Program supports University’s energy independence goals
Paired Power and Santa Clara University have partnered to provide direct clean energy for the first time to the University’s fleet of maintenance and other electric vehicles.
Paired Power, a leading American-made solar and microgrid electric vehicle charger manufacturer, installed two PairTree™ solar electric vehicle (EV) chargers at Santa Clara University’s facilities yard. As opposed to typical EV chargers that are powered by the electric utility grid, these derive their power entirely from clean solar energy. The installations mark a significant step toward SCU’s ambitious goals to reduce carbon pollution beyond traditional measures such as behavior change campaigns in residence halls and lighting upgrades in campus buildings.
“This installation is an important facet of our climate action work,” said Sean Collins, Santa Clara University’s assistant vice president for University Operations. “By integrating Paired Power’s solar EV chargers into our operations, we’re not only generating renewable energy to charge our fleet, we are also modeling for our students how an organization can take responsibility for reducing carbon pollution.”
Paired Power’s PairTree and PairFleet products for larger numbers of EV charging ports are already widely used by cities, public utilities, Fortune 500 companies, and federal government customers. SCU is one of the first area universities to install them to power a fleet.
Located in the heart of Silicon Valley, Santa Clara University has long been a leader in sustainability and environmental stewardship. The installation of Paired Power’s PairTree solar EV chargers aligns with SCU’s energy goals to drive down energy use through conservation and efficiency, install a more self-sufficient energy system, decarbonize purchased energy, and improve sustainable transportation options.
The PairTree chargers are a fully-integrated solar canopy system that combine solar energy with available grid power and battery storage to charge electric vehicles. With wind ratings of up to 130 mph and its low-maintenance design, PairTrees are built for durability in various environments such as extreme or unpredictable weather conditions. The system can provide reliable EV charging and energy storage day or night, making it an ideal solution for SCU’s fleet of electric maintenance vehicles and equipment.
“We’re excited to partner with Santa Clara University in their journey toward becoming a model of energy independence,” said Paired Power CEO Tom McCalmont, who formerly served on SCU’s Engineering Advisory Board. “Our PairTree chargers offer a resilient solution that harnesses the power of the sun while reducing the university’s reliance on the fossil fuel-powered grid, while providing a perfect model of how forward-thinking institutions can take advantage of solar technology to achieve their sustainability goals that matter to both students and stakeholders.”
The chargers featured quick one-day installation, excavation-free setup, and unique bifacial panel design that captures both direct and reflected light from the sun and the pavement to maximize energy yield.
The installation marks the latest in a series of initiatives outlined in SCU’s sustainability strategic plan Leading Through Laudato Si’ which maps the way for Santa Clara University to build a more humane, just, and sustainable world. The university’s leadership in clean energy solutions, combined with initiatives in academic, campus and community engagement, and resource management, advances its mission to prepare students to create a positive environmental, social, and economic impact in Silicon Valley and beyond.
“We are so grateful to SCU alumni Greenie and Donald Van Buren, who are big advocates for SCU and climate action,” said Lindsey Kalkbrenner, SCU’s sustainability director. The Van Burens brought SCU’s attention to this technology and have generously given their time, leadership, and transformative gifts to launch this project. “Working with alumni and local businesses to accelerate our progress on sustainability solutions is a beautiful way to directly enact SCU’s Impact 2030 strategic plan through our foundational commitment to position Santa Clara University as a climate-positive university,” Kalkbrenner added.
About Paired Power
Paired Power manufactures solar and microgrid electric vehicle charger facilities (EVCF) that pair solar energy with EV charging, energy storage, and the grid. Paired Power’s flagship product is PairTree™, a microgrid EV charger that pairs a 4.6kW solar array with a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) to provide Level-2 EV charging day or night. The company specializes in microgrid solutions for EV fleet charging that power transportation through resilient electrification without requiring utility upgrades. Born out of over two decades of sister company McCalmont Engineering’s designs, knowledge, and experience of large scale renewables projects, Paired Power pioneered and developed the technology to charge EVs directly from solar panels in 2016 and has been the leading innovator in this space since its founding. Based in Campbell, California, Paired Power is an American manufacturer whose products are eligible for solar and EV charger incentives at the 40% ITC rate for U.S. manufacturers under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). For more information, visit PairedPower.com.
About Santa Clara University
Founded in 1851, Santa Clara University sits in the heart of Silicon Valley—the world’s most innovative and entrepreneurial region. The University’s stunningly landscaped 106-acre campus is home to the historic Mission Santa Clara de Asís. Ranked among the top 15 percent of national universities by U.S. News & World Report, SCU has among the best four-year graduation rates in the nation and is rated by PayScale in the top 1 percent of universities with the highest-paid graduates. SCU has produced elite levels of Fulbright Scholars, as well as four Rhodes Scholars. With undergraduate programs in arts and sciences, business, and engineering, and graduate programs in six disciplines, the curriculum blends high-tech innovation with social consciousness grounded in the tradition of Jesuit, Catholic education. For more information, visit scu.edu.
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