Patent ID: 8710791

Claim:
A solar powered charging shelter, comprising: a metal standing seam roof having a length and a width in plan view, the length being greater than the width; a metal frame, the metal frame including: a plurality of vertically oriented tubular metal support beams, a first set of said vertically oriented support beams being of a first height and a second set of said vertically oriented support beams being of a second height, the first height being different from the second height; and a plurality of horizontally oriented metal support beams running in a length-wise direction of said roof, wherein each said horizontally oriented metal support beam is comprised of two ‘C-shaped’ purlins arranged in touching, face-to-face fashion such that substantially no gap exists between touch points thereof; and wherein top portions of each said horizontally oriented metal support beam are flush mounted so as to be in direct contact with the bottom of said roof and such that substantially no gap exists between the top portions and the bottom of said roof; a plurality of solar panels mechanically coupled to the top of said roof, each said solar panel being mechanically coupled to said roof by a coupling element; a plurality of control stations, each said control station being operative to provide at least two charge levels for charging a vehicle, said at least two charge levels including a DC level 2 charge; and a plurality of extendable and retractable electrical outlets, each said electrical outlet being adapted to be mechanically releasably coupled to the vehicle to provide to the vehicle a vehicle user-selected one of any of said at least two charge levels, wherein said roof is at a non-horizontal angle based on the respective first and second heights of the first and second sets of said vertically oriented metal support beams, and wherein said charging shelter is without exterior sidewalls.