Solar Grove: the new face of car parks

Tree shades car, powers building

Dell joined a growing trend in October when it installed a Solar Grove in the car park of its headquarters in Round Rock, Texas.

The structure comprises 516 photovoltaic (PV) panels with a combined capacity of 110kW, spread over 11 ‘Solar Trees’. As well as providing 131,000kWh per year of electricity to the building, the Grove offers shade for 56 parked vehicles, and powers two solar-to-electric charging points for both all-electric and plug-in hybrid models. It’s positioned to display the PV panels to drivers on a nearby highway – so advertising solar’s potential to passers-by.

It’s been developed by Envision Solar, which has led eight Solar Grove projects in America. These include a 279kW plant for Kyocera in San Diego, which features 25 solar trees. – Lottie Butler

29 December 2009

Lottie Butler