flat tire](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/flat-tire/) - [no spare tire](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/no-spare-tire/) - [sidewall tire tear](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/sidewall-tire-tear/) - [Discount Tire](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/discount-tire/) - [emissions free EVs](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/emissions-free-evs/) - [gas cars](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/gas-cars/) - [save money on gas](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/save-money-on-gas/) - [electric car costs](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/electric-car-costs/) - [EV savings](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/ev-savings/) - [money](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/money/) - [cost of electric car ownership](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/cost-of-electric-car-ownership/) - [drowsy driving](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/drowsy-driving/) - [sleep driving](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/sleep-driving/) - [EVs drowsing driving](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/evs-drowsing-driving/) - [second generation Nissan LEAF](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/second-generation-nissan-leaf/) - [EVs Colorado](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/evs-colorado/) - [UK](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/uk/) - [United Kingdom](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/united-kingdom/) - [Feed-inTariffs](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/feed-intariffs/) - [FIT](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/fit/) - [EVs 2018](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/evs-2018/) - [solar license plates](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/solar-license-plates/) - [solar-charged driving vanity plates](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/solar-charged-driving-vanity-plates/) - [SOLR EV](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/solr-ev/) - [myths about electric cars](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/myths-about-electric-cars/) - [electric cars are too expensive](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/electric-cars-are-too-expensive/) - [Nissan LEAF Plus](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/nissan-leaf-plus/) - [solar train](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/solar-train/) - [solar locomotive](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/solar-locomotive/) - [solar-charged train](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/solar-charged-train/) - [solar shingles](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/solar-shingles/) - [allergies](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/allergies/) - [air pollution worsens allergies](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/air-pollution-worsens-allergies/) - [Denver air pollution](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/denver-air-pollution/) - [EV charger](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/ev-charger/) - [parking lot EV chargers](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/parking-lot-ev-chargers/) - [fueling](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/fueling/) - [HOA](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/hoa/) - [EVs and solar](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/evs-and-solar/) - [Americans](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/americans/) - [EVgo](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/evgo/) - [Unitarian Church](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/unitarian-church/) - [solar EV charger](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/solar-ev-charger/) - [electric car test drive](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/electric-car-test-drive/) - [Chevy Cruze](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/chevy-cruze/) - [Fourth of July](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/fourth-of-july/) - [Tesla Sentry Mode](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/tesla-sentry-mode/) - [cars with video capture](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/cars-with-video-capture/) - [portable solar EV charger](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/portable-solar-ev-charger/) - [Tesla Supercharger](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/tesla-supercharger/) - [solar-powered EV charging station](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/solar-powered-ev-charging-station/) - [climate](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/climate/) - [rednecks](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/rednecks/) - [gas huggers](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/gas-huggers/) - [dash camera](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/dash-camera/) - [solar software](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/solar-software/) - [Ford Mustang](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/ford-mustang/) - [muscle cars](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/muscle-cars/) - [sleep and driving](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/sleep-and-driving/) - [sleep](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/sleep/) - [Audi](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/audi/) - [Audi e-tron](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/audi-e-tron/) - [Tesla Cyber Truck](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/tesla-cyber-truck/) - [Cyber Truck](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/cyber-truck/) - [Rivian](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/rivian/) - [pick-up truck](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/pick-up-truck/) - [electric pick-up truck](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/electric-pick-up-truck/) - [Tesla Tiny House](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/tesla-tiny-house/) - [Tes](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/tes/) - [Kia Niro EV](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/kia-niro-ev/) - [Hyundai EV](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/hyundai-ev/) - [climate crisis](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/climate-crisis/) - [climate emergency](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/climate-emergency/) - [EV adoption rates](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/ev-adoption-rates/) - [GM](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/gm/) - [Ed Bozarth](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/ed-bozarth/) - [leasing](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/leasing/) - [deaths](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/deaths/) - [covid19](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/covid19/) - [clean air infographic](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/clean-air-infographic/) - [lockdowns](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/lockdowns/) - [telecommuting](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/telecommuting/) - [work from home](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/work-from-home/) - [cohousing](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/cohousing/) - [utility meter](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/utility-meter/) - [meter spins backward](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/meter-spins-backward/) - [highline crossing cohousing](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/highline-crossing-cohousing/) - [mortgage](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/mortgage/) - [B Corporation](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/b-corporation/) - [Amalgamated