A Greeley teen who has had his driver’s license for only six months said he thought he was doing the right thing Friday after lunch when he got a call on his cell phone.

“He pulled over to take the call,” said the teen’s mother, Dawn Salazar. “He was parked in the shade, talking on the phone.”

Though Justin Salazar, 16, has had his license for only six months, his mother said he’s been driving for two years.

Parking the 1998 Chrysler Concorde under a carport at the former Adamson Memorial Chapel, 827 5th St. might have been reasonable for the most experienced driver with 100-degree temperatures.

“I just went back and didn’t see it,” Justin said. What he didn’t see was the corner beam that held up carport roof, bringing the roof down on his trunk, with drywall crashing down around the car.

He ran to the police station and back, then called his mother.

“I didn’t know the number” to the police, Justin said.

Firefighters at the scene felt they would need to remove the portion of the roof before towing the car, as it would collapse easily, only resting on the trunk of the car.

Damage to the car was minimal, and the boy was unharmed. He was cited for unsafe backing, a two-point violation.

“He’s just got a big ol’ dent in the trunk and a good story,” said Greeley firefighter Wayne Alm.

Article source: http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20110722/NEWS/707229978/1005&parentprofile=1002

All car owners should remove valuables from vehicles, especially those parked in driveways, open carports and on the roadway.

Car owners should also be aware of any suspicious activity.

Thieves usually steal items such as mobile phones, cash, GPSs, CDs and CD players.

People should take those items with them or at least store them out of sight in the vehicle.

As thieves usually gain entry by smashing a window, it’s also a good idea to park in well-lit, busy streets whenever possible. It may sound obvious, but always remember to lock your car and ensure all of the windows are fully closed.

If you notice suspicious activity around parked cars report it to either Springwood police on 4751 0299 or Katoomba police on 4782 8199.

Article source: http://penrith-press.whereilive.com.au/news/story/warning-to-blue-mountains-car-owners/

But attached garages have their own drawbacks. “I don’t particularly like the way the garage dominates the front of the house,” said homeowner Phillip Sharff, who, before moving last year from Boston to Lakewood Ranch, lived in a house with a detached garage at the end of the driveway. And many garage owners don’t like the odors from chemicals stored there.

Some contemporary designers and builders, especially those with green inclinations, are opting out of garages, training their sights once again on the humble carport.

“There are a lot of advantages to carports and detached garages,” said Steve Ellis, co-founder of MyGreenBuildings in Sarasota. “Builders are seeing the benefits, and so are home buyers.”

Those advantages fall into two categories: environmental and stylistic. The carport comeback applies the best of mid-century modern architecture — simplicity, grace, and responsiveness to the natural environment — to current ideals of conservation and sustainability. It is, in many respects, a logical marriage long in the making.

“Carports are environmentally friendly, and they’re inexpensive,” said architect Todd Sweet of TOTeMS Inc. in Sarasota. “Especially when you have a smaller home, a carport adds less mass. It can keep the scale down.”

TOTeMS recently designed a carport for a homeowner who did not wish to alter the design of his 1940s home, but who wanted a place to park his sports car (see cover.) “It was a really good choice,” said Sweet.

Custom green builder Josh Wynne, of Sarasota’s Josh Wynne Construction, recently built the highest-scoring LEED-Platinum new home in the United States. Only 5 percent of his homes have attached garages, while the rest have carports, detached garages or no garage at all. Wynne’s reasons are part aesthetics, part cost — “Do we really want to spend $40,000 or $50,000 to build something that’s just designed to hold a vehicle?” — and part ecology.

“There’s definitely the potential for noxious gases to build up” in a garage, said Wynne. “It is a concern. Conventional garages almost never have adequate ventilation.”

The indoor pollution hazards of attached garages are not inconsiderable. A study published by Environmental Research in 2007 showed that attached garages frequently contain elevated concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that can migrate into the residence. Unsurprisingly, gasoline-related VOCs, including the known carcinogen benzene, were found at the highest levels, and most of the fuel-related aromatics in the house resulted from garage sources.

People with existing attached garages can take measures to make them greener. Solar-powered fans improve ventilation, and solar-powered batteries can run appliances, such as mowers and clippers. Insulation is key, too: Install it not just in shared walls, but generously throughout the garage and attic space. As for chemicals that inevitably wind up in the garage, substitute non-VOC paints and bio-based solvents and paint strippers — and recycle used automotive fluids.

People who want to add an environmentally friendly carport to an existing property have several options, from pared-back to posh. SteelMaster Building Systems in Virginia Beach, Va., makes affordable, pre-engineered metal carports. The units are designed to withstand hurricane-force winds and can be assembled in a weekend.

Sankyo Tateyama Aluminum Inc. manufactures several models of sleek aluminum-framed carports. The KDR series is also built to withstand high winds and comes in blue, brown or clear polycarbonate. The elegant, two-car M.Shade includes 12 solar panels. It’s pricey — $40,000 without installation — but can be used to provide most of the power needs of the adjacent home or to re-charge a hybrid vehicle.

Carports also offer much from an architectural perspective. As design elements, they are light rather than heavy, and therefore more versatile than garages. An unfortunate reality, according to Wynne, is that for cost reasons, garages typically form a front-and-center focal point — and often a visually displeasing one.

“The goal from a design perspective should be for the garage not to be a substantial portion of the front elevation of the home,” he said. “The front should have character and integrity, and it should be welcoming. Let’s face it. Most garages are ugly. I don’t care how many nooks and gables you have, it’s still a garage.”

New carports can easily be built to comply with wind codes and zoning laws, Wynne said, and aesthetically they’ve come a long way from ’50s-style four-posters. “We never want to go backward in design. We never want to go backward in our quality of construction,” Wynne said. “The carport has evolved the same as housing has evolved.”

Carports also have functional advantages: Remove the automobiles, and you have a covered outdoor soiree space. Locate one next to a pool deck, and you’ve got a shaded, extended area for patio furniture. “Garages have largely become closets. Generally, if a home has a two-car garage, you’ll find one car in it and the rest is storage space,” said Wynne. “Carports are more adaptable. They’re extensions of the house.”

Even so, many homeowners wouldn’t give up the convenience or protection of a garage. Sharff isn’t getting rid of his anytime soon. “It serves its purpose,” he said. “It does keep the cars shielded from the sun, and it’s secure. And where else would we keep all that stuff? I call it my ‘Florida basement.’”

In the end, perhaps, it comes down to a matter of taste. Retired architect Tim Seibert, whose many Sarasota designs include the Siesta Key Beach Pavilion and the John D. MacDonald House, parks in a carport “because I can’t stand waiting for the garage door to open.” His wife, on the other hand, parks in the garage, Seibert said.

“She’s a very neat person, wouldn’t dream of leaving her car outside. She always keeps it the garage. A very elegant garage.”

Article source: http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20110722/ARTICLE/110729841/2055/NEWS?Title=The-carport-makes-a-comeback

But attached garages have their own drawbacks. “I don’t particularly like the way the garage dominates the front of the house,” said homeowner Phillip Sharff, who, before moving last year from Boston to Lakewood Ranch, lived in a house with a detached garage at the end of the driveway. And many garage owners don’t like the odors from chemicals stored there.

Some contemporary designers and builders, especially those with green inclinations, are opting out of garages, training their sights once again on the humble carport.

“There are a lot of advantages to carports and detached garages,” said Steve Ellis, co-founder of MyGreenBuildings in Sarasota. “Builders are seeing the benefits, and so are home buyers.”

Those advantages fall into two categories: environmental and stylistic. The carport comeback applies the best of mid-century modern architecture — simplicity, grace, and responsiveness to the natural environment — to current ideals of conservation and sustainability. It is, in many respects, a logical marriage long in the making.

“Carports are environmentally friendly, and they’re inexpensive,” said architect Todd Sweet of TOTeMS Inc. in Sarasota. “Especially when you have a smaller home, a carport adds less mass. It can keep the scale down.”

TOTeMS recently designed a carport for a homeowner who did not wish to alter the design of his 1940s home, but who wanted a place to park his sports car (see cover.) “It was a really good choice,” said Sweet.

Custom green builder Josh Wynne, of Sarasota’s Josh Wynne Construction, recently built the highest-scoring LEED-Platinum new home in the United States. Only 5 percent of his homes have attached garages, while the rest have carports, detached garages or no garage at all. Wynne’s reasons are part aesthetics, part cost — “Do we really want to spend $40,000 or $50,000 to build something that’s just designed to hold a vehicle?” — and part ecology.

“There’s definitely the potential for noxious gases to build up” in a garage, said Wynne. “It is a concern. Conventional garages almost never have adequate ventilation.”

