Idaho National Laboratory Invests in Solar EV Fleet Charging

by | Aug 31, 2018

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idaho national laboratory

(Photo: Idaho National Laboratory)

Idaho National Laboratory invested in solar-powered charging for its electric vehicle fleet, San Diego-based company Envision Solar announced. The lab will be installing the EV Arc charging product, a transportable station that fits inside a parking space.

Each EV Arc can deliver up to 225 e-miles daily while charging up to six EVs at a time, according to Envision Solar. “The station is mounted on a ballast and traction pad that keeps it upright even in winds of 110 mph or earthquakes, the company’s description says.

Patented sun-tracking technology on the station allows it to produce as much as 25% more electricity than fixed solar rays. EV Arc products can power Level I, Level II, and DC Fast Charging and can work with a customer’s existing EV charging service provider, the company says.

“The EV Arc product’s ease of deployment and environmentally impact-free installation coupled with the truly emissions-free driving it delivers were major factors in the lab’s decision to select EV Arc over grid-tied options,” Envision Solar said.

Located in the high desert of eastern Idaho, INL is the nation’s leading laboratory for energy research, development, demonstration, and deployment. The lab is part of the DOE and currently has around 3,900 employees.

“INL is integrating sustainability performance improvements in the areas that matter most to its stakeholders, including minimizing the environmental footprint, taking a progressive approach to mitigating climate change, and championing energy conservation,” the lab’s site says.

Futuristic Fleet Management

Fleet management falls under sustainability for the lab, particularly since the lab is so remote and there are great distances between facilities. INL has its own mass transit system with 90 buses for transporting employees to and from the desert site.

The lab is actively pursuing E 85, E-10, B20 and LNG fuel usage for its buses. INL also reports developing a project to convert six buses to a dual fuel configuration so they can run on both diesel/B20 and LNG.

In addition, INL is actively involved in solar energy and electric vehicle research. Last year the lab’s group lead for advanced vehicles research, John Smart, gave a presentation called “Shared, Autonomous, Electric EVs and How to Charge Them.”

“Shared mobility and shared-automated vehicles have different operating patterns and fueling infrastructure requirements than personal-use vehicles,” he wrote. Citing a car-sharing company in San Diego that had to replace its all-electric vehicle fleet with gas cars due to a lack of charging stations, Smart said, “We will need to rethink charging infrastructure.”


Getting It Done: Mentioned in This Article…

Envision Solar

Idaho National Laboratory


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