An all-electric Nissan LEAF plugged in at the Wilsonville, Ore. Fred Meyer store which, in addition to two EV charging stations, boasts nearly 500 solar panels on its roof. [Photo Credit: Oliver F. Oregon Electric Vehicle Association]

Now you can go grocery shopping and plug your car into the power of the sun – at least if you live in the Portland, Ore. area.

A new Wilsonville, Ore. Fred Meyer has installed two ECOtality Blink EV charging stations and some of the electricity that flows into those could come from the solar system on the store’s roof (see picture above), depending on sun conditions and other energy use at the store at the time you plug in.

Installed by REC Solar, the system has nearly 500 panels and will generate an estimated 113,000 kWh of electricity annually.

Hopefully, this EV + PV combo at Fred Meyer will help spark a trend that spreads from Oregon to the rest of the U.S.

Seems to us that allowing people to plug into the solar + electric car synergy while they shop will draw customers to your store, no matter what you’re selling.

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