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This 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 woul

This 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 ago
They also light on fire occasionally
adolph 1y ago
Here 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 ago
  I 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 ago
  Drivers hit structures all the time.
  - thelastgallon 1y ago
    and? Why is it a problem with solar panels?
    - Starman_Jones 1y ago
      [dead]
    - smileysteve 1y ago
      More expensive and urgent to repair than a light pole.
- kingstnap 1y ago
  People drive into buildings all the time. Like it's actually like over a hundred per day sort of thing in the US. Happens really frequently here in Canada as well. If you include stuff like stop signs, light poles, mailboxes, and fences its probably in the several thousands. Fixed object collisions are super common.
  - thelastgallon 1y ago
    Even animals (with significantly smaller brains) know how to avoid stationary structures (and even moving things that are trying to eat them!). Where are ya'll from that people are running into stationary structures all the time? If people have an epidemic of running into stationary things, wouldn't there be a 100x problem of them running into moving things - like cars, trucks, trains, airplanes? Regardless, why is it okay for people to run into any stationary structure but not okay for people to run into structures that hold solar panels? Or is there some effort to remove ALL stationary structures because of this problem?
    - Starman_Jones 1y ago
      [dead]
  - thelastgallon 1y ago
    Probably ya'll need to update the driver's license exam. First, in the written exam, include rules against hitting stationary structures, and quiz them on it before issuing the learner's permit. Then also test for it during the road test. If they can't avoid a stationary structure, perhaps fail them? In the US, this is not a problem unless you are drunk. When you are driving drunk, you are violating the law anyway.
    - fragmede 1y ago
      We don't know the state of the multiple drivers to cause these posts, or for the drivers to run into the corresponding posts, but they're a) in the US (Atlanta, Oakland, and Brookfield, CT) and b) it sounds like it's happened more than a few times. https://old.reddit.com/r/cars/comments/myfroy/today_the_14th_notable_accident_in_12_years/ https://old.reddit.com/r/cars/comments/myfroy/today_the_14th... https://old.reddit.com/r/HomeImprovement/comments/5da1w1/best_way_to_stop_cars_from_running_into_the_front/ https://old.reddit.com/r/HomeImprovement/comments/5da1w1/bes... https://i95rock.com/how-to-avoid-a-car-crash-as-you-approach-the-newtown-flagpole/ https://i95rock.com/how-to-avoid-a-car-crash-as-you-approach...
- adabyron 1y ago
  If you put solar panels in parking lots, you're adding a lot of posts to the parking lot to hold them that weren't there before. People are going to crash into those posts in parking lots often. For example, light posts constantly get bumped in parking lots. To hold your solar panels you need really strong posts that can both hold them and get bumped into by vehicles. Especially in the USA where you have giant vehicles & tight parking spaces. This all adds to the cost before you even get to electricity storage & transmission.
pjc50 1y ago
The other main obstacle to solar construction anywhere is grid permitting.

nothercastle 1y ago

They also light on fire occasionally

adolph 1y ago

Here 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 ago
I 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 ago
Drivers hit structures all the time.
- thelastgallon 1y ago
  and? Why is it a problem with solar panels?
  - Starman_Jones 1y ago
    [dead]
  - smileysteve 1y ago
    More expensive and urgent to repair than a light pole.
kingstnap 1y ago
People drive into buildings all the time. Like it's actually like over a hundred per day sort of thing in the US. Happens really frequently here in Canada as well. If you include stuff like stop signs, light poles, mailboxes, and fences its probably in the several thousands. Fixed object collisions are super common.
- thelastgallon 1y ago
  Even animals (with significantly smaller brains) know how to avoid stationary structures (and even moving things that are trying to eat them!). Where are ya'll from that people are running into stationary structures all the time? If people have an epidemic of running into stationary things, wouldn't there be a 100x problem of them running into moving things - like cars, trucks, trains, airplanes? Regardless, why is it okay for people to run into any stationary structure but not okay for people to run into structures that hold solar panels? Or is there some effort to remove ALL stationary structures because of this problem?
  - Starman_Jones 1y ago
    [dead]
- thelastgallon 1y ago
  Probably ya'll need to update the driver's license exam. First, in the written exam, include rules against hitting stationary structures, and quiz them on it before issuing the learner's permit. Then also test for it during the road test. If they can't avoid a stationary structure, perhaps fail them? In the US, this is not a problem unless you are drunk. When you are driving drunk, you are violating the law anyway.
  - fragmede 1y ago
    We don't know the state of the multiple drivers to cause these posts, or for the drivers to run into the corresponding posts, but they're a) in the US (Atlanta, Oakland, and Brookfield, CT) and b) it sounds like it's happened more than a few times. https://old.reddit.com/r/cars/comments/myfroy/today_the_14th_notable_accident_in_12_years/ https://old.reddit.com/r/cars/comments/myfroy/today_the_14th... https://old.reddit.com/r/HomeImprovement/comments/5da1w1/best_way_to_stop_cars_from_running_into_the_front/ https://old.reddit.com/r/HomeImprovement/comments/5da1w1/bes... https://i95rock.com/how-to-avoid-a-car-crash-as-you-approach-the-newtown-flagpole/ https://i95rock.com/how-to-avoid-a-car-crash-as-you-approach...
adabyron 1y ago
If you put solar panels in parking lots, you're adding a lot of posts to the parking lot to hold them that weren't there before. People are going to crash into those posts in parking lots often. For example, light posts constantly get bumped in parking lots. To hold your solar panels you need really strong posts that can both hold them and get bumped into by vehicles. Especially in the USA where you have giant vehicles & tight parking spaces. This all adds to the cost before you even get to electricity storage & transmission.

pjc50 1y ago

The other main obstacle to solar construction anywhere is grid permitting.