Renewable Properties launches solar charging service for electric vehicle fleets

Electric truck batteries are charged from the charging station. (Concept art, credit: Renewable Properties)

Renewable Properties, a developer and investor in small-scale utility and community solar projects, has launched a new electric vehicle (EV) fleet charging service, leveraging the company’s community solar development, land acquisition, and electrical infrastructure experience to provide a turnkey charging solution for companies with EV fleets.

Renewable Properties has selected global engineering and construction company Black & Veatch to design the first EV charging station on land that Renewable Properties recently acquired in Vacaville, California – a Bay Area transportation and distribution hub for major retail brands. The company says this first station will act as a model for deploying more private charging depots for medium and heavy-duty electric truck and bus fleets on the West Coast.

Charging at Renewable Properties’ depots will be offered via a charging-as-a-service agreement similar to a power purchase agreement (PPA), with no upfront costs to fleet owners and operators. Renewable Properties will site, build, own, operate, and maintain the gated depots, with customers paying for the KWh used to charge their EVs. The charging depots will feature reserved electrical capacity, secure yards, vehicle storage, and EV chargers that will be compatible with most EV truck brands, Renewable Properties said.

GO DEEPER: Renewable Properties founder and president Aaron Halimi joined Episode 33 of the Factor This! podcast to discuss the future of community solar in California which, to date, has lagged behind other markets, despite the state’s role as a leader of the energy transition. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

California businesses must comply with the state’s Advanced Clean Fleets (ACF) Regulation, which went into effect on Jan. 1, 2024. ACF prescribes a phased-in transition to EV fleets, requiring any fleet operator with revenue greater than $50 million, or that controls more than 50 trucks, to begin electrifying their fleets. Affected fleet owners include retail brands with warehouse and distribution centers; public entities, including municipalities, tribal governments, state governments, county governments, public schools, colleges, and universities; as well as owners of drayage truck fleets that transport cargo to and from California’s seaports and rail yards.

“The already-growing need for EV fleet charging is now more urgent with California’s new requirements for fleet electrification,” said Aaron Halimi, Founder & CEO of Renewable Properties. “With our simple, straightforward charging-as-a-service solution, our work with Black & Veatch, plus our deep experience in distributed electrical infrastructure development and land acquisition, Renewable Properties is uniquely positioned to relieve fleet owners of the burden of navigating the complex implementation of EV charging infrastructure.”