The indoor pollution hazards of attached garages are not inconsiderable. A study published by Environmental Research in 2007 showed that attached garages frequently contain elevated concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that can migrate into the residence. Unsurprisingly, gasoline-related VOCs, including the known carcinogen benzene, were found at the highest levels, and most of the fuel-related aromatics in the house resulted from garage sources.

People with existing attached garages can take measures to make them greener. Solar-powered fans improve ventilation, and solar-powered batteries can run appliances, such as mowers and clippers. Insulation is key, too: Install it not just in shared walls, but generously throughout the garage and attic space. As for chemicals that inevitably wind up in the garage, substitute non-VOC paints and bio-based solvents and paint strippers — and recycle used automotive fluids.

People who want to add an environmentally friendly carport to an existing property have several options, from pared-back to posh. SteelMaster Building Systems in Virginia Beach, Va., makes affordable, pre-engineered metal carports. The units are designed to withstand hurricane-force winds and can be assembled in a weekend.

Sankyo Tateyama Aluminum Inc. manufactures several models of sleek aluminum-framed carports. The KDR series is also built to withstand high winds and comes in blue, brown or clear polycarbonate. The elegant, two-car M.Shade includes 12 solar panels. It’s pricey — $40,000 without installation — but can be used to provide most of the power needs of the adjacent home or to re-charge a hybrid vehicle.

Carports also offer much from an architectural perspective. As design elements, they are light rather than heavy, and therefore more versatile than garages. An unfortunate reality, according to Wynne, is that for cost reasons, garages typically form a front-and-center focal point — and often a visually displeasing one.

“The goal from a design perspective should be for the garage not to be a substantial portion of the front elevation of the home,” he said. “The front should have character and integrity, and it should be welcoming. Let’s face it. Most garages are ugly. I don’t care how many nooks and gables you have, it’s still a garage.”

New carports can easily be built to comply with wind codes and zoning laws, Wynne said, and aesthetically they’ve come a long way from ’50s-style four-posters. “We never want to go backward in design. We never want to go backward in our quality of construction,” Wynne said. “The carport has evolved the same as housing has evolved.”

Carports also have functional advantages: Remove the automobiles, and you have a covered outdoor soiree space. Locate one next to a pool deck, and you’ve got a shaded, extended area for patio furniture. “Garages have largely become closets. Generally, if a home has a two-car garage, you’ll find one car in it and the rest is storage space,” said Wynne. “Carports are more adaptable. They’re extensions of the house.”

Even so, many homeowners wouldn’t give up the convenience or protection of a garage. Sharff isn’t getting rid of his anytime soon. “It serves its purpose,” he said. “It does keep the cars shielded from the sun, and it’s secure. And where else would we keep all that stuff? I call it my ‘Florida basement.’”

In the end, perhaps, it comes down to a matter of taste. Retired architect Tim Seibert, whose many Sarasota designs include the Siesta Key Beach Pavilion and the John D. MacDonald House, parks in a carport “because I can’t stand waiting for the garage door to open.” His wife, on the other hand, parks in the garage, Seibert said.

“She’s a very neat person, wouldn’t dream of leaving her car outside. She always keeps it the garage. A very elegant garage.”

Article source: http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20110722/article/110729841

A Greeley teen who has had his driver’s license for only six months said he thought he was doing the right thing Friday after lunch when he got a call on his cell phone.

“He pulled over to take the call,” said the teen’s mother, Dawn Salazar. “He was parked in the shade, talking on the phone.”

Though Justin Salazar, 16, has had his license for only six months, his mother said he’s been driving for two years.

Parking the 1998 Chrysler Concorde under a carport at the former Adamson Memorial Chapel, 827 5th St. might have been reasonable for the most experienced driver with 100-degree temperatures.

“I just went back and didn’t see it,” Justin said. What he didn’t see was the corner beam that held up carport roof, bringing the roof down on his trunk, with drywall crashing down around the car.

He ran to the police station and back, then called his mother.

“I didn’t know the number” to the police, Justin said.

Firefighters at the scene felt they would need to remove the portion of the roof before towing the car, as it would collapse easily, only resting on the trunk of the car.

Damage to the car was minimal, and the boy was unharmed. He was cited for unsafe backing, a two-point violation.

“He’s just got a big ol’ dent in the trunk and a good story,” said Greeley firefighter Wayne Alm.

Article source: http://www.greeleytribune.com/ARTICLE/20110722/NEWS/707229978/1001/RSS

Rural elegance … Gracedale’s exterior.

Michelle Potts discovers a plush bolt-hole in the Yarra Valley.

Running late, as always, there’s no time to pilfer pantry produce. Fifty minutes out of Melbourne, we stop outside Gateway Estate in Coldstream. Part grocer, deli, farm gate and cellar door, this pint-sized emporium is the perfect pit stop for good-quality comestibles. Minutes later and with a well-stocked boot, we’re back on track, pulling into the carport at the 17-hectare hillside weekender with 360-degree views of the Yarra Valley.

Gracedale is an expansive low-rise property with a contemporary feel, architect-designed in sympathy with the landscape.

After warm greetings from the hosts, we’re ushered to the west wing. We’re in the corner suite and there’s another next door. Chocolate and mint hues distinguish subtly different room layouts. Both suites are light-filled, spacious, open-plan in style and share private access separate to the owners’ living area in the east wing.

Interior design-wise, it’s plush yet understated. As you walk in, there’s a white pedestal dining table with two moulded ply chairs near the king bed. Abstract local art adorns the walls. A modern curved glass coffee table maximises space. And glass sliding doors open to a timber deck but it’s too cold to pull out the directors’ chairs. Instead, we drop our bags, sink into the soft leather chaise sofa and peer through the windows to spot a few eastern grey kangaroos bounding across the plains.

Minutes later, the entertainment director finds the wardrobe, dons the tracky dacks, programs the heating and takes charge of the remote control. With his iPod playing Hotel Costes, rugby screening on the massive HDTV and some DVDs for backup, he’s lounging for the long haul.

Best I unpack. Behind a sliding door, a compact kitchenette with fridge, microwave and tea and coffee-making provisions runs along one wall and a walk-in wardrobe along the other. Smart thinking. I spy thick towelling robes, an extra blanket, an iron and ironing board but no chunky house-baked cookies left. Only crumbs. Flashback to the chocolate thins on the bedside tables. I pounce on the bed to find empty wrappers.

Time to claim some bench space. There’s an impressive bathroom – double shower, Natio pamper pack, under-floor heating and luxury Kohler spa overlooking the valley. A cleverly designed mirror reflects nature’s art through soaring spa-to-ceiling windows. There’s something therapeutic about watching cattle graze.

I snap out of my mesmeric gaze, read magazines for a while and flick through the compendium. It’s filled with all sorts of information from a welcome note, how everything works, emergency numbers, things to do and restaurant suggestions to a pillow menu and in-house cellar list. Considerate.

Next, out with the laptop and on with the wi-fi to check emails.

An early night beckons after degustation dining nearby. We snuggle into the soft cotton sheets, relish the silence and have a great night’s sleep.

For breakfast, you fill out a tick-box menu the night before and slide it under your door. Have as much or as little as you like. We fancy eggs Benedict, fireside, in the “grand room” with freshly brewed coffee, keen to take in another aspect of the valley. More mesmeric Black Angus moments.

Again, doing nothing is our priority. Mission accomplished. But if you tire of relaxing, there’s so much to do in the region. Drop in to the Yarra Valley Visitor Information Centre in Healesville and see what appeals.

Feeling energetic? Grab a tracks and trails guide. Map an ale trail and sample small-batch beers from Hargreaves Hill, White Rabbit and Coldstream breweries. Taste some local drops. This is cool-climate wine country with more than 80 cellar doors only minutes away and a reputation for fine pinots and chardonnays. Think Dominique Portet, Oakridge, Domaine Chandon, De Bortoli and Yering Station. Add finer dining at Mandala Wines. Watch the cows come home at Yarra Valley Dairy over artisan cheeses and chutneys. Healesville’s a hub for all things epicurean, from the Kennedy Wilson chocolate shop and locally-made comestibles and heat-and-eat meals at Kitchen Butcher to Healesville Hotel’s Sunday roast and anything and everything from the busy, boisterous Giant Steps/Innocent Bystander bistro, bakery, pizzeria, cheese room and winery. For art lovers, the Archibald Prize exhibition at TarraWarra Museum of Art – a dramatic sculptural form in itself commanding spectacular valley views – ends July 31.

So many choices, so little time. The thing is, Gracedale’s the kind of place you’re easily tempted to stay a little longer.

VISITORS’ BOOK

Gracedale Yarra Valley

Address 619 Healesville-Koo Wee Rup Road, Healesville.

Phone 5962 1248, see gracedaleyarravalley.com.au.

Cost “Mint” and “chocolate” spa suites including breakfast are $250 a night Monday to Thursday and $290 a night Friday to Sunday. Chocolate suite has a two-night minimum on weekends and comes with a complimentary bottle of Domaine Chandon NV sparkling.

