France has had a good idea with solar panels as a protagonist, which will allow it to improve performance and energy efficiency in the future.
Solar energy is booming. It is a renewable, sustainable, easy-to-obtain source of energy that provides significant benefits, whether or not you have an electric car parked in the garage. This technology is still in an initial phase of exploration, but such interesting ideas as the one France has had with solar panels are a sign that it is on the right track.
A law was passed on Tuesday requiring the installation of solar panels in all major car parks in the country. Thus, France aims to become a world leader in efforts to cover as much surface area as possible with solar panels.
This measure, according to The Washington Post, will mean adding up to 8% more electricity capacity to the country. In turn, installing photovoltaic cells in the largest and most important car parks in France will make better use of facilities that, a priori, are not offering their full potential.
This is the good idea that France has come up with with solar panels
And it is that France faces the challenge of finding ways to install solar panels without competing for land use. The neighboring country does not intend to remove agricultural land or open fields to allocate them to solar farms, so covering parking lots with these plates harms biodiversity much less.
The Law for the Acceleration of the Production of Renewable Energy, among other initiatives, requires that all car parks of more than 4,000 square meters with capacity for about 50 cars build elevated canopies with solar panels that cover at least half of their surface.
Experts estimate that, at full capacity, these solar panels, which will also cover the roofs of many large businesses, will provide enough energy to be self-sufficient and even feed part of the surrounding community.
If half of the car parks in France are covered with solar panels, they would have a capacity of between 6.75 and 11.25 gigawatts of electricity, at a cost of between 8,000 and 14,000 million euros, according to an analysis carried out by the French government.
In addition, installing solar panels in the car parks of large supermarkets and shopping centers will make it possible to have charging points for electric cars, which will make it easier to recharge these vehicles and encourage customers to come with this type of charging service as a claim.
