8 ms·
How so? Would love to get more info. I would have expected car parks to be a decent place for solar panels. Close to existing infrastructure, easy access, provi
by dmitri1981 4y ago
How so? Would love to get more info. I would have expected car parks to be a decent place for solar panels. Close to existing infrastructure, easy access, provides shade and no loss of habitat.
- abawany 4y agoExactly. Most airport parking lots charge extra for covered parking - parking lots could continue charging the premium and also make money generating power. Sometimes the free market needs a swift kick up the backside to do the right thing, it seems. (edit: s/Mostly/Most)
- JoeAltmaier 4y agoClose to power substations? Do they scale when you need more? Do we really want to mount our solar panels up on 20' poles? When it requires maintenance, do we shut down the parking lot? It's clearly not optimal, not nearly. Folks I know it's sad that every solar project that occurs to the layman, is not always a good idea. But don't blame the messenger.
- nebalee 4y agoPlaces with large parking lots usually also consume a lot of power and need a properly dimensioned connection to the grid anyways. And they will likely cover their own demand with these solar installations before they send any surplus to the grid.
- JoeAltmaier 4y agoExactly. Those buildings next to the parking lot are another big problem - shade. In many cases the panels will be in shade part of every day. But Hey! the government says you got to put them up anyway. This is a load of govt interference, down to virtue signalling and little else.
- rapsey 4y agoCovering parking lots requires a scaffolding structure to hold the panels. The cost of this structure is probably higher than the panels. A much better plan would be mandating all large building roofs to be covered by panels unless unsuitable. You could literally double the amount of panels for the same $$. All the warehouses, shopping malls, government buildings and factories is a very large amount of space.
- nebalee 4y agoNew commercial buildings are already required to have solar panels (or plants) installed on the roof: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/mar/20/france-decrees-new-rooftops-must-be-covered-in-plants-or-solar-panels https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/mar/20/france-decrees... https://www.architectmagazine.com/technology/france-mandates-green-roofs-for-all-new-commercial-construction_o https://www.architectmagazine.com/technology/france-mandates...
- ars 4y agoIt only works in places without much snow. If you need the solar-roof to also support snow load it's way way way too expensive to build. For places with snow load you either put them on an already strong roof, or on the ground.
- mcv 4y agoPut them at an angle so the snow slides off. And France doesn't get the meters of snow that you get in Canada.
- Beldin 4y agoIndeed - according to the article, the law requires a lot of parking lot surface area to be covered. Not necessarily by one gigantic roof, just as long as solar panels are blocking direct sunlight.
- ars 4y agoIf there's snow plus freezing rain it won't slide off even at an angle. If France doesn't get much snow, then sure, sounds like a good place for this.