Getting there Healesville is about an hour’s drive from Melbourne. Follow the Eastern Freeway (M3) via EastLink and Ringwood Bypass, turn left into Maroondah Highway, right at Healesville-Koo Wee Rup Road (C411) and look out for the 619 sign.

Summary Plush adults-only hilltop haven with panoramic valley vistas.

Verdict 18

The score: 19-20 excellent; 17-18 great; 15-16 good; 13-14 comfortable.

All weekends away are conducted anonymously and paid for by Traveller.

Article source: http://www.smh.com.au/travel/holiday-type/weekends-away/winter-comforts-20110721-1hpl4.html

Three bicycles were stolen from the carport of a home in the 900 block Littlepage Street, in Fredericksburg between sometime Saturday and 7:30 a.m. Monday.

A lunch bag and an iPod were stolen Monday from a car parked behind Old Town Bicycles, at 1907 Plank Rd, in Fredericksburg,

The owner Merryman’s Florist, 1230 Jefferson Davis Highway In Fredericksburg reported that a window on her company van was broken between 6 p.m. Sunday and 9 a.m. Monday. No suspects or witnesses at this time.

ARRESTS:

James Lawrence, 45, of Fredericksburg was arrested for violation of a protective order.

Juvenile female, 17, was arrested for shoplifting at Target.

Martin Ridgeway, 21, of Stafford was arrested for possession of alcohol on the riverbank,

possession of glass on the riverbank, and littering.

Ervin Lewis, 18, of Fredericksburg was arrested for malicious wounding.

Article source: http://www2.staffordcountysun.com/news/2011/jul/22/police-blotter-july-22-paper-ar-1190107/

I can remember back in the 1950′s when people were all upset
about the new development “way out east” – Broadway and Craycroft.
That was when the population of the Tucson metro area was around
100,000 people.

The ironic thing about Tucsonans is their complete lack of
comprehension about where they live.

I will assume for the moment that virtually all Tucsonans who
have any concerns about growth and land development live in
single-family detached houses, townhouses or apartments.

Most of the houses in Tucson were built by homebuilders, either
as part of subdivision development or as custom-built homes.

While Tucsonans complain about building new homes, someone built
their home.

I always thought homebuilders ought to put a plaque somewhere on
every house they build listing the name of the company that built
it, all the sub-contractors and the date it was built. I’d even add
a permanent “house box” somewhere in the wall with the original
construction plans for the house.

But the house didn’t just spring up out of the desert without
some kind of land development activity to create the building
site.

Again, I am one of those increasingly few people who can
remember the vast open spaces of desert that stretched from Country
Club out to the Rincon Mountains, with scattered ranch houses out
there. The same going north of River Road.

There’s a great book you can buy at Tucson Maps and Flags
showing aerial views of Tucson 50 plus years ago. “Above Tucson,
Then Now,” by James Glinski, www.abovetucson.com.

The ranches were purchased by developers who put in water and
sewer lines, roads, electric service and telephone and natural gas
pipes. These were subdivisions.

Older subdivisions like the several that now make up the Sam
Hughes neighborhood area (Broadway to Speedway, Campbell to Country
Club) just created “finished” lots and then people bought the lots
and had custom homes built. Many of the “custom” homes were
actually standard designs, but instead of being side-by-side like
in new subdivisions, they were scattered around the area. There
were many homebuilders and the result is a rich mix of styles.

As you go east of the older parts of Tucson (pre-WW II) you can
chart the changes in subdivision designs. Instead of the
township-like grid of the area west of Tucson Boulevard, you start
seeing curving streets. Lots got a little bigger and setbacks
between houses increased.

Each generation of land planners and developers left their mark
on the landscape. Older areas have curbs and sidewalks, newer areas
did not. Alleys with carports vanish the farther east one goes.
Driveways turned into carports, and finally enclosed garages.

In newer subdivisions, lots got smaller again, and streetscapes
became dominated by garage doors.

While the Sam Hughes neighborhood is cited as one of the best
neighborhoods in Tucson, in fact if one tried to replicate that one
square mile neighborhood today you can’t do it due to “modern” land
use codes. A group of us tried that once.

The point is, everyone in Tucson lives in some kind of land
development. Were it not for the land development and then the
homebuilding, you wouldn’t have roof over your heads nor a street
to drive on or a waterline and powerline serving your house.

Had the people who opposed growth in Tucson in the 1950′s been
successful, 900,000 of you would not be here now.

