Parking lots are those infamous sea of asphalt that nobody wants, especially developers. They are considered “dead zones” for smart growth advocates that take away livable uses to support “peak demand,” a term engineers use for auto-oriented site design. Still, zoning codes of many cities and national handbooks continue to define these types of parking requirements for single-use developments in relatively low-density areas with little transit. Parking lots have essentially become obstacles for integrating land use with transportation.
A novel idea by one company is to cross-pollinate one use with another--in this case, car parking with renewable energy. This company has been turning these dead zones into valuable caches of energy by building “solarports,” or carports with solar panels. John Collins Rudolf’s Green Blog on the New York Times highlights one architect come solar design firm, Envision Solar, who is leading the way to transforming parking lots into “solar groves.” Envision Solar has already successfully implemented several projects around the country, including Kyocera Corporations headquarters in San Diego. Kyocera, a solar photovoltaic manufacturer uses 1,400 of its own solar panels to harness 235-kilowatts. Envision has also equipped Dell Computer’s headquarters in Round Rock TX, and Johnson & Johnson’s subsidiary, Centocor in Horsham, PA. Many universities like U.C. San Diego, and soon to be, U.C. Berkeley, are also taking advantage of this technology. In addition to providing renewable energy for these locations, Envision’s solar groves could be the ideal solution for electric vehicle charging stations.
Capturing and utilizing renewable energy is environmentally positive and can be economically rewarding, particularly in so-called dead zones where development will not likely occur, or sparsely developed areas that will not likely have densities for generations. However, solar carports may not make economic sense in places where large parking lots have become an inefficient use of land. Especially in cities like Long Beach, CA where land has become a much needed commodity and low revenue parking lots are turned into more valuable development projects. In the right place, solar covered parking lots can make an ideal space for flea markets and fairs.
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