They need to start putting solar on top of surface parking and roads instead of on much needed farm land. The power infrastructure to tie in is already there and cities use more power anyway. Climate change is already messing with crop yields. We will need to plant more to offset the loses.
*FYI - I am speaking of utility solar, not personal home solar.
I thought solar over surface parking could be good in certain conditions, and maybe it can, in small installations. But there has been research done on this subject and it’s not entirely clear. Large photovoltaic farms often increases heat island effect.
There is a cooling effect provided by the panels, because of the shade, but it’s not that much. Putting them inside giant parking lots and over roads could ends up making things warmer around those areas.
Anyway, the point is not that we will require more or cleaner energy for those cars, the point is that they still create pollution, space, and lethal issues.
Car dependency should be reduced. Some highways and elevated expressways should be changed into urban boulevards or even simply demolished. Power usage should be stabilized. Consumption should be reduced. Habits should be changed.
It’s unreasonable to expect everybody on the planet and in cities to have a 2 tons giant cube of metal wasting energy to move itself and the little bag of meat inside everywhere they go. Alternatives to car dependency have to be provided.
I’m sorry but solar panels here and there are not gonna be enough with the current trajectory.
That is comparing vegetation to solar panels. Black roads already have a very high albedo and absorb light and convert to heat. Shading roads are a decent idea except the structure to hold them up is costly. We should be completely covering commercial flat roofs first - that’s the most win-win.
Put the panels on parking lots but why not on farmland where it’s beneficial?
It’s early days, but solar panels on farmland can be better for them. Aussie wool farmers have found some shade on their grazing land is better for the plants and sheep.
Things I’ve read said building the infrastructure out to bring power out of remote areas takes a lot of land and the wires start forest fires and require clearing paths to allow maintenance vehicles. Plus, I was more speaking of useable crop land which where I often see solar installed. Above roads where all the infrastructure runs along already seems like a better option. Plus it shuts up conservatives whining about ugly solar ruining the country side.
Long range transmission is a solved problem. Check out Hydro Québec. The majority of their production happen 700+ km away from Montréal and Québec City.
Above roads sounds like a good idea, until you realize how often drivers hit stuff.
They need to start putting solar on top of surface parking and roads instead of on much needed farm land. The power infrastructure to tie in is already there and cities use more power anyway. Climate change is already messing with crop yields. We will need to plant more to offset the loses.
*FYI - I am speaking of utility solar, not personal home solar.
I thought solar over surface parking could be good in certain conditions, and maybe it can, in small installations. But there has been research done on this subject and it’s not entirely clear. Large photovoltaic farms often increases heat island effect.
Source: The Photovoltaic Heat Island Effect: Larger solar power plants increase local temperatures
There is a cooling effect provided by the panels, because of the shade, but it’s not that much. Putting them inside giant parking lots and over roads could ends up making things warmer around those areas.
Anyway, the point is not that we will require more or cleaner energy for those cars, the point is that they still create pollution, space, and lethal issues.
Car dependency should be reduced. Some highways and elevated expressways should be changed into urban boulevards or even simply demolished. Power usage should be stabilized. Consumption should be reduced. Habits should be changed.
It’s unreasonable to expect everybody on the planet and in cities to have a 2 tons giant cube of metal wasting energy to move itself and the little bag of meat inside everywhere they go. Alternatives to car dependency have to be provided.
I’m sorry but solar panels here and there are not gonna be enough with the current trajectory.
That is comparing vegetation to solar panels. Black roads already have a very high albedo and absorb light and convert to heat. Shading roads are a decent idea except the structure to hold them up is costly. We should be completely covering commercial flat roofs first - that’s the most win-win.
Surface parking, yes. Roads, no. Solar roads, while cool, are vaporware and will not work.
I am saying just mount them above roads. Roads have bridges with height limits already, why not build them over roads? It’s dead space.
Long story short: drivers keep hitting them.
See also: recovery zones and sheer bolts for poles
Yes men, terraform more so the car-kin can live happily.
Put the panels on parking lots but why not on farmland where it’s beneficial?
It’s early days, but solar panels on farmland can be better for them. Aussie wool farmers have found some shade on their grazing land is better for the plants and sheep.
Things I’ve read said building the infrastructure out to bring power out of remote areas takes a lot of land and the wires start forest fires and require clearing paths to allow maintenance vehicles. Plus, I was more speaking of useable crop land which where I often see solar installed. Above roads where all the infrastructure runs along already seems like a better option. Plus it shuts up conservatives whining about ugly solar ruining the country side.
Long range transmission is a solved problem. Check out Hydro Québec. The majority of their production happen 700+ km away from Montréal and Québec City.
Above roads sounds like a good idea, until you realize how often drivers hit stuff.