Pflugerville opens Renewable Energy Park with solar sail car charging station

By Blake Rasmussen

Friday, 30 December 2011

PFLUGERVILLE — The Pflugerville Community Development Corp. unveiled the first part of a planned renewable energy park Dec. 30 as it showed off an electric car charging station that is as interesting to look at as it is functional.

The electric car charging station, located near the intersection of Toll 130 and Pecan Street, is powered by a solar sail and tied into the electrical grid, ensuring cars can be charged at any time, sun or no sun.

The design is also meant to welcome people to the eastern gateway to the city.

“When you come into Pflugerville, you’ll definitely know you’re in town,” said Floyd Akers, executive director of the Pflugerville Community Development Corp.

The solar sail was fitted with LED lighting that changes colors, providing a visual light show for users and passersby.

People will be able to use the electric car–charging station free of cost for now, Akers said, though he expects people will be required to pay at some point.

The electric sail was designed and built by a company called Pvilion, which has primarily focused on high-tech tent design.

“We were given an opportunity to create something aesthetic and functional,” Pvilion founder and CEO Colin Touhey said, adding that he hopes the thin-film solar sail is the first in a line of such stations built by the company.

The solar sail sits on 167 acres of PCDC land that Akers said they intend to turn into a renewable energy park, focusing on green energy businesses. PCDC officials hope the business park will eventually house green energy businesses, a hotel, retail shops, residences and an electric vehicle charging station

“This has been a labor of love for the board,” said David Clay, outgoing president of the PCDC board of directors. “This property … is going to continue to be a labor of love for the board.”

Akers said the city expects businesses in the park to use solar

You can read the rest of this article at: http://impactnews.com/round-rock-pflugerville/254-recent-news/16358-pflugerville-opens-renewable-energy-park-with-solar-sail-car-charging-station

Short URL: http://www.txwclp.org/?p=1752

Posted by rbutler on Dec 30 2011. Filed under Round Rock. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry