CALSTART, North America’s leading consortium to promote clean
transportation technologies, today unveiled an 84.5-kilowatt solar array
at its headquarters in Pasadena, Calif. The installation combines high-performance
solar panels from SolarWorld, the largest U.S. 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.
The 84.5-kilowatt solar installation at CALSTART's headquarters in Pasadena, Calif., joins solar power with electric vehicle charging. Photo courtesy of SoCal Solar Energy.
CALSTART’s solar array is composed of 338 mono-crystalline silicon solar
panels manufactured by SolarWorld
in Hillsboro, Ore., and installed by SoCal Solar Energy, a SolarWorld
authorized installer based in Mission Viejo, Calif. With 78 solar panels
mounted on the headquarters roof and 260 installed on a carport canopy
custom-designed by SoCal Solar Energy, the system is expected to
generate enough clean power to offset 80 percent of CALSTART’s energy
needs at the Pasadena facility, including power to supply the car
chargers.
At a ribbon-cutting ceremony today, CALSTART President and CEO John
Boesel welcomed dignitaries and CALSTART consortium members, including
U.S. Rep. Judy Chu, Pasadena Mayor Bill Bogaard and Phyllis Currie,
general manager of Pasadena Water and Power. The event showcased the
solar array and charging stations as well as examples of cutting-edge
electric and hybrid vehicles.
"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,” Boesel said. "We’re especially pleased that the solar panels from
SolarWorld are made in the United States, creating high-quality American
jobs.”
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. Moreover, the 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.
"SolarWorld welcomes this opportunity to partner with CALSTART, an
organization engaged in commercializing clean, efficient technology in
the transportation sector,” said Kevin Kilkelly, president of SolarWorld
Americas. "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.”
About SolarWorld (www.SolarWorld.com)
SolarWorld (ISIN: DE0005108401) is a worldwide leader in offering
brand-name, high-quality, crystalline silicon solar-power technology.
The company’s strength is its fully integrated solar production. From
silicon as the raw material through wafers, cells and panels all the way
to turn-key solar systems of all sizes, the group combines all stages of
the solar value chain. The central business activity is selling
high-quality panels into the installation and distribution trades and
wafers to the international solar cell industry. Group headquarters are
located in Bonn, Germany, with sales sites in Singapore, South Africa,
Spain, France as well as in the U.S. state of California. The group’s
largest production facilities operate in Freiberg, Germany, and
Hillsboro in the U.S. state of Oregon. Sustainability is the basis of
the group strategy. Under the name Solar2World, the group supports
community aid projects using off-grid solar-power solutions in
developing countries, exemplifying sustainable economic development.
Worldwide, SolarWorld employs about 3,300 people. SolarWorld AG has been
quoted on the stock exchange since 1999 and today is listed on, among
others, the TecDAX and ÖkoDAX as well as in the sustainability index NAI.
About CALSTART (www.calstart.org)
CALSTART, North America’s leading clean transportation technologies and
solutions consortium, is the only organization working nationally to
foster the rapid growth of the entire clean transportation technology
industry. CALSTART serves as a catalyst for the comprehensive clean
transportation industry as a way to create more jobs, clean the air,
make the country more secure, and reduce the threat of global warming.
CALSTART manages leading-edge technology programs while providing
value-added services to its 150 member companies and consulting clients.
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