Saint Vincent to install electric vehicle charging station

Electric vehicle owners who drive to Saint Vincent College near Latrobe will soon be able to get a recharge on campus at a new solar-powered charging station.

Saint Vincent College has partnered with the West Penn Power Sustainable Energy Fund to acquire the Smartflower Solar electric vehicle charging station powered by a solar photovoltaic cell system that the college plans to install this summer, said Morgan Paris, a college spokeswoman.

The metallic flower — a visible energy source that opens and closes — “will engage our community and visitors to learn more about sustainable energy,” said the Rev. Paul Taylor, president of Saint Vincent.

The charging station will be located in the parking area for the Fred Rogers Center on campus, Paris said.

The college will start with one charging station, which will transmit the solar power it generates to the college electric power grid. That charging station will have an outlet for charging one vehicle at a time, said Terrance Hill, assistant director of facilities, capital management and planning for the college.

“We will then be able to measure its generation and expand charging stations once we see what it is capable of generating,” Hill said.

The charging station uses advanced robotics in its operation and automation allows the Smartflower to track the sun, making it able to generate up to 40% more energy than stationary solar panels, according to Smartflower owner Energy Management Inc. At sunset, Smartflower will automatically fold up and clean itself to maintain peak solar utilization, the company said.

The nonprofit West Penn Power Sustainable Energy Fund provided $30,000 for the project, according to Saint Vincent’s foundations, government and corporate relations office.

The sustainable energy fund said it provides institutions with Act 129 Energy Micro Loans ranging from $10,000 to $50,000. The energy fund has provided Saint Vincent with grants for several energy efficiency projects, including solar panels on the Sis and Herman Dupre Science Building and a solar panel array on the library roof.

The state is home to about 90,187 electric vehicles and 3,864 publicly-available charging outlets, including 900 direct current Fast charges, according to the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, a Washington D.C.-based trade organization that represents international manufacturers of cars and light duty trucks that are built in the United States.