Maryland Energy Administration Announces Awardees for 2018 Solar Canopy EV Charging Program

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jahmai Sharp-Moore | 443-694-3651

Baltimore, MD – The Maryland Energy Administration (MEA) today announced awards for the Fiscal Year 2018 Solar Canopy with Electric Vehicle Charger Program (parking lot PV/EV Program). This program combines two corresponding technologies, solar photovoltaic (PV) and electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure. Since Governor Hogan took office in January of 2015, the State has tripled Maryland’s solar energy output from 258 megawatts to 831 megawatts.

“This energy-generating program offers a wide variety of incentives for Maryland businesses, nonprofits, and residents alike,” said Governor Larry Hogan. “Solar is an important part of our state’s renewable energy goals, and our administration is committed to further encouraging growth in this industry while expanding access for our citizens.”

This grant program delivers clean energy to the host facility that will reduce electricity demand from the grid. This year, 9 grants for the program were awarded. As a result, 2018 grantees will construct additional 6,000 kilowatts of renewable solar energy, and 60 new EV chargers will be added to the State’s charging network. The solar canopy program began in 2014 and has helped to fund 25 projects in Maryland to date.

“This program was carefully crafted to combine clean energy generation, and expand EV charging options for drivers,” said Mary Beth Tung, Director of the Maryland Energy Administration. “The potential for this program is massive, especially in Maryland’s urban areas. It solves energy access issues in a cost-effective way.”

Maryland has thousands of acres of parking lot space in suburban/urban areas. Parking lots represent an exceptional opportunity; by placing solar PV canopies on parking pads, the canopies provide power to the facilities accompanying the lots and provide shade and snow protection for vehicles. The parking lot PV/EV program addresses challenges faced by solar developers in building these canopies, specifically, the additional costs of the canopy structure.

Earlier this year at a solar canopy dedication at the University of Maryland, Director Tung noted, “Things are not and cannot be single use anymore.” In order to be eligible, applicants must install a solar PV canopy with a capacity of at least 75kW and at least four level II chargers or DC Fastchargers. Additionally, parking lot canopies must be located on lots in use at least five days per week.

Frederick Regional Hospital Systems, Inc. in Frederick, MD is one of the new awardees for 2018. The hospital will install a 1,210-kilowatt solar canopy over its primary parking area along with four EV chargers. General Electric is the installer for this project and has designed this specific solar canopy to help resolve water drainage issues that have caused issues for the current parking area. The total cost of the installation is over $3 million dollars and the hospital received an award for up to $200 thousand dollars of grant funding from the State.

McCormick and Company will install a 744-kilowatt carport at the site of their new world headquarters in Baltimore, MD. The company is a past award winner and leveraged State grant funds to install a solar canopy at their Owings Mill’s location. This project is a standout as it will provide 20 EV charging stations, which is a record number of chargers for an individual State supported solar canopy.

The ultimate goal of this grant program is to increase awareness and acceptance of the solar canopy and electric vehicle charging infrastructure, and to encourage incorporation of these technologies in the parking lot design process. Funding for the program comes from the Strategic Energy Investment Fund, which was created from public auctions of carbon credits through the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. A full list of awardees can be found here:Parking Lot Solar PV Canopy with EV Charger Grant Program 2018 Award Listing FINAL . For more information on the program please visit: http://energy.maryland.gov/business/Pages/incentives/PVEVprogram.aspx

###

Maryland Energy Administration
On behalf of Governor Hogan the mission of the Maryland Energy Administration (MEA) is to promote affordable, reliable and cleaner energy for the benefit of all Marylanders.  To achieve its mission, MEA advises the Governor, General Assembly on matters relating to energy policy.  MEA administers grant and loan programs to encourage clean energy technologies in all sectors of Maryland’s economy: Residential, Commercial, Agricultural, and Transportation. For more information about the Maryland Energy Administration, visit www.energy.maryland.gov and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.