Nation's First Networked Solar-Powered Charging Station for Electric Vehicles Unveiled

By Lyle Dennis

Lyle Dennis

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“Carbon Day and the City of Chicago are demonstrating true innovation, ingenuity and initiative,” said Richard Lowenthal, CEO of Coulomb Technologies. “Solar energy and electric vehicles are an inevitable partnership that is one more step to reducing our dependence on foreign oil.”

Coulomb's charging stations are unique in that they have a wireless networking capability. A subscriber simply waves a key fob and the unit opens allowing them to access the charging port. The Smarlet then communicates with local utility providers determining if sufficient capacity is available to charge the car and titrates current efficiently. This system is important to handle daytime electric charging at times of peak demand. It is also necessary to allow apartment dwellers and those without garages to charge their cars as EVs become more mainstream.

The combination of a solar panels with the unit adds another significant advantage. As the unit collects solar energy it is stored in built in battery packs. The energy is then routed to vehicles when they are plugged in.

Press Release:
Coulomb Technologies ChargePoint Network and Carbon Day Automotive Deliver Solar Plug-In Stations

CHICAGO, April 8, 2009 -- Carbon Day Automotive today announced the unveiling of the first solar-powered electric vehicle charging station in the City of Chicago. Located and operational at the City of Chicago Department of Fleet Maintenance, it was one of the focal points of the recent IOC tour on April 5th, 2009 where guests were able to see the nation’s foremost Solar Plug-In Station™ that was designed to pave the way to fuel plug-in electric vehicles. It will be used daily by the City of Chicago to fuel the city’s electric vehicles with power from the sun. Carbon Day Automotive is the sole Midwest distributor for Coulomb Technologies ChargePoint™ Networked Charging Stations. When paired with Carbon Day’s Solar Plug-In Station, it is a source of totally renewable and clean energy that addresses the needs of drivers, utilities and governments.

“Carbon Day and the City of Chicago are demonstrating true innovation, ingenuity and initiative,” said Richard Lowenthal, CEO of Coulomb Technologies. “Solar energy and electric vehicles are an inevitable partnership that is one more step to reducing our dependence on foreign oil.”

The Carbon Day Automotive Solar Plug-In Station, built by Carbon Day Construction, was designed by the world-renowned firm of Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture. Wanxiang America Corporation, dedicated to providing clean energy solutions for municipalities, manufactured the solar panels that form a tree-like canopy built by Residential Steel. Pure Energy, LLC, Northbrook installed the sculpted piece and interfaced it with the concealed underground battery pack enhanced to store solar energy, specially designed and developed by ALL CELL Technologies, a thermal management and power pack solutions manufacturer. The grid stores the sun’s energy, a renewable resource, to power zero emission electric vehicles.

“Without these stations it would be like driving around in traditional cars without the availability of gas stations,” said Scott Emalfarb, CEO at Carbon Day. “The day of true plug-in electric vehicles will be here sooner than most people realize and the world needs to be ready to accommodate them. Carbon Day will build them and they will come.”