Solar Electric Vehicle Charging Station to Come to SunRay Library?

The City of Saint Paul is in the midst of a project to install public, electric vehicle charging stations around the city using Federal grant money.  More information about this work is available at www.stpaul.gov/evchargingstations. 

 

A couple of the stations will be solar powered.  Below is an image of the array planned for installation in the Como Pavilion parking lot to power two electric vehicle charging stations (they are visible as two posts under the array, but look like the second attached photo).   This is being funded by the U.S. Department of Energy.

 

The State of Minnesota has a small amount of renewable energy fund money that it is looking to use to assist Mpls and St. Paul in doing a couple of more solar charging stations.  If funded, we'd like to do an installation at Sun Ray library.  The design of the solar array and stations would be similar to the Como installation, although there could be some design modifications to the cross bar, which in the Como case was designed to match detailing on the Como Pavilion. 

 

Based on solar access at the Sun Ray site and the availability of utility service, an array would be best installed next to the SW corner of the upper parking lot at Sun Ray, near the sidewalk that runs between the two parts of the parking lot.  The array would be tied into the charging stations and the utility grid, thereby providing solar energy to the grid when the stations are not in use, and providing grid power to the stations when the sun is not shining.  The two charging station parking spaces could be designated as "EV Only" parking, or as first-come-first serve for any car, unless reserved. (The charging stations can be reserved on-line ahead of visits, so that only the person with the reservation can access the plug during that time.)

 

We'd like to proceed with this grant opportunity as quickly as possible, and if funded, would welcome input from District 1 on design and use.  Please let me know if you have any questions or thoughts on this. You can contact Merritt.Clapp-Smith@ci.stpaul.mn.us

Submitted by St. Paul Department of Planning and Economic Development