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DonarArminSkyrari t1_ivmsesr wrote

Reply to comment by Rokmonkey_ in In France all new large parking lots must now be covered in solar panels starting in july 2023. by BuildingBabel

Yeah, I think the best the US could ever usually do is post these at least at semi tier. There are a lot of semi drivers with sleeping cabs who use empty parking lots overnight. Plus uh, I know specifically of at least one bridge that's got at least 12 signs on each side warning about its height limit and despite that people hit it at least once a month, I imagine the same risk with solar panels would be quite expensive.

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greenmachine11235 t1_ivna3uh wrote

There are bridges with heavy steel beams in front of them to keep people from hitting the bridge by having them hit the beam. I imagine something similar could work there if it really became an issue

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tinacat933 t1_ivnekr5 wrote

So leave some space for the semis or larger vehicles without coverage

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KingBooRadley t1_ivpcru9 wrote

I don’t know if French people park many semis in public parking lots. I’m guessing Non.

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DonarArminSkyrari t1_ivnjm6k wrote

Depends on the parking lot. One for a grocery store or a mall or strip mall? Sure, plenty of space that would make sense and could easily be worked around. But for a fast food joint or convienence store, most would need to be uncovered and just spackled with a few token areas for panels, and for most hotels I've seen more than half would have to do the same as well. These are sometimes the only places these people have for miles. These aren't easy to turn vehicles either, they usually look for empty parking lots because of how wide their turns are, and I've seen gas trucks hit dumpsters and randos driving uhauls hit gas pumps. If every panel isn't by default hung high enough that a semi couldn't accidentally hit it, it will get hit at least once within a year, and if there's a support beam within the bounds if the parking lot that will get hit at least once every 2. We still have plenty of good places to put panels though where they aren't at risk, every rooftop, all over signage, mounted like a Canopy plenty high up over various public areas, I just think it's logistically impossible to cover every parking area in the US with them without having so many exceptions that it becomes untenable.

On a slightly separate note, parking lot sidewalks are one of the few places I can ever find to sit down and relax on a walk. Everywhere around me that isn't a public park has gotten rid of sitting areas and public benches because they draw in loiterers, drunks, and drug abusers, or at least that's the excuse used. It's fucking sad that part of me is upset at losing what's objectively and already sad thing to latch onto.

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tinacat933 t1_ivo8i28 wrote

Yea why not roofs of buildings like costco

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Tobias_Atwood t1_ivpp4tg wrote

Honestly I gotta wonder why every business in America hasn't at least tried to budget for rooftop solar. Once you get it installed that's easy money off all your power bills.

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twokietookie t1_ivod90v wrote

You do like drive thrus put a hoop at the entries with a tube hanging from it so if you're too tall it bangs your shit.

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