Wind & solar tower charges electric cars during load-shedding

Staff on September 15, 2023

A hybrid power station working solely by wind and sun, the Wind & Solar Tower (WST), had its global unveiling at this year’s Detroit motor show.

The tower is a featured attraction at the show which runs from September 13—15.

The automated 1:18 scale model demonstrates how clean, off-grid power can charge electric vehicles (EVs) in a way that is cleaner and more efficient than anything now available. A full-size tower operated seamlessly and flawlessly for five years, even surviving two hurricanes, said Jim Bardia, inventor of the device.

The tower combines two infinitely renewable power sources — wind and sun. The commercial-scale towers are for charging when motorists are away from home and also provide the comfort of lessening range anxiety. As they require no connection to the grid, towers can be placed almost anywhere for public access

“The Detroit Auto Show is one of the most influential annual automotive events in the world and a showcase for emerging technologies such as the Wind & Solar Tower,” said Bardia. “With its vertical axis wind turbine, frictionless levitation hub and self-cleaning/self cooling solar panel, the tower generates prodigious electrical output on a small footprint, making it a compelling addition to EV charging choices.”

Unlike other charging systems, the tower can function independently of the grid or be supplemented by the grid.

“The US electric grid needs strengthening because it is being asked to deliver far more energy than before,” said Bardia. “But we can’t spend billions of dollars to build additional power plants that will increase pollution by burning more fossil fuels. Using more wind, solar and hydroelectric power is the key to survival of our grid and the continuation of the comfortable lives we’ve come to enjoy.”

He quoted a study by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory which determined that the electricity used during an average 30-minute full charge of an EV at a level-3 DC fast charger is the same amount of electricity needed to power 50 homes.

“With federal rules calling for a high level of EV sales, it’s obvious we don’t, or won’t, have the power to charge the electrics. Without significant infrastructure changes, utilities will burn more fuel to power today’s electric plants or build more dirty plants to try to come close to generating the amount of electricity needed. Both of these are expensive, dirty and backward solutions.”

These two modes of generating emission-free electricity combine for 252kW and can charge an EV at level-4 with 380kW at 1,000v, demonstrating that “clean” charging does not have to compromise performance. Up to a megawatt of battery storage can be integrated. The owner of a tower doesn’t pay for electricity, thus eliminating a major cost of conventional units.

The tower employs a vertical axis wind turbine that catches wind from all directions. Topping the airfoil blades is a rotating circular solar panel that is self-cleaning, thus eliminating dust, soil and bird droppings to maximise solar energy reaching the cells.

Source: TimesLIVE, by Motoring Reporter

Off-The-Grid, Solar And Wind EV Charger To Make Debut At Detroit Auto Show

Staff on September 15, 2023

The Wind & Solar Tower generates electricity from both the sun and a vertical axis windmill, and will help supply EVs with the enormous amount of power they need.

The aptly named Wind & Solar Tower EV charging station is set to make its world debut at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit this week. An automated 1:18 scale model of the tower be on display at the Plug and Play Startup Arena from September 13-15.

“The Detroit Auto Show is one of the most influential annual automotive events in the world and a showcase for emerging technologies like The Wind & Solar Tower,” said the inventor of the tower, Jim Bardia. “With its vertical axis wind turbine, ‘frictionless’ levitation hub, and self-cleaning/self cooling solar panel, The Tower generates prodigious electrical output on a small footprint, making it a compelling addition to EV-charging choices.”

The Wind & Solar Tower collects electricity from both the wind and the sun to generate enough power to charge EVs. Capable of working without any connections to the wider power grid, Bardia suggests that they will be a vital step in the move toward the mass adoption of electric vehicles.

“The U.S. electric grid needs strengthening because it is being asked to deliver far more energy than ever before,” Bardia said. “But we can’t be spending billions of dollars to build additional power plants that will increase pollution by burning more fossil fuels.”

