A lender in Florida plans to deploy 100 solar-powered ATMs throughout the Miami area:

Expert Group, Inc. announced today that it will deploy the region’s first solar-powered ATM. The ATMs will be installed throughout Miami in high traffic outdoor areas, said Robert Rico, Chairmen of Expert Financing, Inc.

The ATMs are powered by solar panels installed on the top of the ATM. The panels are connected to a circuit breaker board, which feeds a power controller. Part of the collected energy is stored in the power controller for the ATM’s night operation.

The city of Miami has been encouraging businesses to use solar power where possible. Unlike earlier efforts that had some bugs to work out, Expert Group — which does business as Expert Financing — is confident that their machines won’t get overloaded when they get drenched with sunshine.

“We are planning to put 100 solar-powered ATMs in various areas in Miami in the near future,” Rico said. “The wonderful thing about these machines is that they are not costly and will provide our customers with the chance to contribute to helping the environment.”

A few months back, we wrote about a Seattle neighborhood’s experiment with a solar-powered ATM — and how it didn’t go quite as well as hoped.

Now a bank in Mumbai, India is giving it a try.

A private sector bank launched the city’s first solar energy-powered ATM at its Opera House branch on Friday. The machine is expected to work on solar energy for at least eight hours a day. Through this green initiative, the bank will be able to save around 1,980 kilowatt hours of energy every year and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 1,912 kg per year, a bank representative said.

The ATM has been fixed with large solar panels powered by eight photovoltaic cells mounted on the bank’s building. “The panels harness sunlight and turn it into electricity. Electricity is stored in batteries located within the building which will be used to power the ATM,” a bank official said. The ATM will enable the bank to save around Rs 20,000 per year.

20,000 Indian rupees is about $428.

For the first 30 years of their existence, ATMs were simply an extension of an existing service: an automated way to get cash from your bank account.

With ATMs now so common that they’re part of the landscape, they’ve finally reached the level of platform: a reliable, familiar technology that serves as the launching pad for additional services.

Case in point: payroll cards.

Payroll cards are an alternative to paychecks. Instead of giving employees a paper check, or electronically depositing their pay in a bank account, the employer loads the value of the check on to a debit card. The employee can then use the card for cash or shopping.

Employers like them because they eliminate the need for paper checks. And since payroll cards can act like credit cards and don’t require employees to have a bank account, they’re very popular with lower-income workers, people who have poor credit, or any worker who for whatever reason can’t or won’t get a bank account or credit card.

Government is getting in on the act, too: many states provide food stamps and other welfare benefits using a card, so-called Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT).

Jim Penza is president of ATM manufacturer WRG, a company that started life in the vending business before moving into cash machines. He wrote an article for the November issue of Playmeter magazine specifically about payroll cards and what it will mean for the ATM industry. Key excerpts:

ATMs are not just for convenience anymore…they are becoming a necessity. Why? More and more people receive their monthly income via debit cards. The need to access these funds is what drives transaction revenue for ATM owners and operators….

More than 20 states have launched pre-paid debit card programs for child support payments. In fact, over a dozen states—including Georgia, Iowa, Michigan, New York and Virginia—have made it mandatory for child support disbursement to be made via debit card and direct deposit….

Wireless telephone companies, such as AT&T and Alltel, issue rebates in the form of debit cards….

The future of the ATM industry lies not only in the customer who needs fast cash to make a purchase, but also the person who needs the ATM to access their monthly income….

Payroll card programs are becoming increasingly popular among retailers who view it as a cost saving tactic. In August of this year, Wal-Mart employees who declined direct deposit received their earnings in the form of a MasterCard debit card….

What does this mean for ATM owners? It means they’re increasingly part of a complex financial network that will draw in customers. ATMs won’t just attract people looking for quick cash. They’ll attract people who need access to their paycheck. In the past, many such people would go to check-cashing businesses and pay a hefty fee. If your ATM is convenient, reasonably surcharged and well advertised, they’ll now come to you instead. They get more convenience at a lower cost; you’ll collect increased surcharge revenue as well as boosting sales in your store.