A company that installs solar power panels above large pa...
A company that installs solar power panels above large parking areas for powering electric cars and selling to the grid.
What advice do you have to help me grow my idea?
Idea Description
The idea is to gather the help of major national chains to install solar panels mounted above the lighting systems in their parking lots. These are huge areas of clear space that absorb too much heat as is. The panels will provide shade for the cars parked under them and the towers can have outlets to support shoppers who have invested in plug in hybrids or all electric vehicles. Many other uses too numerous to list.
What will you do if you win $10,000 for this idea?
Begin relations with several large chains wishing to offset energy costs and with the best producers of photovoltaics as well as hiring a design team to plan out the details and organize a plan to get started with the first small scale build.
Vote for it now.
I don't know if the cells could/would produce enough power to charge many cars in a day or while shoppers are in the store, however, living in the south, I love the idea of covered parking... car interiors get superheated sitting in the sun. How much more gas & energy are spent cooling those cars down afterward, not to mention the unpleasantness. I'd like to see future stores all be built with parking UNDER them (like WalMarts, etc). You could still do this by putting the panels on the roof and use the electric for the store, EVs or anything. The Space the parking lot is taking up could then be used for greenspace or other development, but not wasted as a parking lot.
I love this idea could power entire suburbs if you coupled wind power your idea and mine might mesh quite nicly
I love this idea. There is a Dr's office in my town that did exactly this. They power their whole office from solar. The cells are used like a car port, providing shade and in the winter protection from the rain (I live in Oregon, very rainy here). There is a company that is coming out with the chance for homeowners and business to rent solar PV systems. Their production plant is not in operation yet but this will be a very good addition to all the solar options that are available now. You can read more about this here: www.affordsolarnow.com
Nanosolar is one company I know of that has greatly reduced the cost of PV production. They claim they are down to .33 cents per watt which is very comparable with fossil fuel. The major problem with looking at ROI is that people who do that aren't looking at the long term. Business as it is is very short sighted. It may cost a lot for initial installation, but after 10 years, with the only overhead being possible storm damage repair, these solar installations will have more than paid for themselves. So the return on investment is there, it just isn't a single fiscal year kind of return. Also take into account the suggestion I provided of using some of this power for hydrogen production and you are looking at a significant increase in return in the long term.
The problem is ROI (return on investment) - since solar cells are still costly to produce and have small efficiency, they are useful today only where cost of alternative installation is higher. What is needed is a technology that will increase efficiency, which will attract investment and mass production, which will lower price, and increase usage.
Thank you so much. It means a lot that somebody out there also sees the possibilities here.
I agree this is a great idea, and instead of adding to what-ifs; keep in mind that just a few years ago the same issue arose from the appearance of cellular towers. The appearance certainly did not hinder cellular network growth. IN fact one of the "fixes" was to create towers that mimiced natural things like; trees. I have faith in this idea whole-heartedly and believe it's only a matter of time, money, research and a GOOD PR firm to carry you the rest of the way. If this was my idea I would focus on just one major chain and focus all my energy on that chain. If they come aboard, 1. Lleave it up to your PR firm 2. Start working on the next chain. If the 1st is rejects the idea, Skip step 1 and move onto Step 2 Hit me back I'd like to discuss this furhter with you
That I'm not sure about, I think that's why I need a design firm to help out. The image in my head though is like a large covered parking lot sort of situation. Maybe the panels can be place high enough to allow clear view of the building. The rooftop idea would also work, but I'm trying to kill 2 birds with one solar panel by also reducing the heat radiant effect of the asphalt itself. This is also a little publicized but highly studied effect of our urban society. The radiant heat from asphalt and concrete can greatly diminish plant growth in the nearby area, making it harder to counter CO2 buildup with vegetation. I could go on for a while but that would be boring. Thanks for the comment. Keep em coming.
I have some issues with this. How aesthetically pleasing will this appear to retailer's customers? I know this sounds trivial to you and I, but image can be a large component of a business's draw for customers. Having these large solar panels impeding the appearance of a Wal-Mart, for example, would probably not make the retailer too happy. Why not start with roof-tops to give the stores some energy savings?
The technology is out there for easy to produce and relatively cheap photovoltaics that do not use silicon in their production. They are lightweight and mass producable for relatively low cost. This needs to be done.
The other uses for this is to support a hydrogen production system on site to begin the hydrogen fuel infrastructure we need before more environmentally friendly fuel cell cars are viable. The stores themselves would be able to use a large portion of the supplied power, thus limiting consumption of electricity from fossil fuels. Anything leftover can of course be sold back to the grid or distributed to nearby homes or businesses. Think of this system in a mall parking lot!