Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Solar exec believes carports provide the next frontier


Are carports the next big thing for solar installations?

Robert Noble, a founder of San Diego-based Envision Solar, told greentechmedia.com today that he believes they are the single largest market. "It's better than drilling into a waterproofed roof," Noble told reporter Eric Wesoff.

Envision Solar began trading over the counter this week as the result of a reverse merger, the site said.

The San Joaquin Valley has its share of solar-covered parking installations, with the system at California State University, Fresno being among the most prominent. The 1.1 megawatt array was completed in partnership with Chevron Energy Solutions and covers 722 parking spaces. The university estimates the system provides 20% of core campus power.

Another installation is the 5-acre rental car return lot at Fresno Yosemite International Airport, which also has a set of solar panels that do double duty as sun shades. The entire system is 2 megawatts.

The San Joaquin Valley Clean Energy Organization is a nonprofit dedicated to improving our region's quality of life by increasing its production and use of clean and alternative energy. The SJVCEO works with cities and counties and public and private organizations to demonstrate the benefits of energy efficiency and renewable energy throughout the eight-county region of the San Joaquin Valley.
Photo courtesy CSUF.

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