GM hasn’t been hiding it — it has taken a liking to solar power. As yet another indication of that, it’s been announced that Envision Solar International’s “Solar Tree” will see its first installation at a GM dealership in California, the Fremont Cadillac Buick GMC dealership.
Reportedly, the installation should be complete in the first quarter of 2013.
GM has a nationwide renewable energy program geared at reducing its carbon emissions (and boosting its public image, no doubt). With solar power increasingly cost-competitive, it’s likely the program will also boost the company’s bottom line.
Envision Solar recently announced that it had improved its Solar Tree technology, making it much easier and quicker to install. Envision Solar’s President and CEO, Desmond Wheatley, said: “Drag & Drop Infrastructure™ allows us to get in and out of customer premises with the least amount of disruption. Our competitor’s products may sometimes be cheaper but our customers don’t want their parking lots dug up for weeks at a time and our highly engineered products will have lower life cycle costs. We have just completed a Solar Tree® array installation, in a highly complex environment, in four and half days. Our customers get the value of the Solar Tree® structures right away and the speed of deployment helps them get the tax incentives faster too.”
The news release on the improvement added: “Pre-engineered purlin sections arrive at the customer site as part of a complete kit which includes everything that is needed to install Envision Solar’s signature tracking Solar Tree® structure. The sections are fabricated in a factory environment, which allows for the highest quality assurance and the least amount of field activity.”
