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Wake Tech Adds Charging Stations for Electric Vehicles
RALEIGH, N.C. (August 27, 2012) - Drivers can now “plug in” and charge the batteries on their electric vehicles on the Main Campus at Wake Tech Community College. Two charging stations for plug-in electric vehicles, or PEVs, have been installed on the campus by Progress Energy Carolinas as part of a research project focused on commercial charging stations. Two stations were also installed at Wake Tech’s Northern Wake Campus earlier this year. The project underscores the college’s commitment to sustainability.
“Electric vehicles offer a fuel-efficient alternative for many commuters,” says Butch Grove, Associate Vice President for Creativity, Sustainability & College Improvement at Wake Tech, “and we support those choices. With students traveling to and from five Wake Tech campuses daily, we’re very much aware of the need to reduce emissions wherever possible – and we want to provide ’greener’ options.”
The level-2 PEV charging stations use a 240-volt circuit and are capable of providing 10 to 20 additional miles of electric range per hour of charging. They can charge a plug-in electric vehicle three to five times faster than a typical 120-volt outlet.
Data collected from the public-access stations will help Progress Energy Carolinas evaluate charging needs outside the home as well as impact on the grid and associated costs and issues. The insights gained will be useful in planning for the large-scale adoption of plug-in vehicles. The research project is funded in part by a “smart grid” grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. At its completion in April 2013, ownership and maintenance responsibilities for the charging stations will transfer to Wake Tech.
