With recent reports indicating the United States needs 20 times more electric vehicle (EV) charging stations than what's available today, Paired Power has announced the launch of its new, transportable solar canopy, PairTree, with built-in EV charging capabilities. With its modular, fast-install design, PairTree can be utilized with or without a grid connection and gives customers quick and convenient access to the infinite renewable energy of the sun without the costly construction and infrastructure requirements of traditional solar canopy installations.
EV charging is one of the primary use cases for PairTree. It is designed to optimize EV charging loads to deliver up to 75 miles of daily range to an EV, well above the U.S. daily commuter national average of 30 miles, according to a 2022 McKinsey & Company Report. For greater resiliency and reliability, PairTree also supports the integration of up to 40 kWh of LFP (lithium iron phosphate) batteries. The addition of a battery can extend the EV's daily range delivered to up to 230 miles. PairTree's modular design is available in 5 kW units, using ten bifacial solar panels each, and can be equipped with customizable specifications, such as branding, lighting, and media options, depending on the customer's operational needs.
"With traditional solar canopies, locations can wait as long as two years to be connected to the local utility grid, just to use their chargers," said Tom McCalmont, CEO and co-founder of Paired Power.
"The installation of traditional EV chargers and solar canopies is a time and labor-intensive process, not to mention the disruption and delays of construction. We designed PairTree to eliminate these hassles and make the transition to solar and EV charging simple and scalable while also being modular enough to accommodate future needs."
PairTree can be installed within a single workday with just two workers using standard hand tools and without lengthy permit approvals or heavy equipment. That is at least 30 times faster than conventional solar canopies, which require an extensive permitting and construction process. The solution is designed to fit a variety of applications, including EV charging access in locations that have either maxed out their local grid capacity or that lease their property and don't want to invest in permanent infrastructures, such as workplaces and retail locations. PairTree also can provide emergency backup power and temporary power for events.
The ballasted steel foundation allows customers to avoid costly foundation work and permitting delays and can be deployed anywhere in the U.S. and globally as it can withstand various climates and environmental conditions. PairTree offers additional options of batteries or ground screws to secure the charger in high winds. Moreover, PairTree is designed to be installed side by side in multi-unit configurations for additional energy output to power additional chargers.
"One of the biggest benefits of PairTree's solar canopy design and model is that you can start charging on day one," continued McCalmont.
"EV charging is no longer a fringe benefit for any location where a car might park; it's quickly becoming a service that both average citizens and employees expect. There are various reasons why site owners don't want to wait or might have restrictions on grid-connected EV charging or conventional solar canopies, and PairTree is the solution to bring any location quickly into the EV future."
PairTree is also designed with minimal maintenance needed since there are no moving parts, and the cellular cloud connectivity gives Paired Power the ability to make updates and run diagnostics remotely - all of which are included with the purchase of PairTree. AC charging stations are offered to support Level 2 charging, and 120V outlet panels can be added to support emergency or temporary power. Customers also have access to online support and payment methods through the Paired Power app developed in partnership with EvGateway.
As part of its efforts to expand solar EV charging nationwide, Paired Power has installations from its family of products throughout Northern and Southern California. This announcement also comes on the heels of Paired Power's first direct-DC off-grid solar PV electric farm tractor charging project that was completed in 2021 in central California.