Kyocera Solar Grove Parking Lot
10 July 2005
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| Kyocera Solar Grove |
Kyocera recently held a public dedication for its first-ever Solar Grove—an array of 25 “solar trees” that converts a 186-vehicle parking lot into a 235-kW solar electric generating system.
Based on test conditions and adjusted for inverter efficiency estimated at 94%, the 235 kW system is capable of generating 421,000 kilowatt hours per year.
The system’s 25 solar trees form a carport in a Kyocera employee parking lot, utilizing a total of 1,400 Kyocera KC-187G solar photovoltaic (PV) modules and 200 custom-manufactured, light-filtering PV modules.
The project is supported by the California Public Utilities Commission’s “Self Generation Incentive Program,” which will cover approximately 36% of the system’s purchase and installation costs; as well as federal and state tax credits, and a five-year accelerated depreciation schedule.
The standard Kyocera solar modules used in the Solar Grove are covered by a 25-year manufacturer’s warranty, and Kyocera anticipates that the Solar Grove will pay for itself within 12 years.
Adding vehicle-charging stanchions to such a design to support plug-in hybrids as well as full EVs seems a small additional step.
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| Kyocera SCV |
Although Kyocera Solar’s focus is more on the stationary (grid-tie systems, building-integrated photovoltaics) and the remote industrial, the Kyocera has a long-standing effort in electric vehicles as well.
In addition to its “Son of Sun” PV racer, the company developed (10 years ago) a prototype city EV: the Solar Car Vehicle (SCV).
Bring this on! This is the kind of project the feds should be heavily invested in; at the Governator is.
Posted by: Richz | 10 July 2005 at 10:38 AM
its about time. Where is the east coast? especially Florida needs to step up.
Posted by: paul | 11 July 2005 at 09:56 AM
Imagine these at all the commuter train parking lots!
The latest speaker at Fermilab's Colloquia mentioned & showed a photo of a parking lot in Sacramento that had PVs like this. Is Kyocera's lot in Sacramento?
Check out the streaming video of The Sustainable Hydrogen Economy, John Turner NREL, http://vmsstreamer1.fnal.gov/VMS_Site_03/Lectures/Colloquium/050706Turner/index.htm
Posted by: turbinia2 | 11 July 2005 at 10:57 AM
No, the Grove is in San Diego. :-)
Posted by: Mike | 11 July 2005 at 01:32 PM
Just hope its hurricane proof we get those every once in awhile and nothin says wow like a 10 ton chunk of high tech power generation landing on your roof.
Posted by: wintermane | 12 July 2005 at 08:15 AM
Short of saving on a few thousand feet of cabling, what is the thrill of putting solar cells over the parking lot instead of on the roof of the adjacent building and running a few plug-ins to the spots requiring them?
I mean, sure it looks cool... but I'd much rather see them pave the lot with grass-paver material.
Posted by: stomv | 14 July 2005 at 01:46 PM
Well it also keeps the cars cooler and lets people get to them without getting rained on as much... plus it was prolly alot cheaper there.
Posted by: wintermane | 14 July 2005 at 06:36 PM