British Gas and Romag to Partner on Solar Charging Canopies for Plug-ins
03 June 2009
British Gas and Romag Holdings Plc, the specialist manufacturer of glass and plastic composites for renewable energy applications, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to collaborate in the testing, marketing, distribution and installation of British Gas branded solar power canopies and other related products.
Romag introduced the ‘PowerPark’ solar car parking canopy initiative in March. Made of PowerGlaz PV panels, it is to be targeted at car parks at airports, stations, supermarkets, shopping centres, offices and public buildings including sports and leisure facilities. The canopy generates electricity which can be sold into the national grid as well as charging electric vehicles.
This initiative was spurred by UK Government encouragement to demonstrate that the infrastructure is being put in place to support the manufacture of electric cars and will furthermore be beneficial to commercial organizations when the feed in tariff is introduced in 2010.
Romag has already secured a contract with OneNE, the regional development agency, to build two prototype ‘PowerPark’ canopies: one at its own facility in County Durham and the other at Tegrel Engineering in Blaydon on Tyne, the manufacturers of the steel structure utilized in the PowerPark product. Once testing is approved, PowerPark can be rolled out initially as part of the pilot program in the North East and then throughout the UK.
I mentioned that a 10' by 20' EV car port could produce enough energy to run a car 40 miles. This is enough for most people to do what they do with cars every day. That would remove those cars from using ANY gasoline forever. That would be nice.
Posted by: SJC | 03 June 2009 at 01:06 PM
At least they are not sticking the solar panels on the cars as some people suggest.
I think we need to separate solar panels and electric car charging.
Both are good, but unless you are in a very isolated place, both should be separated.
Charge from the grid, generate to the grid, perhaps you avoid some transmission losses by charging directly from a PV panel, but once the car moves off, you are back to generating to the grid.
Even in an isolated place, you would mostly be charging to a battery, until a car comes along, when you could rapid charge from the battery, and then start charging up the battery again.
PV + Evs are not a good mix.
You need PV + storage + Evs, and the best storage is the grid.
Posted by: mahonj | 03 June 2009 at 04:10 PM
PV and EV would be fine. Your PVs are on netmetering and paying you for peak time during the day and you charge you car at night with low rates...perfect!
Posted by: SJC | 03 June 2009 at 05:22 PM
Your absolutely right mahonj.
PV + Evs are both green but not a good mix.
Just about like Windmills and EVs.
The right to freely exchange with the grid is equivalent to megawatt hours of free storage, use it.
.
Posted by: ToppaTom | 03 June 2009 at 10:51 PM