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      05-07-2014, 10:14 PM   #1
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Post BMW Group DesignworksUSA Develops a Solar Carport Concept

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BMW Group DesignworksUSA Develops a Solar Carport Concept
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In tune with nature – and with the BMW i design idiom: BMW Group DesignworksUSA develops a solar carport concept.

Premium product for private solar-powered electricity generation – Green energy supply gives a further boost to vehicle life cycle assessment – Another building block in the holistic sustainability concept – World premiere to mark the BMW i8 presentation in Los Angeles.

Munich - May 7, 2014...
With the all-electric BMW i3 already on the market and the BMW i8 plug-in hybrid sports car poised for its own launch, the BMW Group portfolio boasts the world’s first premium automobiles purpose-designed for zero-emission mobility.

The international media launch of the BMW i8 in Los Angeles will include the presentation of a solar carport concept developed by BMW Group DesignworksUSA for the use of renewable energy. It combines high-grade technology for generating electricity from solar power with an innovative design that perfectly complements the BMW i models.

In its choice of materials, design and colour, the DesignworksUSA carport concept takes its cue from the characteristic styling of the BMW i models to form a harmonious counterpart. The holistic sustainability concept is underlined by the materials used in the construction of the carport and by its solar modules. In addition to the carbon elements on the side of the carport, the principal material used is bamboo in the form of struts. Thanks to its rapid growth, bamboo is considered a particularly sustainable raw material. For the generation of electricity, high-grade glass-on-glass solar modules are used. These are translucent and very durable, as well as generating a high energy yield. For the panels used in Europe, the manufacturer offers a 30-year guarantee.

The solar carport not only guarantees the supply of green power but furthermore allows for energy self-sufficiency, so that customers remain independent of electricity prices. In conjunction with the BMW i Wallbox Pro, the car can be specifically charged with solar electricity from the carport. The Wallbox also indicates the amount of solar energy that goes into the car and provides an analysis of recent charging processes which shows the respective proportions of solar and grid power. If the solar panels provide energy beyond the requirements of the vehicle, this surplus solar power can be put to domestic use.

Generating private electricity with the aid of solar collectors and feeding this CO2-free energy via the BMW i Wallbox into the vehicle’s high-voltage battery further optimises of the life cycle assessment of the BMW i models. Regularly hooking up the high-voltage battery to the Wallbox connected to the solar carport enables a high degree of CO2-neutral usage of the BMW i8. With a fully charged high-voltage battery, the plug-in hybrid sports car has a range of around 37 kilometres (22 miles) in all-electric mode.

During development of the solar carport concept by BMW Group DesignworksUSA, the spotlight was firmly on the harmonious interplay between vehicle design and architecture. The glass-on-glass solar modules of the carport are supported by exclusively designed bamboo and carbon elements that authentically reflect the hallmark lines and surface sculpting of the BMW i automobiles. “With the solar carport concept we opted for a holistic approach: not only is the vehicle itself sustainable, but so is its energy supply,” explains Tom Allemann, who is responsible for the carport design at BMW Group DesignworksUSA. “This is therefore an entirely new generation of carports that allows energy to be produced in a simple and transparent way. It renders the overarching theme of lightweight design both visible and palpable.” The BMW Group subsidiary headquartered in California runs an international design studio network in Europe, Asia and America. As an impulse-generator in the fields of design and innovation, the company works for the BMW Group brands as well as for numerous other high-profile international clients spanning a range of industrial sectors.


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      05-08-2014, 08:28 AM   #2
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WOW!!! I am LOVING this green movement!!! However, solar panels are NOT cheap!!!
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      05-08-2014, 08:34 AM   #3
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Very cool idea, but I cant even begin to imagine what this would cost...Thats going to be a lot of money for a car that has a 22 Mile electric range like the i8
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      05-08-2014, 08:50 AM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by benzo23
Very cool idea, but I cant even begin to imagine what this would cost...Thats going to be a lot of money for a car that has a 22 Mile electric range like the i8
Yea until the battery life is improved I can't see electricity being very viable currently.
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      05-08-2014, 11:11 AM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by professor_yo View Post
WOW!!! I am LOVING this green movement!!! However, solar panels are NOT cheap!!!
I had solar panels installed onto my property a couple of years ago. The cost to me?.... NOTHING
...It was to do with a UK government initiative - the company that installed (and maintains) the solar panels 'rents' the airspace on my roof from me, and in return they then qualify for a set-rate government rebate for any electricity that is generated by the panels. I get the use of free electricity which the panels generate, with any excess demands of electricity being taken from the grid. The solar panel company then get an additional set-rate government rebate for any excess electricity (generated by the panels) that is fed back to the grid (if I don't use it).
So it's a win-win situation - my electricity bills are reduced and the solar panel company gets the government rebates.
Yes I could have bought my own panels and got the government rebate myself. But based on the amount it would have cost me (as an individual) to buy and install the panels, it would take a minimum of 10 years before the initial outlay would have been recovered!

The plan with my (forthcoming) i8 is to leave the car plugged in, and top up the battery using the free electricity generated by the solar panels.
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      05-13-2014, 06:07 PM   #6
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The price of solar panels is constantly dropping, and their efficiency is improving. Depending on where you live, between federal credits, utility agreements, etc., in the USA, they don't necessarily cost all that much in the scheme of things. Places in New England have some of the highest electric rates in the country, but we may not get as much solar, but as the cells get better, there's still a case to use them here. In areas without snow, that shelter would provide two benefits: help keep the solar off of the car, and recharge it for no ongoing costs to the utility...and, in some places, the utility is likely to be paying you.
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