Bank](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/amalgamated-bank/) - [climate justice](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/climate-justice/) - [Lucid](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/lucid/) - [heat pump](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/heat-pump/) - [fossil fools](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/fossil-fools/) - [Sopris Solar](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/sopris-solar/) - [solar is contagious](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/solar-is-contagious/) - [home appliances](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/home-appliances/) - [gas appliances](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/gas-appliances/) - [electric appliances](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/electric-appliances/) - [carbon footprint](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/carbon-footprint/) - [grid mix](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/grid-mix/) - [global warming](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/global-warming/) - [SUVs](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/suvs/) - [drone video](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/drone-video/) - [solar offset](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/solar-offset/) - [EV solar charge](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/ev-solar-charge/) - [EV solar charging](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/ev-solar-charging/) - [how many solar panels to change an electric vehicle](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/how-many-solar-panels-to-change-an-electric-vehicle/) - [home solar for an EV](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/home-solar-for-an-ev/) - [EV](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/ev/) - [microgrids](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/microgrids/) - [Texas power outage](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/texas-power-outage/) - [Texas blackouts](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/texas-blackouts/) - [solar panels on a car](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/solar-panels-on-a-car/) - [solar-powered driving](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/solar-powered-driving/) - [solar cars](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/solar-cars/) - [solar-charging](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/solar-charging/) - [solar-powered EV](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/solar-powered-ev/) - [portable solar charging](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/portable-solar-charging/) - [EV fires](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/ev-fires/) - [ICE fires](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/ice-fires/) - [gas car fires](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/gas-car-fires/) - [bad journalism](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/bad-journalism/) - [electric vehicle tire wear](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/electric-vehicle-tire-wear/) - [EV tire wear](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/ev-tire-wear/) - [tire tread wear](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/tire-tread-wear/) - [EV maintenance](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/ev-maintenance/) - [micro-grids](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/micro-grids/) - [locally produced fuel](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/locally-produced-fuel/) - [kWh](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/kwh/) - [HOAs](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/hoas/) - [EV cost](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/ev-cost/) - [EV prices](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/ev-prices/) - [vehicle maintenance](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/vehicle-maintenance/) - [DCFC](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/dcfc/) - [long-distance EV driving](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/long-distance-ev-driving/) - [EV road trip](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/ev-road-trip/) - [CO2](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/co2/) - [Climate Emergeny](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/climate-emergeny/) - [solar EV carports](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/solar-ev-carports/) - [solar EV charging](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/solar-ev-charging/) - [wildfires](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/wildfires/) - [EV road trip planning](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/ev-road-trip-planning/) - [Littleton](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/littleton/) - [chevy bolt recall](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/chevy-bolt-recall/) - [bolt recall](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/bolt-recall/) - [fire recalls](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/fire-recalls/) - [fire recall](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/fire-recall/) - [ICE fire recalls](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/ice-fire-recalls/) - [gas car fire recalls](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/gas-car-fire-recalls/) - [automaker fire recalls](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/automaker-fire-recalls/) - [DCFC charger](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/dcfc-charger/) - [renewables](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/renewables/) - [home batteries](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/home-batteries/) - [grid-tied solar](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/grid-tied-solar/) - [off grid](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/off-grid/) - [Powerwalls](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/powerwalls/) - [EcoFlow Portable batteries](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/ecoflow-portable-batteries/) - [solar + battery](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/solar-battery/) - [ARE Solar](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/are-solar/) - [Federal Solar Tax Credit](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/federal-solar-tax-credit/) - [solar tax credit](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/solar-tax-credit/) - [ITC](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/itc/) - [Colorado fires](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/colorado-fires/) - [Marshall fire](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/marshall-fire/) - [Louisville fire](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/louisville-fire/) - [save money](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/save-money/) - [affordable electric cars](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/affordable-electric-cars/) - [cheap EVs](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/cheap-evs/) - [EVs are 'too expensive'](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/evs-are-too-expensive/) - [heating with solar](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/heating-with-solar/) - [eheat](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/eheat/) - [utility bill](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/utility-bill/) - [electric car range meter](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/electric-car-range-meter/) - [Hyundai Ioniq 5](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/hyundai-ioniq-5/) - [EV battery charging regimen](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/ev-battery-charging-regimen/) - [Ioniq 5](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/ioniq-5/) - [Hyundai Inoiq 5](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/hyundai-inoiq-5/) - [solarchargeddriving](https://solarchargeddriving.com/tag/solarchargeddriving/)