The company cites a study by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory that suggest that the average 30-minute Level 3 DC fast charging session uses as much electricity as 50 homes. With accelerating demand for the new-energy vehicles, it concludes that a station that can generate its own electricity could help meet demand.

It says that since Wind & Solar Towers don’t need to be connected to the grid, they are ideal for remote locations, and can be installed anywhere space is sufficient. Meanwhile, the vertical axis windmill can catch the wind wherever it’s coming from.

The station is capable of charging vehicles at rates of up to 380 kW and 1,000 volts. A full-size test tower has been operating for five years, in which time it has survived two hurricanes.

“Only renewable energy can provide EV charges without stressing the grid and dirtying the air,” Bardia concludes. “Fortunately, ‘clean’ charging is a choice. Sooner or later, emission-free charging will become standard – and the sooner that happens, the better for our grid and our health.”

Source: Cars Scoop, by Sebastien Bell

Wind And Solar Tower EV Charging Station To Debut At Detroit Auto Show

Staff on September 15, 2023

In the race to transition to all-electric powertrains, the question of where the electricity will come from is often pushed aside, leading to fears that the supposedly clean EVs of the future will in fact rely on carbon-producing fossil fuel power stations when it comes time to plug in at a charging station. To that end, new and innovative renewable energy solutions are needed to ensure the EV transition has a positive impact on emissions. Now, a new hybrid power generation system that utilizes both wind and solar energy will make its debut at the 2023 Detroit Auto Show.

Framed as the world’s only hybrid power station, the Wind and Solar Tower incorporates a vertical axis wind turbine capable of utilizing wind from any direction, which is paired with a rotating, circular solar panel. This combo is capable of providing energy in a variety of weather conditions, and is not required to be connected to the broader energy grid, making it a good choice for remote areas. In addition, the solar cells are self-cleaning, upping the efficiency that much more. The new system can be integrated with an EV charging station.

A 1:18 scale model of the Wind and Solar Tower will be on display at the 2023 North American International Auto Show (better known as the Detroit Auto Show) in conjunction with the Plug and Play Startup Arena at Automobili-D. According to the company that developed the Wind and Solar Tower, a full-sized tower was built and operated for five years, supposedly surviving two hurricanes during that time. The combination of solar and wind power generation can provide 252 kilowatts, serving as a charging station with Level 4 capabilities at 380 kilowatts and 1,000 volts. The charging station can also include up to a megawatt of battery storage.

“With present federal rules calling for a high level of EV sales, it’s obvious we simply don’t, or won’t, have the power to charge the electrics,” said the inventor of The Tower, Jim Bardia. “Without significant infrastructure changes, utilities will burn more fuel to power today’s electric plants or build more dirty plants to try to come close to generating the amount of electricity needed. Both of these are expensive, dirty and backward solutions.”

Source: GM Authority. by Jonathan Lopez

‘Below Grid Parity™’ — what it means and why it’s important

Staff on September 29, 2022

The Wind & Solar Tower™ uses the slogan "Below Grid Parity™" to emphasize that being "green" no longer carries a cost penalty over being "dirty." WSTs can produce substantial amounts of electricity with no fuel cost, bringing the expense of making power down to the point where WST power is below parity with costs of conventional generation.

The Wind and Solar Towers™ Deliver Far More Than Clean Power for EVs

Staff on September 22, 2022

The Wind & Solar Tower™, the world’s only electricity-generating charger powered by a combination of wind and sun, is far more than an efficient and novel way to charge electric vehicles quickly. In remote locations, it can bring reliable, clean electric power to rural, off-grid villages – not only providing electricity where needed – but also saving lives.

The Wind & Solar Tower Provides Zero-Emissions Charging

Staff on May 18, 2022

EV charging isn’t as green as you’d think. More than 60% of our electric grid is powered by burning dirty fossil fuels. Using that dirty grid to charge electric vehicles (EV) only adds pollution and greenhouse gasses to the air we breathe.

