EV Solar Carport
July 17, 2024
Phoenix Contact USA employees and visitors can now charge electric vehicles (EVs) at charging stations powered by the sun. The company recently held a “First Plug-In” ceremony to unveil its new EV solar carport.
Up to 10 vehicles can charge at the station at a time. There are four Flo charging stations, each with two charging points. The carport also includes two Jule fast-charging stations, which can charge a vehicle in as little as 30 minutes, depending on conditions. Numerous Phoenix Contact products, including PLCnext Control, power supplies, terminal blocks, relays, and DC charging cables, were used in the installation.
“Phoenix Contact is working to make our global value chain carbon-neutral by 2030, and the EV solar carport supports that effort,” Doug Ferguson, Senior Vice President of Americas Operations Services at Phoenix Contact. “We have approximately 20 employees who drive electric or hybrid vehicles, and we are transitioning our fleet to electric as well. With the new carport, we can provide a completely green and renewable option to keep those vehicles charged without adding any burden to the electric grid.”
Phoenix Contact USA installed two grid-connected charging stations with four charging points, capable of charging an additional eight vehicles, in 2015. Other sustainability projects at the Middletown campus include: installing a 961-kilowatt rooftop solar array; adding two electric vehicles to the company fleet; and retrofitting 204 light fixtures with LEDs. In 2023, these combined efforts equated to more than 928 metric tons of carbon dioxide reduction.
