New solar tracking systems generates 25% more energy, can recharge up to six cars

Sep 7, 2012 13:33 GMT  ·  By

Only yesterday, Envision Solar International, a company that specializes in developing and implementing infrastructure meant to support the large-scale use of green technologies, made it public news that one of its Solar Trees is to be made available for car owners wishing to recharge their EV at one of General Motors' sites in Milford, Michigan.

As its name thoroughly suggests, this Solar Tree is basically a photovoltaic installation that tracks the sun's movements across the sky, making the most of whatever light is available at various hours of the day.

Because it does not simply sit around waiting for sunlight to hit it and goes looking for this energy source itself, this highly innovative Solar Tree can harvest significantly more power than traditional photovoltaic installations do and, therefore, generate more electricity.

The official announcement for this partnership, found on Envision Solar International's website, explains how one such Solar Tree can provide 25% more energy than its run-off-the-mill predecessors can, meaning that 30,000 kilowatt hours stand to be produced on a yearly basis.

To cut a long story short, and perhaps even to bypass all of the science talk, the power generated by this photovoltaic installation can recharge as many as six electric vehicles per day, so one can assume that EV owners in Michigan will be quite content with having it around.

According to Rob Threlkeld, presently employed at General Motors, “Envision's Solar Tree is an ideal renewable energy solution because it gives us the ability to pull solar power from an area where traditional methods aren't feasible due to space or structural restrictions.”

“We have designed special Solar Tree arrays specifically for GM and we are making sure that we continue to provide them with the highest quality, most productive structures available. One great American product working with another,” added Envision Solar International's President and CEO, Desmond Wheatley.