In the United States, a student won an award for her project aimed at owners of electric vehicles. In fact, it has created a mobile shelter that can charge electric cars using solar energy.
An ingenious system
Toni Ginsberg-Klemmt is a student at the New College of Florida (USA). In a press release published on May 16, 2021, the establishment presented its OZY Genius Prize-winning invention, which every year promotes a project or idea with a positive impact on society. The student received $10,000 for her concept called Garage/interior stowable MOdular photovoltaic on wheels and charging rack (or Gizmo power).
As the name suggests, it is a carport with the particularity of being mobile and above all for charging vehicles using solar energy. More than twenty solar panels integrate the frames of the shelter, which can be tilted and lowered depending on the position of the sun. As far as mobility is concerned, the young inventor explains that reception can bend to be transported. It can also be stored in a garage in case of extreme weather conditions.
“When my father and I started thinking about building a carport with solar panels, we realized that the project would pose several problems, most notably the presence of essential fixed structures in the event of a hurricane. Then the idea of mounting wheels to the system was a game changer for the whole concept, because it fixed the whole system that became a device and no longer a structure”, Toni Ginsberg-Klemmt said in the statement.
Other projects in perspective
In practice, the Gizmo Power shelter houses an electric vehicle and charges it using 24 solar panels and a SolarEdge Inverter/EV charger. Please note, however, that the shelter does not have a connected battery system. It is therefore essential to connect it to the network from the moment it is not used for charging a car. The aim here is to prevent energy wastage.
Toni Ginsberg-Klemmt is really passionate about renewable energy sources and the award she received is a great motivation for her future projects. His next goal is to create a second Power Gizmo, this time more powerful. The aim is to install it within the own university and make it available to students. In the end she wants produce hundreds of copies and they sell at nearly $20,000 each, which could of course attract a certain clientele.
Here is the presentation of the Gizmo Power concept:
