Innovate Your Government, Public Parking Lots with Solar Protection and Clean Energy

During the COVID-19 pandemic, with less traffic on the highways, little to no planes in the air and industrial factories at a halt, scientists reported a notable difference in the amount of carbon emissions and air pollution circulating worldwide. Simply put, the air got cleaner.

While the impact may be short term as the economy begins to reopen, there is an opportunity for governments to continue to support the effort to decrease carbon emissions and lower green house gases.

Apollo Sunguard assists federal, state and local governments with installing both EV charging stations and shade in parking lots. These enhancements to public spaces help to encourage the widespread use of electric vehicles, assist in abating urban heat island effect, improve curb appeal and reduce energy consumption.

Supporting the Growth of Electric Vehicles

Automotive News reported in January of 2020 that electric vehicle sales were growing at a faster rate than initially expected. At the time, electric vehicles were about 8 percent of global sales, but predicted to reach a third of sales by 2025. This growth can be further supported by governments willing to provide a charging mechanism within their parking lots for the public to re-power their vehicles.

In March 2015, a White House Executive Order, #13693 “Planning for Federal Sustainability in the Next Decade,” was signed by the President. The order outlines 10-year goals for the number of electric vehicles (EVs) and greenhouse gas emission reduction efforts among U.S. federal agencies. According to the order: “…by December 31, 2020, zero emission vehicles or plug-in hybrid vehicles account for 20 percent of all new agency passenger vehicle acquisitions and by December 31, 2025, zero emission vehicles or plug-in hybrid vehicles account for 50 percent of all new agency passenger vehicles…”

In addition, the order outlines the importance of “planning for appropriate charging or refueling infrastructure or other power storage technologies for zero emission vehicles or plug-in hybrid vehicles and opportunities for ancillary services to support vehicle-to-grid technology…”

As a ChargePoint Premier Partner, Apollo Sunguard already has worked with a number of federal agencies and has purchasing vehicles in place to make it easier for government agencies to work with them.

Abating Urban Heat Island Effect

Pair your EV Charging Station with one of Apollo Sunguard’s shade solutions and assist in creating a more comfortable parking lot.

Apollo Sunguard’s shade structures are designed to mimic trees. Created with a high-density polyethylene material, the shade structure acts like a natural canopy of trees by promoting air circulation beneath. This can naturally lower the temperature beneath by up to 20 degrees.

Urban areas tend to be considerably hotter than their rural neighbors due to their abundance of energy-absorbing materials like asphalt and concrete. Using this biomimicry technology, Apollo Sunguard is able to help ameliorate the Urban Heat Island Effect by helping to keep energy absorbing materials such as asphalt and concrete cooler. This means that your parking lot is more comfortable.

Meanwhile, Apollo Sunguard’s shade structures can enhance an existing tree canopy or can provide instant relief while a tree canopy is maturing.

Improve Curb Appeal

With 32 structure styles and 17 fabric colors available, Apollo Sunguard’s shade structures are as attractive as they are effective and can improve curb appeal in any public or government parking lot.

Apollo Sunguard’s Modular Cantilever shade structures are among the most popular, sought-after designs. These strong and stylish canopies maximize cooling shade with limited obstructions. Using a modular design concept, they can be interconnected and provide infinite lengths of continuous shade with no gaps in sun protection.

In addition to shade structure design, Apollo Sunguard’s fabric is well known for its strength, durability and vibrant colors. The company’s fabric is tested by an independent laboratory and a large selection of colors meet a minimum of 93% UV Block as recommended by the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD).

Reduce Energy Consumption

By adding a shade structure to your EV charging station, you can help foster a more sustainable environment by reducing energy consumption.

The sun’s heat has proven to impair battery function for electric vehicles. Electric vehicles charging in direct sunlight can require up to 2kW more power to become fully charged. Under shade, electric vehicles can charge more efficiently.

Cooler vehicles also run better. According to NAPA, even gas-powered vehicles use less energy when the temperature is cooler.

Government Benefits to Improving Parking Lots

There are many reasons to add improvements to government and public parking lots using Apollo Sunguard’s shade structures and EV charging stations, from encouraging the use of electric vehicles and helping to prevent urban heat island effect to improving curb appeal and reducing energy consumption.

To learn more information about installing a shade structure and charging stations in a parking lot, contact Apollo Sunguard at [email protected].

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