Our Solar Charging Station


The Toyota Taking Advantage of Solar Charging

Environmental Benefits

In the world today roadway transportation is the most used by people. Many people use gas powered cars, or internal combustion engines, to get around. However, internal combustion engines create more pollution than any other human-made machine. Gasoline powered cars give off very bad emissions like carbon monoxide and dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and chlorofluorocarbons. Chlorofluorocarbons are a major problem right now with the aspect of global warming, which is the increasing of average temperatures all over the world. The poisonous gas emissions that are given off by internal combustion engines are the cause of many diseases like cancer, premature deaths, and sometimes severe aggravation to chronic respiratory systems. If we started driving electric vehicles for one year we could reduce hydrocarbon emissions by 17 pounds, nitrogen oxides by 14 pounds, and carbon monoxide by 200 pounds.

Another big problem created by gasoline powered vehicles is water pollution. The overall quality of water has diminished greatly over the past several years. A few reasons are that there have been oil spills, acid rain, and the expansion of offshore drilling. However, since electric vehicles don't use oil than there would be no risk of any spills or leakage in the underground storage tanks.

A positive fact that the electric vehicles have over internal combustion engines is that an electric vehicle is recyclable. The pollution by conventional motorcars increases as the car ages, however, an electric vehicle uses lead-acid or lithium-ion batteries. Batteries of an electric vehicle will last probably longer than the car chassis itself. Even after the batteries wear out more than 95% of the batteries are recycled, 85% of which are used again in other electric vehicles. Automotive vehicles contribute to about 2/3 of the air pollution. If we started to switch to electric vehicles it would lead to good health in the coming years.

Solar Charging Station

In 2001, Topsail won a grant offered by NC State Solar Center, North Carolina Department of Environmental and Natural Resources, and the Department of Energy.  This grant provided for a two kilowatt solar-charging station to be installed at our school.  With the help of students and Solar Center employees, the system was up and running in a matter of months.  The solar array is connected to the Progress Energy electrical grid system.  This allows Topsail High School to sell back excess electrical power.

Topsail now has the capability to charge their vehicles at no expense.  The Hampstead community is also allowed to utilize the facilities for charging purposes as well. 

overview | ev description | community |  environmental benefits