Deserts are ecosystems that must be protected. If you must put them in fields, incentivize farmers who grow corn for ethanol production to install solar instead.
True, but out of all the ecosystem the one which gets the highest insolation per square meter requires the lowest amount of square meters of disruption for a given amount of power.
That too, just saying that in Europe that's not enough since we are generally more efficient with space already. Still, all the shaded parking lots I've seen where I live already have solar panels above.
The zoo in my city did this. Not only does it generate power, it saves power by keeping the cars cool so people don't need to use A/C to bring it down to a normal temperature.
There are a lot of fields in the US dedicated to growing corn for use in fuel which could instead be used for solar panels. Also what is shown is potentially a terrible idea if a car runs into one of the poles or someone is stupid enough to try to park with a vehicle that crashes into the sides of the panels
Also what is shown is potentially a terrible idea if a car runs into one of the poles or someone is stupid enough to try to park with a vehicle that crashes into the sides of the panels
They do have covered parking where you are from yeah? Or is that some magical novelty to the natives?
I've never seen covered parking (not counting indoor parking), but also I'm not american. Maybe solar panels like that would work, but as shown in the photo does make me sweat a bit
If you took the fields used to grow corn for “biofuels” in the US and covered them in solar panels, they would produce the annual US energy need many times over!
Solar panels covering grassland does much less ecosystem damage than any fossil fuel generation, or constructing parking lots or lawns for that matter.
We shouldn't gatekeep solar panels, just fucking install them!
The issue, as always is money. It is far cheaper to build close to the ground than high in the air. That solar field will payback far faster than a solar parking lot.
28 Comments
drosophila@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 80 pts · 132d
Additional options include:
unexposedhazard@discuss.tchncs.de · 62 pts · 132d
Regarding point 1 thats called Agrivoltaics for those interested.
Lots of plants are happier with some shade.
apfelwoiSchoppen@lemmy.world · 15 pts · 132d
Deserts are ecosystems that must be protected. If you must put them in fields, incentivize farmers who grow corn for ethanol production to install solar instead.
sem@piefed.blahaj.zone · 25 pts · 132d
Let's actually stop giving out ethanol incentives. Shits dumb
drosophila@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 1 pts · 131d
True, but out of all the ecosystem the one which gets the highest insolation per square meter requires the lowest amount of square meters of disruption for a given amount of power.
apfelwoiSchoppen@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 131d
Disruption for who? It is incredibly disruptive to the flora and fauna.
drosophila@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 1 pts · 131d
For square meters of physical space.
HellieSkellie@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 55 pts · 132d
fushuan@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 47 pts · 132d
Yeah, but also both. In Europe we don't have that many car parks, we have underground parking below buildings. So yeah, we still need solar parks.
TotallynotJessica@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 21 pts · 132d
It's more that we should cover more infrastructure, since that area has already been claimed by humans.
fushuan@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 10 pts · 132d
That too, just saying that in Europe that's not enough since we are generally more efficient with space already. Still, all the shaded parking lots I've seen where I live already have solar panels above.
TotallynotJessica@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 10 pts · 132d
Yeah, America is shit
GalacticSushi@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 32 pts · 132d
The zoo in my city did this. Not only does it generate power, it saves power by keeping the cars cool so people don't need to use A/C to bring it down to a normal temperature.
synapse1278@lemmy.world · 24 pts · 132d
It has become law in France, any new carpark of a given size must be covered with solar panels.
WillStealYourUsername@piefed.blahaj.zone · 19 pts · 131d
There are a lot of fields in the US dedicated to growing corn for use in fuel which could instead be used for solar panels. Also what is shown is potentially a terrible idea if a car runs into one of the poles or someone is stupid enough to try to park with a vehicle that crashes into the sides of the panels
Edit: Please see this extremely well made video about renewables https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zgxb8I1nk2I
vzqq@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 7 pts · 131d
They do have covered parking where you are from yeah? Or is that some magical novelty to the natives?
WillStealYourUsername@piefed.blahaj.zone · 2 pts · 131d
I've never seen covered parking (not counting indoor parking), but also I'm not american. Maybe solar panels like that would work, but as shown in the photo does make me sweat a bit
vzqq@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 1 pts · 130d
Also not southern European I imagine.
WillStealYourUsername@piefed.blahaj.zone · 1 pts · 130d
nope, norwegian
mech@feddit.org · 16 pts · 132d
Build separated bike lanes with solar panels on top. Now you're making energy and people can commute by bicycle more comfortably in all weather.
birdwing@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 6 pts · 132d
Or put up trees, those help. I'd put them on people's roofs, connected to their own electricity.
mech@feddit.org · 5 pts · 132d
Well, it's not either/or.
The idea is to put them literally everywhere, so you have enough solar power for everything even on cloudy days in winter.
f314@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 132d
If you took the fields used to grow corn for “biofuels” in the US and covered them in solar panels, they would produce the annual US energy need many times over!
TigerAce@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 10 pts · 131d
Cover our roofs, make the streets cars free.
mushroomman_toad@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 7 pts · 131d
I mean, that is not a field, that is a lawn.
Solar panels covering grassland does much less ecosystem damage than any fossil fuel generation, or constructing parking lots or lawns for that matter.
We shouldn't gatekeep solar panels, just fucking install them!
Whelks_chance@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 131d
Technology Connections did a whole video on it. In the US you could use the space currently farming biofuels and it would generate 10x the energy.
tdgoodman@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 6 pts · 131d
The issue, as always is money. It is far cheaper to build close to the ground than high in the air. That solar field will payback far faster than a solar parking lot.
birdwing@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 3 pts · 132d
Cover bicycle parking instead!