So the next time you feel the urge to attach a proposed new
development “way out there” remember, your home sits on a site that
was “way out there” to former Tucsonans.

Article source: http://www.insidetucsonbusiness.com/media_technology/living-in-denial-your-house-used-to-be-way-out/article_f2ebfd84-b3d1-11e0-952d-001cc4c002e0.html

Stuart Wilson/Getty Images

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National Post Staff 
Jul 22, 2011 – 2:35 PM ET

Four years ago, Petra Ecclestone, 22, pictured, was a teenager — albeit, one whose dad is British Formula One exec Bernie Ecclestone, whose worth is estimated at $4-billion. Today, she’s the buyer of Candy Spelling’s estate, the most expensive residential listing in the U.S., The Los Angeles Times reports.

The Manor, as the late TV producer Aaron Spelling’s 56,500-square-foot home is known, has been on the market at US$150-million for more than two years. The place went into escrow at US$85-million. The house, which is larger than the White House and has more than 100 rooms, has a bowling alley, flower-cutting room, wine cellar, barbershop and silver storage room. Outside are a tennis court, a koi pond, gardens, a citrus orchard and a pool. More than 100 vehicles can be accomodated in the motor court and 16 carports, and a service wing houses the staff in multiple suites.

Posted in: Posted Homes 
Tags: Celebrity Homes, Petra Ecclestone

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Article source: http://life.nationalpost.com/2011/07/22/celebrity-homes-british-heiress-petra-ecclestone-buys-candy-spelling%E2%80%99s-us85-million-estate/

Hawaiian Electric Co. and the Electric Power Research Institute have built a prototype solar charging station and carport for electric vehicles. The structure will help HECO determine the impact of vehicle charging on electrical grids.

Here’s a concept: Build a solar carport and use it to charge your electric car.

That’s what Hawaiian Electric Co. had in mind when it teamed up with an industry research group to test an experimental solar-powered charging station for electric vehicles at the utility’s Ward Avenue facility.

The charging station features a nine-panel photovoltaic array mounted on a carport complete with a battery storage system. The project will allow HECO and the Electric Power Research Institute to collect and analyze a range of data on the potential impact vehicle charging will have on electrical grids, or distribution systems, as the number of EVs on the country’s roadways grows.

Utilities from around the country are concerned that without proper preparation, the additional demand for electricity from widespread EV charging could put stress on their grids.

HECO will also use the experimental carport to help answer questions from customers who want to know how EV charging might affect their electric bills, said Peter Rosegg, HECO spokesman.

The nine PV panels have a combined rating of 2 kilowatts powering a 220-volt charge station capable of topping off a Nissan Leaf battery in about four hours, Rosegg said. The station also has a 20-kilowatt lithium-ion battery that can be used to store energy collected during the daytime for EV charging at night. The battery produces enough energy to provide more than 80 percent of the charge needed for the 24-kilowatt Leaf.

The battery, however, added a significant cost to the solar carport, which carried a price tag of around $50,000 before tax credits. The test project, funded largely by EPRI, includes monitoring equipment to collect the data and transmit it to a computer through a wireless Internet connection, Rosegg said. The charging station was designed primarily as a research project and wasn’t intended to be a prototype to be commercialized, he said.

RevoluSun, which designed and built the system, said homeowners who want equivalent charging power can install a system on an existing house or garage rooftop for about $15,000 to $16,000, excluding the backup battery system and wireless monitoring equipment. A 35 percent state tax credit and 30 percent federal tax credit would drop the effective cost of the system to $5,200 to $5,600.

The PV panels can be tied into a home’s electrical system to provide solar-generated electricity for other household uses when a vehicle is not being charged, said Josh Powell, a RevoluSun partner.

EV owners who choose to charge their cars using the HECO grid are being encouraged by the utility to do so at night when electricity demand is lower. HECO offers its Oahu customers a discount of 6 cents per kilowatt-hour on electricity used for charging electric vehicles between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m. On the neighbor islands the EV rate ranges from 7 cents to 10 cents lower per kilowatt-hour.

EV owners who already have PV panels on their homes can still offset the cost of charging their cars at night when the electricity being used is coming from the HECO grid. Under the utility’s net energy metering program, a customer can receive credit for unused solar energy that is fed back into the grid during daylight hours. That credit can then effectively be used to pay for the electricity being drawn from the grid at night.

Article source: http://www.staradvertiser.com/business/20110722_solar_carport_tracks_impact_of_plugging_in.html