U.S. General Services Administration
GSA to test solar tracking and off-grid mobile charging at Bean Federal Center
Program will drive innovation in sustainability by piloting emerging technologies
CHICAGO – Today, the U.S. General Services Administration’s Center for Emerging Building Technology kicked off an Applied Innovation Learning Laboratory project at the Bean Federal Center in Indianapolis to test both off-grid mobile charging and solar tracking technology. GSA was joined by the Sandia National Laboratories, BEAM Global, and Rocking Solar to plan the pilots, which will support electric vehicle supply equipment and solar energy production, respectively.
GSA partnered with the Department of Energy’s Sandia National Laboratories to plan a detailed analysis of the pilots. These pilots aim to support GSA’s ability to deliver on the commitments in Executive Order 14057 “Catalyzing Clean Energy Industries and Jobs Through Federal Sustainability” to work towards a net-zero emissions building portfolio by 2045 and accelerate the transition to an all-electric federal fleet by 2035.
Announced by GSA Administrator Robin Carnahan earlier this year, AILL sites will serve as hubs for Center for Emerging Building Technologies programs (Green Proving Ground and Pilot to Portfolio) and encourage federal partners, industry, and local utilities to work together to test new kinds of clean energy technologies.
GSA Commissioner of the Public Buildings Service Nina Albert attended the kickoff meeting and did a walkthrough of both project areas to learn more about the technologies.
“We’re thrilled to collaborate with innovative companies to test new clean energy technologies that support net-zero emission buildings and vehicle charging infrastructure at federal properties,” said Albert. “Providing the space for practical testing of sustainable technologies is vital to accelerating the transition to an all-electric fleet and building a cleaner, healthier future for the country.”
Specifically, the technologies being piloted are:
- A renewable, transportable EV charging station (from BEAM Global) that combines solar, battery storage, and emergency power and can be independent or grid-tied.
- A single-axis, low-cost solar tracker (from Rocking Solar) that increases energy yield of commercial rooftop photovoltaic production by adapting a proven utility tracking technology.
“The Inflation Reduction Act will provide even more opportunities for GSA’s Green Proving Ground program to drive data-driven investment in emerging and sustainable technologies,” said Kevin Powell, Director of the Center for Emerging Building Technology. “Building and fleet electrification is at a transformational moment, and we’re thrilled to be partnering with the Bean Federal Center to understand how we can best derive optimum value for rooftop solar and all-electric fleets.”
Reference above to any specific company, product, technology or service does not constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by GSA. More information on the above technologies and other ongoing evaluations can be found at GPG’s Ongoing Assessments webpage.
Bean Federal Center rooftop photos are available for downloading.
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About GSA: GSA provides centralized procurement and shared services for the federal government, managing a nationwide real estate portfolio of nearly 370 million rentable square feet, overseeing approximately $75 billion in annual contracts, and delivering technology services that serve millions of people across dozens of federal agencies. GSA’s mission is to deliver the best customer experience and value in real estate, acquisition, and technology services to the government and the American people. For more information, visit GSA.gov and follow us at @USGSA