Carports - Will They Play An Important Role In America's Energy Future?

If you still think of a carport as just an inexpensive way to provide shelter for your car

, think again. This summer features the introduction of carports that are wonders of cutting edge technology.

In anticipation of the coming popularity of the electric car, several companies start making carports for it. These canopies can serve as a carport or covered patio. At least one will even produce its own electricity with a 2.5 KW solar array.

Unfortunately, this carport can cost roughly as much as the car it houses, with an estimated average price of $37,000. It can be customized with lights, electrical outlets, and most importantly, EV chargers.

It is not the only solar shelter new on the market this summer, though. Other options are available for the wealthy environmentalist's dream. These options not only allow the electric vehicle owner a place to make his own clean power to charge his car, with up to twenty-four solar panels atop it will take care of his household electrical needs as well. As an added bonus, it is made from guilt-free recycled steel. It is sold as a do-it-yourself kit but still comes in at a hefty $45,000. However, when one takes into account the $2,000 tax credit that comes with it, as well as the savings in gasoline and electric bills, the initial cost becomes reasonable.

As the carport slowly evolves into a refueling station/power generator, it could become an amenity offered by many businesses and public institutions. East Los Angeles College recently covered a parking lot with carports, and then using solar panels, the parking lot turned into a two-acre solar farm.

Students can shelter their cars while the canopies they rest under pay for themselves by providing the college with a little free electricity. These are seven giant structures providing shade for about 530 cars while the 5,952 photovoltaic cells produce about forty percent of the college's electrical needs. They refer to this project as their photovoltaic carport farm.

While most carports sold in the United States are still the simple structures we know from do-it-yourself kits and driveways, their future is exciting. The way America drives is going to change profoundly in the next few years.

As we switch to electric cars and look for ways to generate our own clean electrical energy, more and more, people will turn to the carport. Its classic outward appearance will change little as it takes on its new role as an important tool in America's search for energy independence.

by: Michael Stein

POST COMMENT

Selling Jewelry Online The New Trend Vision Shopsters: South American Renewable Energy Markets To 2020 Start The Solar Pv Industry, Hangzhou Five How Old Dogs Learn New Tricks Via Mentoring Increase Profits with a New Corporate Wireless Deployment Txtr E-book Reader: A New Competitor Low Bay Lighting Is The Solution For All Plumbing Solutions For New Home Owners Increase Energy Levels And Stamina With Powerful Health Saving And Planning For Your New Home Painting Your Home, New Or Old How New Homeowners Can Prepare For All Of The Costs Of Owning Fords New 6.8L V10 Inside Of The 2010 Econoline