Off-grid dual-axis solar tracker charges workplace EVs for under $0.10 per kWh

In October, SolaFlect Energy announced the first California installation of its Apollo system — a dual-axis tracker solar electric vehicle car charger.

The system is being deployed in partnership with commercial real estate group Clear Blue Commercial in West Sacramento. The New England–based company chose California to push its unit, partially because California has wonderful sunlight and the nation’s highest rate of electric vehicle sales. However, also because of its high electricity prices — and because it’s hard, and expensive, to build and interconnect solar sometimes.

Each of the three units comes with four Level 2 chargers and a maximum system output of 6.88 kW. The Apollo system currently consists of 6.88 kW of Axitec 430-watt solar modules, an 8 kW Sol-Ark inverter, and just over 10 kWh of Powersync LFP batteries to stabilize the system.

While speaking with pv magazine USA, CTO Rob Adams said they believe these units align well with commercial business parking lots. The sites have mostly daytime traffic and can completely fill a car if it’s charged there all day. At a minimum, the units offer employees the ability to offset the electricity they use to get to and from the office.

As an illustration of how workplace charging and Apollo units fit into the modern corporate landscape, the group provided an insightful study by the Department of Energy. The study showed how a pair of Apollo units helped a 1,200-person, employee-owned company continue its environmental stewardship goals.

Hypertherm was working to minimize the carbon footprint of employees traveling to work, which included financially motivating them to buy electric vehicles. For those who expressed range anxiety, the company installed free chargers and worked to ensure everyone had the energy they needed onsite while they worked.

However, there were layers to be learned…

Source: Hypertherm, Hanover, New Hampshire

Range anxiety has proven difficult to define and enforce consistently. To better understand employee needs and refine this policy, Hypertherm developed and distributed an internal survey and the results revealed that perceived range anxiety fluctuates with factors such as cold weather, early or late shifts, and the need to run errands after work.

Hypertherm set a new rule that employees must first charge at the Apollo charging units, among the many standard wall EV chargers the company has installed, to ease grid strain and maximize their value.

Adams says an Apollo unit — depending on weather and location — can deliver up to 250 miles of range in a day, and up to 60,000 miles over the course of a year. That’s enough to fully power four to five cars, or partially power many more commuting cars.

According to SolaFlect, the hardware that powers the dual-axis tracker has been deployed over 1,300 times in and around Vermont during the past nearly 15 years. This means there are experienced technicians and a supply chain of hardware feeding the current ninth version of the system.

The 12,500-pound unit sits within two spots and bleeds into a third. It does require grounding and connection into the pavement; however, all of the work needed to install a unit can be accomplished in a single day. The penetrations are nine inches deep, and there are two of them per foundation leg. The 11,000-pound concrete base represents 88% of the system’s weight.

For most of the conversation, Adams is a disciplined and focused product showman. He knows the value generated by his unit for commercial property owners, but give him a moment — and he gets excited about a new mobile version of the Apollo.

Currently, that unit — still under wraps and in development — sits on top of a boom truck that carries it to secret film sites in the desert. There, it replaces diesel generators traditionally used to power mobile production sets.

Beyond movies shot in the desert, Adams said the company is exploring other, more unique uses. SolaFlect is in deep discussions with the White Mountain, New Hampshire–based Appalachian Mountain Club, which manages remote, powerless cabins on mountain ridges 4,000 to more than 6,000 feet up. He’s also in talks with an energy-related “adventure brand” that his product could strategically support.

When asked about residential applications — such as powering a home through a microgrid using car batteries and solar — Adams said it was a good idea, but quickly focused on the financials and the soon-to-expire tax credit.

Right now, the company wants to get its West Coast launch right and make the most of the time between now and December 31, 2027. Adams said the unit’s $59,000 price tag, before incentives, combined with California’s strong sunlight — 21,000 kWh per year versus 16,000 in New England — makes a compelling case. At that price, a commercial customer can claim a 30%, $17,000 federal tax credit, plus roughly $10,000 in benefits from 100% accelerated depreciation in the first year – representing 45% of the system’s cost.

Spread over 25 years, Adams says the units cost $0.10 to $0.08/kWh over its lifetime. Rough math suggests in California it’s well under $0.07/kWh. The company assembles the units in New Hampshire, with significant components being locally sourced.

Adams says one of their first installations ended with the business owner doing a lottery for the employees who got to use the parking spots first for their EVs. The energy he gets – no pun intended – from hearing these stories give him the motivation to keep pushing in the commercial space.

This content is protected by copyright and may not be reused. If you want to cooperate with us and would like to reuse some of our content, please contact: editors@pv-magazine.com.