Corporate office and workplace charging stations are seeing some real growth in the US market, as employees and fleet managers purchase more electric vehicles that need charging ports on campus. CALSTART, a leading North American consortium to promote clean transportation technologies, yesterday unveiled an 84.5-kilowatt solar array at its headquarters in Pasadena, Calif. The installation combines high-performance solar panels from SolarWorld, the largest US solar manufacturer for more than 35 years, with five electric vehicle charging stations. The project demonstrates the marriage of solar power and electric-vehicle charging for CALSTART’s member organizations – hundreds of manufacturers, suppliers, vehicle-fleet owners, government agencies, and policy-makers working to commercialize clean transportation technology across North America. At a ribbon-cutting ceremony yesterday, CALSTART President and CEO John Boesel welcomed dignitaries and CALSTART consortium members. The event showcased the solar array and charging stations as well as examples of cutting-edge electric and hybrid vehicles.
CALSTART is a member of the Plug-in Electric Vehicle Collaborative, a group of auto manufacturers, suppliers, and government agencies working to facilitate deployment of electric vehicle charging stations in California. This organization has initiated a program to promote workplace electric-vehicle charging, developing a rapid information-sharing network for employers nationwide to learn from each other how best to integrate chargers.