Archive for the ‘Solar Charging For Electric Cars’ Category

Jim Ellis Chevrolet Unveils GA’s First Dealership EV Solar Chaging Station Powered by Metro Plug-In

RIBBON CUTTING ANNOUNCED AT JIM ELLIS CHEVROLET FOR GEORGIA’S FIRST DEALERSHIP EV SOLAR CHARGING STATION

Atlanta, Georgia – February 20, 2013 – Jim Ellis Chevrolet is the first dealership in the state of Georgia to install an electric vehicle solar charging station. 

Jim Ellis Automotive Group announces the first electric vehicle solar charging station installed at an automotive dealership in the state of Georgia.    “With the rising gas prices and growth in electric vehicle sales, we knew it was important for customers with electric vehicles to have access to this station,” says Jimmy Ellis, VP and COO of Jim Ellis Automotive Group.  “We are not charging our customers for use of this station at this time.  It’s a service to those with electric vehicles and we’re sure other dealers will follow.”

Jim Ellis Chevrolet is holding their ribbon cutting ceremony on Wednesday, February 27 at 2pm at 5900 Peachtree Industrial Blvd, Atlanta.   Mayor Donna Pittman in Doraville, Georgia will attend the ribbon cutting ceremony, along with VP and COO, Jimmy Ellis and Mark Frost, VP of Operations for GM Brands at Jim Ellis Automotive Group.  “We are seeing more and more demand for electric vehicles,” says Jimmy Ellis.  “We were the leader in all of Georgia in 2012 with Chevy Volt sales, at over 100 units.  Our goal is to take care of the needs of Georgia residents with an electric vehicle as the demand for electric vehicles increases.”  Jim Ellis Automotive Group has been a leading retailer of green vehicles, including high EPA-rated fuel mileage gasoline vehicles, high-efficiency diesel engine vehicles, and of recently, natural gas powered and electric powered vehicles.

Jim Ellis Automotive Group is the city’s single largest family owned and operated automotive group, serving Atlanta, Marietta and Buford.  Atlanta Business Chronicle ranks them as #1 in total new and used vehicles sold in 2012 at over 17,700 units.  Jim Ellis Automotive has been in business 41 years, with over 850 employees.  Jim Ellis Automotive Group represents notable brands such as Audi, Buick, Chevy, GMC, Hyundai, Maserati, Mazda, Porsche, Saab, Volkswagen and Volvo. The company website is https://www.JimEllis.com.

Kirk-Rudy Ribbon Cutting – May 25th, 11am

Woodstock, GA. May, 2011 – At 11:00 a.m., May 25, 2011, Kirk-Rudy, a paper machinery manufacturer established in 1967, and a major employer in Cherokee County, will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its solar parking canopy with an attached Electric Vehicle (EV) charging station. This is the first solar canopy with EV charging station in Georgia; and the first EV charging station in Cherokee County.

Construction as of April 26th

Kirk-Rudy, a community leader in energy sustainability and recycling, had the solar array installed primarily to offset the company’s electricity consumption. Rick Marshall, President of Kirk-Rudy, expects the solar panels to offset the company’s electric usage by 30 percent. The solar array will also provide electricity for the charging station as well, thereby providing 100% “green”, renewable energy for the vehicle. Only one charging station is being installed at this time, but the design and construction allow for a second or third charging station to be easily installed in the future as demand dictates.

Creative Solar USA, Inc., headquartered in Woodstock, Georgia, designed, engineered, and installed the 100 kW solar canopy. Creative Solar USA has been designing and installing solar photo voltaic systems since 2008. In addition to reducing the long-term cost of electricity and providing beneficial shade for parked cars, Russell Seifert, the CEO of Creative Solar, for years has believed in the concept of solar parking canopies with EV Charging Stations and that they are a natural step in our nation’s quest for energy sustainability.

“We are honored and proud to work with Kirk-Rudy on such a monumental project,” said Mr. Seifert. “All of our labor and subcontracting was sourced locally and 85% of our materials were bought from Georgia based companies. Solar power not only helps our country with energy independence on a global scale, but is also a benefit to our local economic community.”

The charging station is made by ClipperCreek, Inc. and manufactured in Auburn, CA. Metro Plug-In, also of Woodstock, provided the charging station for the project. Creative Solar USA and Metro Plug-In find their two products to be a natural fit and both companies look forward to more joint endeavors.

The actual ribbon cutting will take place at 11:30 a.m., May 25th, at Kirk-Rudy’s office located at 125 Lorraine Parkway (near the intersection of Rope Mill Road & Ridgewalk Parkway) in Woodstock, GA to be followed by a BBQ luncheon.

Woodstock Business Installs Electric Vehicle Charging Station for Employee Use

Tucked away off the entrance road to Olde Rope Mill Park in Woodstock is one of Cherokee County’s largest industrial employers, Kirk-Rudy, which is investing its resources into a solar-paneled carport and electric car charging station.

The renewable technology is expected to supply all electricity needs for the 100,000-square-foot building that houses 95 employees.

“It’s definitely a feel-good project for us,” Marshall said.

The $500,000 project is expected to be completed by late March or early April. Marshall said the idea came after the company was exploring other cost-cutting measures. He said he attended a Georgia Power conference last spring, but at the time wasn’t sold on the idea of using renewable energy.

“But I dove a little deeper into it and realized that there are lots of credits and grants out there and started running the numbers and it made more sense,” he said. “So, we contacted some suppliers of these panels and got quotes and now we’re off and running.”

Russell Seifert, owner and CEO of Woodstock-based Creative Solar USA, is responsible for the solar car canopy, which runs on a 100-kilowatt system comprised of 432 panels.

Marshall said the canopy, which will have 50 parking spaces, works better than rooftop panels because installing them on a roof would require penetrating the surface and opening it up to leakage issues, and panels need to be cleaned periodically, which would be easier to do with them located closer to the
ground.

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