Today, Americans can choose between two photovoltaic deployment methods for their residential solar installations: Ground mounted structures, which require large spaces of single-use real estate, and Rooftop solar, requiring costly, custom-engineered installations with onerous permitting procedures. This project proposal will explore an affordable technology that fits neither ground-mount nor rooftop category. This Mobile Electricity Generating Appliance (MEGA) is a carport on wheels Plugs directly into an electrical outlet, integrating a high-power bifacial solar PV system and Class 2 EV-Charger. Instead of site-specific permitting, engineering, and customized construction of rooftop or ground mounted structures, this standardized appliance will cut soft costs in half. It can be wheeled into garages and shelters during adverse weather conditions, otherwise freeing up garage space, and its portability circumvents structure setback and HOA covenant regulations. With <$1.82/Watt, this portable carport is ideally suited to making PV and EV ownership more accessible to lower and moderate income communities. Phase I of this project will focus on the UL-certification for this Mobile Electricity Generating Appliance (MEGA). Interteks Initial Design Review is expected to reveal requirements will influence further design iterations. Improvements will likely address safety, portability, caster wheel design, usability of the collapsible wing mechanism, weatherproofing of the system and aesthetics. This technical feasibility study also relates to deploying the system with a micro-grid capable inverter system without backup batteries, and another version combined with a micro-grid capabilities in combination with a backup battery bank. The off-grid capabilities of the system will be explored for deployment potential during power outages and in emergency situations. Studies will be conducted on this portable racking system with an eye to opening the solar PV market to renters and people on the move, rapidly increasing grid-tied and off-grid PV deployment to residential driveways and accelerating the availability of renewable energy for moderate income Americans. Results from Phase I and Phase II of this proposed project will potentially facilitate PV permitting procedures for other portable grid-tied PV appliances in the future.
