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Solar panels == shade. Any companies deploying solar in this manner (parking lots, pedestrian trails, bus benches, etc..)
by t1234s 1y ago
Solar panels == shade. Any companies deploying solar in this manner (parking lots, pedestrian trails, bus benches, etc..)
- rmason 1y agoLocally Michigan State is covering all their parking lots with solar panels. The added advantage is that since you're car is parked under them you don't have to clear the snow off. https://ipf.msu.edu/about/news/solar-carport-initiative-earns-national-attention https://ipf.msu.edu/about/news/solar-carport-initiative-earn... But what I haven't figured out is if they have to broom them off after a snow or just wait until the sun melts it. By the time I am around in the afternoon time they are always cleared.
- labcomputer 1y agoNo idea if anyone actually does this. In theory, you could forward-bias the panels with an external power supply. That should generate infrared light at the band gap, which should melt the snow. It might be enough to just form a thin layer of water, so the whole mass of snow slides off.
- torgoguys 1y agoFor panels in northern climates, if the tilt is fixed or just seasonally adjusted (i.e., not tracking the sun), we often will bias towards a bit more vertical tilt than mathematically optimal to encourage snow shedding.
- jojobas 1y agoUnless it's borderline melting, brooming is not enough, you'd have to move the snow away or berms would form quickly.
- pjc50 1y agoPanels have a low albedo - they absorb a lot of energy. About 25% of that is turned into electricity, the rest heats the panel. So as soon as a corner is exposed to the sun, it tends to melt off the rest of the snow comparatively quickly.
- zie 1y agoYes, many companies are doing this in their parking lots, even some govt buildings do this. My local library has panels setup over part of their parking lot for instance.
- dzhiurgis 1y agoIs it economically viable (pays itself)? It looks simple, but designing a shade is no small feat. I looked once into solar covers for EV charging spots and it would provide like 5% of energy, not worth the hassle. For parking the convenience is definitely worth it, but economically I don't think supermarkets care that much.
- zie 1y agoI've never done the math, but I've seen Walmarts start putting solar panels as cover in their parking lots.
- adabyron 1y agoThis gets proposed a lot. The reason it isn't more frequent is due to the cost of the structure to hold the panels & risks of people running into them. It would be great if these costs could come down. Parking lots, animal pastures & other areas could be protected & create energy at the same time.
- nothercastle 1y agoThey also light on fire occasionally
- adolph 1y agoHere is a large installation over surface parking at a VA medical center. I think it is just a matter of time before this becomes the standard everywhere. Lat, Lon: 29.701864, -95.388646 https://maps.app.goo.gl/N7U4EmUVQsFG6gfZ8 https://maps.app.goo.gl/N7U4EmUVQsFG6gfZ8
- antisthenes 1y agoI did a presentation on this in college back in 2008...the math was good even back then as far as electricity payback and other benefits. And solar has gotten way cheaper since then. It's a no-brainer.
- thelastgallon 1y ago> risks of people running into them Curious how people run into solar panels. I wonder how many ER visits say "I ran into a solar panel"
- sagarm 1y agoDrivers hit structures all the time.
- thelastgallon 1y agoand? Why is it a problem with solar panels?
- jasonwatkinspdx 1y agoChina is doing a lot with combining solar and fish farms.
- deleted 1y ago[deleted]