August 11, 2011
energy efficiency, Environment, green business, green cars, green living, green living news, renewable energies, solar power, Solar Power For Your Home, sustainability

Ford and Sunpower Go To The Electric Car Dance!

Ford and SunPower Corp. teamed up to make electric driving even cleaner. Through the “Drive Green for Life” program, Focus Electric owners could pair their EV with a high-efficiency rooftop solar system.

As a result, homeowners could generate enough renewable electricity to offset the power used to charge the Focus Electric. In addition, the solar system could reduce the vehicle’s overall energy costs.

Instead of relying entirely on electricity from the grid, owners could produce clean power at home during the day. Then, they could charge their Focus Electric at night while using the solar production to offset that electricity use.

Ford saw the partnership as a natural extension of its growing electric vehicle strategy. Meanwhile, SunPower supplied the rooftop solar technology.

Mike Tinskey, Ford’s director of Global Vehicle Electrification and Infrastructure, said the program could help Focus Electric owners lower their total cost of ownership. More importantly, he said the solar system could produce enough energy to offset the electricity needed for vehicle charging.

Therefore, the partnership connected two major pieces of the clean-energy transition: electric transportation and residential solar power. Ultimately, Ford and SunPower wanted drivers to reduce gasoline use while also reducing the environmental impact of charging an electric vehicle.

Ford and SunPower Drive Green For Life

SunPower also saw the partnership as a major benefit for EV buyers.

Tom Werner, then president and CEO of SunPower, called the program a win for customers. He said Focus Electric owners could combine electric driving with high-efficiency rooftop solar.

As a result, drivers could generate clean electricity at home and use that production to offset vehicle charging. Moreover, the program gave customers a more complete approach to sustainability.

Werner also highlighted SunPower’s focus on efficiency and reliability. Therefore, the partnership did more than connect two technologies. It created a practical way for drivers to pair renewable energy with electric transportation.

Ford and SunPower’s Solar Power Energy Solution

SunPower System

The 2.5 kilowatt rooftop solar system is comprised of the SunPower® E18 Series solar panels that produce an average of 3,000 kilowatt hours of electricity annually. These high-efficiency solar panels generate approximately 50 percent more electricity than conventional panels and utilize a smaller footprint on the roof. The system was sized to accommodate a customer who drives about 1,000 miles per month.

The complete SunPower solar system is offered at a base price of less than $10,000*, after federal tax credits. Local and state rebates, along with other incentives, may drive the system cost down even more, depending on a customer’s location. Included in the purchase is a residential monitoring system, which includes the ability to track the performance of their solar system on the web or through an iPhone application. Affordable financing options for the solar system are available through SunPower. This price point does not include local sales tax.

Interested Focus Electric customers will be contacted by a participating SunPower dealer who will visit their home to begin the installation process. SunPower leads the industry with more than 400 dealers in the U.S., and can support the initial Focus Electric roll out in all 19 markets.

In addition to the Focus Electric, the SunPower rooftop solar system will be compatible with the C-MAX Energi plug-in hybrid electric vehicle Ford is rolling out in 2012.

Two Complementary Charging Solutions for Focus Electric Owners

By partnering with SunPower, Ford now offers Focus Electric owners two complementary charging solutions to make the overall experience of owning an electric vehicle easier. In January, Ford announced an agreement with consumer electronics leader Best Buy to offer a 240-volt home charging station for the Focus Electric and future electric vehicle owners.

“The goal of working with both SunPower and Best Buy was to offer Focus Electric owners solutions to charging needs that help lower the vehicle’s overall cost of ownership,” said Tinskey.

Conclusion: Solar Power Meetsq Electric Driving

Ford and SunPower showed how solar energy and electric vehicles could work together. Instead of simply replacing gasoline with grid electricity, drivers could generate clean power right from their own rooftops.

As a result, Focus Electric owners had a way to reduce both emissions and charging costs. Moreover, the program connected home energy production directly with cleaner transportation.

The idea was simple. Produce renewable electricity during the day. Then, use that energy production to offset EV charging at night.

Ultimately, partnerships like this helped demonstrate what a cleaner transportation future could look like. Solar panels could power homes. Electric vehicles could replace gasoline. Together, they could give consumers more control over their energy use while reducing dependence on fossil fuels.