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    Davis CA Welcomes new PairTree Solar Microgrid to Charge EVs at City Park

    March 12, 2025
    The Playfields Park chargers are accessible to the public at no charge. The solar microgrid powers two EV charging ports capable of Level 2 rates up to 7.7 kW for one vehicle or 4 kW for two vehicles charging simultaneously.
    Solar microgrid-powered PairTree EV charger at Playfield Park in Davis. Image credit Paired Power
    Solar microgrid-powered PairTree EV charger at Playfield Park in Davis. Image credit Paired Power

    The city which pioneered modern bicycle culture is accelerating new infrastructure for a faster mode of carbon-free transportation.

    Paired Power has installed its PairTree solar-powered electric vehicle charging microgrid in Davis, California. The solar microgrid is located at Playfields Park on Research Park Drive.

    This is Paired Power’s second solar-powered EV charging station for Davis. The microgrid offers off-grid operation which ensures charging reliability even during utility outages.

    “The goal of making electric vehicles accessible to everyone requires scalable solutions that can be deployed quickly in locations where there is little to no grid power,” Tom McCalmont, CEO of Paired Power, said in a statement. “Paired Power is proud to work with the City of Davis to expand access to solar-powered EV charging, and this project demonstrates the city leadership’s forward-thinking approach to clean energy.”

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    The Playfields Park chargers are accessible to the public at no charge. The solar microgrid powers two EV charging ports capable of Level 2 rates up to 7.7 kW for one vehicle or 4 kW for two vehicles charging simultaneously.

    "The installation at Playfields Park is an exciting development for Davis," said Davis Mayor Bapu Vaitla. "This park is a central recreational hub for families and athletes, and we’re very happy to partner with Paired Power to offer free, renewable electric car charging as part of the City's clean energy initiatives.”

    The installation is part of the city of Davis’s Electrify Yolo initiative in partnership with Yolo County, Valley Clean Energy Alliance and the cities of Winter and Woodland. It is funded by a regional 2018 SACOG Green Region grant (Sacramento Area Council of Governments).

    Davis is home to the United States Bicycling Hall of Fame. The city has built cycling infrastructure since the 1970s, and the University of California-Davis’ Cal Aggie Cycling team is a multiple-time national road race champion.

    In addition to its solar microgrid installations in David, Paired Power has built others around California, including EV charging at Santa Clara University, California American Water and the Port of Hueneme.

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    About the Author

    Rod Walton, Managing Editor | Managing Editor

    For Microgrid Knowledge editorial inquiries, please contact Managing Editor Rod Walton at [email protected].

    I’ve spent the last 15 years covering the energy industry as a newspaper and trade journalist. I was an energy writer and business editor at the Tulsa World before moving to business-to-business media at PennWell Publishing, which later became Clarion Events, where I covered the electric power industry. I joined Endeavor Business Media in November 2021 to help launch EnergyTech, one of the company’s newest media brands. I joined Microgrid Knowledge in July 2023. 

    I earned my Bachelors degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma. My career stops include the Moore American, Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise, Wagoner Tribune and Tulsa World, all in Oklahoma . I have been married to Laura for the past 33-plus years and we have four children and one adorable granddaughter. We want the energy transition to make their lives better in the future. 

    Microgrid Knowledge and EnergyTech are focused on the mission critical and large-scale energy users and their sustainability and resiliency goals. These include the commercial and industrial sectors, as well as the military, universities, data centers and microgrids. The C&I sectors together account for close to 30 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S.

    Many large-scale energy users such as Fortune 500 companies, and mission-critical users such as military bases, universities, healthcare facilities, public safety and data centers, shifting their energy priorities to reach net-zero carbon goals within the coming decades. These include plans for renewable energy power purchase agreements, but also on-site resiliency projects such as microgrids, combined heat and power, rooftop solar, energy storage, digitalization and building efficiency upgrades.

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    Gregory Poilasne, CEO and founder of Nuvve Holding, stands in the midst of an EV bus fleet. Image credit Nuvve
    Image credit University of St. Thomas
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    Forum Mobility
    Ribbon cutting ceremony for the FM Harbor electric truck charging depot in the Port of Long Beach. With 9 MW of power and 44 high-speed charging dispensers, the depot provides reliable and convenient charging next to terminals for Forum Mobility customer fleets. (Source: Forum Mobility)
    Sprocket Power
    Source: Sprocket Power
    Image credit Duke Energy
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