Greentech Lead America: CALSTART, a consortium to promote
clean transportation technologies, has installed an 84.5-kilowatt solar system
at its headquarters in Pasadena, Calif. The installation combines
high-performance solar panels from SolarWorld with five electric vehicle
charging stations.
CALSTART’s solar array consists of 338 mono-crystalline
silicon solar panels manufactured by SolarWorld. With 78 solar panels mounted
on the headquarters roof and 260 installed on a carport canopy custom-designed
by SoCal Solar Energy, a SolarWorld authorized installer based in Mission
Viejo, Calif.
“SolarWorld welcomes this opportunity to partner
with CALSTART, an organization engaged in commercializing clean, efficient
technology in the transportation sector. CALSTART’s focus on addressing our
nation’s air-quality, climate-change and energy-independence challenges
dovetails with our own mission to deploy American-made solar technology
manufactured according to the highest standards of environmental protection and
quality,” said Kevin Kilkelly, president of SolarWorld.
The system is expected to generate enough clean
power to 80 percent of CALSTART’s energy needs at the Pasadena facility,
including power to supply the car chargers.
“This solar installation is a real-world
demonstration of how employers can use solar technology and electric-vehicle
charging to meet their triple bottom line: protecting the environment,
providing benefit to their employees and saving money on energy costs now and
for decades to come. We’re especially pleased that the solar panels from SolarWorld
are made in the United States, creating high-quality American jobs,” said
John Boesel, president and CEO, CALSTART.
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.
SolarWorld powers American Public University solar system
Recently, SolarWorld installed a 407-kilowatt solar array
for American Public University System (APUS) in West Virginia. The system is
comprised of 1,671 high-performance solar panels. The installation is mounted
on a carport structure at APUS’ headquarters in Charles Town, W.V., deep in West
Virginia’s panhandle.