The Center for Environmental Research and Technology at the University of California, Riverside's (UC Riverside) Bourns College of Engineering has received a $2 million award to develop solar arrays, advanced battery storage, vehicle charging stations and an electric trolley.
The two-year project is supported by the South Coast Air Quality Management District and involves several public and private partners. The university plans to install up to 2 MW of solar arrays and 2 MWh of lithium-ion battery storage systems at three locations on and near the UC Riverside campus. The solar energy will be used to charge electric vehicles (EVs) directly at several sites on campus and additional sites throughout Riverside.
In partnership with the City of Riverside and Riverside Public Utilities, UC Riverside engineers will design methods to direct the solar energy to EV charging in a way that minimizes loads on the grid and demands for electricity generated from non-renewable resources. The system is expected to support the growth in manufacturing and demand for plug-in electric vehicles, according to UC Riverside.
Additionally, UC Riverside plans to convert a trolley from diesel to electric power to shuttle students and area residents its campus.
