Portland, Ore., – Through a collaborative effort from the Sanyo North America Corporation (SANYO), InSpec Group (InSpec), and Portland General Electric (PGE), the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) has installed a solar canopy charging station to service electric cars, e-bikes, and most portable personal electronic devices. The solar charging canopy marks the first such installation in North America aiming to provide a solution for the increasing use of alternative transportation. The canopy is now available for public use.
“Portland is at the forefront of integrating green-building, transportation and renewable energy, and with great innovators like Sanyo and InSpec Group and PGE at the table, this project exemplifies that integration,” said Portland Mayor Sam Adams. “It’s a model for how we can deliver economic prosperity and sustainability side-by-side.”
“OMSI is dedicated to helping the public learn more about the important relationship between energy and the environment, particularly regarding renewable energy sources,” said OMSI President Nancy Stueber. “We are thankful to SANYO, InSpec, and PGE for their generous support in providing OMSI and its visitors with such an accessible natural energy resource and learning tool.”
“What better place to showcase Oregon’s first solar-powered charging station than at OMSI, where visitors can learn about the latest in science technology,” said Carol Dillin, vice president, customers and economic development at PGE. “Through this collaborative effort, we are adding more renewable energy for our customers and educating the public about the future of sustainable transportation in Oregon.”
“This project is a perfect example of the type of synergy that we expected in our partnership with InSpec as we work together to lead the way in energy solutions,” said Sam Murata, President of SANYO North America Corporation. “With our highly efficient solar panels and InSpec’s design and implementation, we have been able to create a value-added solution for OMSI’s guests in encouraging them to learn and experience electric charging from solar panels firsthand.”
The solar canopy has been installed in OMSI’s south parking lot and is large enough to cover 3 standard-sized parking spaces for automobiles. It features weatherproof lockers, each with 120V AC outlets, with two of the lockers serving as charging mounts for the SANYO ‘eneloop bike’ Synergetic Hybrid Bicycle, a pedal-assisted hybrid electric bicycle. Additionally, beneath the canopy there is a bicycle rack for bicycle parking.
In conjunction with the completion of the first solar canopy charging station, SANYO also presented OMSI with three eneloop bikes (pedal-assist hybrid electric bicycles) which the museum will use as learning tools and will enable the charging station to be used for its intended purpose of recharging personal electric vehicles.
The installation will require 42 of SANYO’s HIT Double(R) 195 modules, and will provide a capacity of 8.2kWh. It has been estimated that with a pitch at 10 degrees to the south, a minimum of 7,800 kWh and as much as 10,000 kWh of energy can be generated per year depending on the albedo of the parking surface. The solar panels in the solar canopy have been manufactured and assembled using the ingots and wafers produced in SANYO Solar of Oregon, L.L.C., located in Salem, Oregon.
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