Panasonic Enterprise Solutions Company (Panasonic) announced it is providing engineering, construction and procurement services to Powertree Services Inc. (Powertree) to build 68 electric vehicle charging stations at multi-unit residential properties in San Francisco.

Construction has begun on the stations, which link together key energy services to provide value for property owners, tenants, EV drivers and the grid. They are designed to be powered by solar energy and to incorporate a battery storage component. When complete they will have the ability to supply high power charging to vehicles, ancillary services provided to the utility to support the grid, solar power to tenants and supplemental power to the buildings.The stations are scheduled to be completed by Earth Day 2015.

"Panasonic is committed to driving new technologies and collaborating with entrepreneurs to help bring about renewable energy options and a sustainable future. Our work now will pay off in terms of future economic and other benefits for building owners, and a reduction in greenhouse gases,” said Panasonic Enterprise Solutions’ Jamie Evans, Eco Solutions Managing Director.

“Owners of multi-tenant apartment and mixed use buildings face a rising demand from tenants, drivers and new regulations that combine to require them to install, manage, upgrade electric charging facilities and support electric vehicles. With Powertree Services owners can turn this potentially burdensome situation into new value and offer attractive new amenities for their tenants even in medium to small urban properties with no capital outlay by the property owner,” said Stacey Reineccius, founder and CEO of Powertree, which is headquartered in San Francisco.

When complete, the 68 stations will result in a total installed capacity of 6.1 megawatts of power and 2.5 megawatts of EV charging capacity. Each station is configured to support up to 70 amps or 18 kilowatts. This is roughly equivalent to 60 to 70 miles of range for every hour of charging. The exact rate of charging depends on vehicle models. The stations will be powered by on site photovoltaic panels, and can generate clean energy for building use, or have the ability to provide backup generation, in the event of a grid outage.

At Solar Power International 2014 at the Las Vegas Convention Center on October 21, Panasonic’s Jamie Evans and Powertree’s Stacey Reineccius will talk about the challenges and solutions to going green—whether it is upfront cost, complex financial structures, or the need to secure strong, reliable partners at every phase of solar development—in a case study style panel focusing on Powertree and titledSimplifying Sustainability: Eliminating the Barriers to Solar Success.