This comes from the, “well duh!” file. A UK firm is developing a canopy designed to be mounted over a parking spot with solar cells, so people driving all-electric vehicles can charge while parked. This sounds like a really great idea. Imagine being able to charge up your car while you’re at work.
Currently, the company only has the awnings only installed at their UK headquarters, but word is that they have received a ton on interest from various sectors. I absolutely love this concept, it would help to defray some of the concerns people have about where the electricity for these all-electric cars would come from. Just plug in the car when you get to work, and let it charge up all day!
Each parking space is expected to generate about 1100 kilowatt hours of electricity annually, and they can be linked to the electrical grid so no energy would be wasted.
[via Gearlog]
The article says that each parking space could generate up to 1,100 kilowatt hours annually (not 1 as Dave mentioned in your description). Apart from this, making an awning to overshadow vehicles should prove convenient not only for when people wish to have their electric cars charge while parked, but also on the UK’s hot sunny days where the awning will prevent the inside of the car from heating up too much before the owner gets back.
this story was published on solarfeeds 3 days ago!!
smart idea! question is if there is actually enough sun for using solar power in a sensful way in the UK … ?
I agree it’s a cool idea, but I’m not sure it’s that new. Envision Solar has been doing this for several years and actually has large scale installations already built (and they actually look nice.)
http://envisionsolar.com/index.php?page=portfolio&act=gallery
The weather is the UK is so temperamental, can you really depend on solar energy to charge your car to get you home.
I guess because there also wired up to the grid, so on a bad day it taking the juice from the nearby power station.
I still can’t believe they haven’t put turbines along the motorway’s, surly this is an easy way to get some renewable energy.