Charging stations for electric vehicles are now in the parking lot at Lompoc Valley Medical Center.
There’s something new under the sun at Lompoc Valley Medical Center: solar-powered charging stations.
Residents can charge their electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles at the hospital, 1515 East Ocean Ave., using the Electric Vehicle Autonomous Renewable Charge stations at any time of the day. The two stations are available at no cost to people with a ChargePoint™ account. (You can get an account by visiting www.chargepoint.com/drivers/activate or through the ChargePoint mobile app.)
The Lompoc City Council approved the purchase of both EV ARC stations in July, using a $100,000 infrastructure grant from the Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District’s Clean Air Grants Program. The grant covered most of the cost. The product manufacturer and retailer, Beam Global, delivered the EV ARC stations in late January.
The EV ARC systems are designed to generate and store clean electricity, then deliver that electricity to electric and hybrid vehicles at any given time of the day. Power can even be delivered during bad weather or outages.
Each EV ARC station features a 222 square-foot solar array, and is rated to withstand wind speeds of up to 120 miles per hour, according to the air pollution control district. Both stations offer two charging plugs, allowing up to four EVs to charge simultaneously between the two stations.
Lompoc Utility Director Charles Berry expressed gratitude for the city’s partnership with the Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District and Lompoc Valley Medical Center, which made possible the investment of Nanogrid technology in Lompoc.
“This is one more step in deploying modern technology to support the State of California in its ambitious climate agenda, while simultaneously supporting the Lompoc community as it transitions to electrified transportation,” Mr. Berry said in a news release. “With an ever-increasing understanding of the use habits of these chargers, we can continue to find new and innovative ways to add value to our community in thoughtful ways that reflect sustainability for Lompoc.”
For more about electric vehicles, go to www.electricforall.org/which-car-is-right.
For more about the charging stations, call the Lompoc Utility Conservation Division at 805-875-8252.
email: dmason@newspress.com
