Are solar parking lots a good idea?

A solar parking facility at Rutgers University in Piscataway, New Jersey, with an output of 8 megawatts of electricity. CS Energy The appeal of parking lots and rooftops, by contrast, is that they are abundant, close to customers, largely untapped for solar power generation, and on land that’s already been stripped of much of its biological value.

Should solar canopies be placed on parking lots?

Solar farms are proliferating on undeveloped land, often harming ecosystems. But placing solar canopies on large parking lots offers a host of advantages — making use of land that is already cleared, producing electricity close to those who need it, and even shading cars. By Richard Conniff • November 22, 2021

Should Uruguay switch to green electricity?

Uruguay, one of South America’s smallest countries, is attracting outsized attention over its transition to green electricity. It didn’t happen simply by building a bunch of wind and solar farms, the architect of the strategy said, but by rethinking the entire energy system. And, he said, other countries could do that too.

Does Uruguay have a wind power auction?

In 2009, Uruguay started holding auctions in which different wind companies from around the world came to bid on how cheaply they'd sell renewable energy to the country. In 2011, Uruguay held an auction intended to secure 150 megawatts of new wind power, which would have represented about 5% of the country's energy generating capacity.

Does Uruguay use electric vehicles?

Uruguay is taking steps in the transport sector to promote the use of electric vehicles. The country includes tax reductions on the purchase of electric vehicles and reduces permit costs for electric taxis. By 2020, 32 electric buses and 76 electric taxis had been added to the fleet, according to the United Nations.

Are solar canopies coming to Washington DC's parking lots?

And yet solar canopies are barely beginning to show up in this country’s endless acreage of parking lots. The Washington, D.C., Metro transit system, for instance, has just contracted to build its first solar canopies at four of its rail station parking lots, with a projected capacity of 12.8 megawatts.