SOLAR AWNINGS

Partial photo: Vitor Paladini

Developing charging stations powered with photovoltaic canopies built into the parking infrastructure of large-scale retailers could address the problem of too few charging stations in rural areas, where they can be sparse. 3.1 megawatts could be generated per Walmart supercenter in the U.S., providing solar electricity for approximately 100 EV charging stations. Nationwide, Walmart could deploy 11.1 gigawatts of solar awnings over parking lots providing over 346,000 EV charging stations with solar electricity for customers. Such a fleetĀ  would cover the needs of 90% of the American public living within 15 miles of a Walmart. This model could be adopted by any box store.

www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/02/210210170021.htm