Change Wind Corporation introduced the Wind & Solar Tower (WST) to provide pollution-free level-4 DC charging for electric vehicles.  According to a statement, the tower provides level-4 DC ultra-cast charging, 328 miles of range in about 15 minutes, and 653,000 miles of pollution-free driving per year.

Made possible by a charger powered by a combination of wind and sun, the WST generates 61.5 kW of pollution-free electricity per operating hour for EV charges or any other use. Because they do not need a grid connection, the towers can be installed in rural and remote locations far from a grid that would otherwise add pollution and greenhouse gasses to the air we breathe. The WST also uses no external water supply, needing only centrifugal force to clean its patented rotating solar panel with fresh morning dew.

Each WST is capable of charging six vehicles simultaneously at Level-4 DC ultra-fast charge rates of 6.333 kW per minute that add about 22 miles of range. To maximize charge rates and number of charges at ultra-high kilowatt and voltage levels, each WST is equipped with integral battery storage ranging up to one megawatt. The WST’s battery-based DC modular architecture accommodates plug-and-play upgrades that assure the WST’s longevity.

Read more at chargedfleet.com at https://www.chargedfleet.com/10169805/the-wind-solar-tower-for-zero-emissions-charging

Off-Grid Wind and Solar Charging Offers a Sustainable Option for EV Use

Staff on May 7, 2022

A start-up electric vehicle charging company has come up with a unique solution for charging vehicles using wind and solar power. Change Wind is developing the Wind and Solar Tower, a freestanding unit that incorporates both a wind turbine and solar panels along with battery storage to provide grid-free service for electric cars.

The towers, better presented to the world back in March, also offer a solution for charging electric vehicles in rural areas or along major highways to facilitate EV road trips. The company says the Wind and Solar Tower is capable of supporting so-called Level 4 DC charging with a flow rate of 380 kW at up to 1,000 volts. At that level, the system delivers 6.333 kW, roughly 22 miles of range, per minute. That works out to over 300 miles of range in 15 minutes.

While current cars don’t have the systems to accommodate that rate, the company says the new 800-volt architecture of the Porsche Taycan, Audi e-tron, Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6 is a step towards being able to charge vehicles at higher and faster rates than current Level 3 technology.

Also, the higher voltage and kW flow would be ideally suited for charging large electric semi-trucks. In the meantime, Wind Change would also be able to offer more traditional Level 2 and 3 charging capability.

Read the rest of the story at autoevolution.com at https://www.autoevolution.com/news/off-grid-wind-and-solar-charging-offers-a-sustainable-option-for-ev-use-188259.html.

Racer and hot rodder creates charging solution for electric cars

Staff on March 15, 2022

A former racing driver and hot rodder has turned his attention to electric-car charging.

Jim Bardia currently owns an MG Metro 6R4 Group B rally car and a nitrous-boosted V-8 ambulance he uses to deliver stuffed animals to children’s hospitals. But his biggest project is Change Wind Corporation, which is marketing a unique EV charging solution called the Wind & Solar Tower.

As the name says, the 82-foot tower harnesses both wind and solar energy to charge electric cars. It consists of a six-helical-blade wind generator with a self-cleaning solar panel on top, all in a two-square-meter footprint. It can also be coupled with a 1,000-kwh energy storage array.

The solar and wind sources combined generate up to 52.5 kw, with a total annual output of 169,000 kwh, according to Change Wind Corporation. That’s enough to give 8,455 EVs per year a 20-kwh road-trip top-off, the company claims. Using the onsite battery storage, up to six vehicles can charge at a time.

Change Wind Corporation also claims its design can generate power with just 5-mph winds, versus a 26-mph minimum for commonly used propellor/pinwheels designs. The company also claims its design doesn’t produce as much noise as conventional wind turbines, has lower maintenance needs, and won’t kill birds.

Read the rest of the story at motorauthority.com at https://www.motorauthority.com/news/1135297_2022-toyota-mirai-price-specs-review-photos-info.