Every parking lot ought to look like this

[HarveyDarkey]

Shades the cars while producing free energy. Germany has created over 500,000 new jobs by pushing hard into solar and wind energy - providing incentives for everyone to install and as a result, they will be able to move forward with their plans to shut down all their nuclear power plants in the next decade.

[Mnemosyne]

1. Hear, hear! Houses too. Damn straight. nt

[brush]

84. I like the idea but what about the slope of the roofs

Wonder how that works there? What about the winter with snow piling up on those roofs? They aren't even flat but inverted in. Anybody have any idea because flat roofs cave pretty often under a heavy load of snow.

[PoliticalBiker]

88. wondered about that too

But then I thought... most solar farms track the sun. If you notice, all the shadows are directly under the roofs. Sun must be almost directly overhead

[1StrongBlackMan]

89. The roofs probably ...

have a heating element installed, power by the solar energy collected. It would take much to install, nor much power to operate.

[Awknid]

103. It looks like

the "seam" in the center has about a 3-4" gap for drainage.

[SunSeeker]

106. Correct. In roofs I have seen like that, the gap is about 12 inches.

There is a parking lot like that at a large City-run public sports complex in Huntington Beach, CA. My kid plays soccer there. I love coming back to a nice cool car. And I am sure the City is getting a great return on its investment.

[Blanks]

117. There is also the coefficient of friction.

The glass surface doesn't have as much friction as asphalt or concrete.

I'm sure the Germans (being the excellent engineers that they are) determined the coefficient of static friction through experimentation and constructed them at the angle that the amount of snow that would cause the glass to fail would slide off (with a factor of safety of at least 2).

That's how I would have approached it anyway.

[appleannie1]

127. Drainage. Very smart.

[Mnemosyne]

136. Learn new things here all the time! Thanks for asking, good answers.

[onlyadream]

2. Our govt buildings did this

A first I thought they lost their minds and made car ports, not realizing they were solar.
http://archive.longislandpress.com/2010/01/19/suffolk-county-parking-lots-carports-go-solar/

[DeeDeeNY]

82. Thanks for this info

I saw these at the Deer Park train station and someone told me what they were, but that article explains the bigger picture.

[Hoyt]

3. Even looks cool.

[logosoco]

4. Why aren't we doing this?

Smarter minds than mine did this, but now that I see it, I can't help but wonder why it is not being done.

[pangaia]

31. You can thank the American Taliban.

aka-- AQIA- Al-Qaida in America. aka-- Teapublicans...

[leveymg]

51. You can thank Exxon-Mobil, Duke Coal and Exelon, as well.

Follow the money. The Teas and the Taliban are just the hired help.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

55. exactly...teabaggies are just the hired help.

Astroturfing fer Amurka. *barf*

[Bernardo de La Paz]

112. American Tealicans. American Tealibans. American Teabans.

[Yavin4]

86. Three words: Koch Brothers Coal

Can't have clean energy.

[PoliticalBiker]

90. So True....

[klook]

97. If they had any damn sense they'd be investing in this technology

That's what I can't understand. Why not have a business model that profits from all kinds of energy production?

I know the ROI is higher for dirty energy right now, especially with the subsidies they get from their pets in Congress, but it seems it would make sense to invest in the energy of the future as well.

Maybe the Kochs just want to make liberals cry. That's the only explanation I can come up with.

[Aristus]

94. Never happen in this country; at least not nationwide.

We've elevated intellectual backwardness to the status of a religion.

We're slipping into the status of a third-rate nation. We no longer have the brains and the gumption to do great things.

Once, we were the can-do nation. Now, anytime some great endeavour is proposed, the reaction is always either "It's too hard" or "It's too expensive", or, absolutely the last thing that should come out of the mouth of anyone who wants his country to do great things: "It ain't comin' outta MY taxes!"

[Posteritatis]

105. A mix of NIMBY and xenophobia, mostly. (nt)

[Brother Buzz]

5. Our Podunk town installed a bunch of them last summer

City Hall lot, Swimming pool lot, police station lot, firehouse lot, municipal lot. I'm only bummed the didn't install a meter device for the citizens to view the electricity being produced.

Our five year old high school has a two-three acre solar farm behind it, and they have a computer meter in the HS library that informs the kids what the farm is doing live. I looked at it during Open House and was not impressed; the sun had already set.

[enlightenment]

102. Las Vegas built a new City Hall and installed them.

Trees in the front and panels on the roof.

http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2012/mar/05/new-city-hall-dedicated-light-show/

[Ruby the Liberal]

6. That is extremely cool and a great use of space. nt

[customerserviceguy]

7. Any chance those things generate enough juice

to charge more than a few of the cars parked underneath, if they are plug-ins? Or a few more if we're talking about plug-in hybrids?

[Bette]

70. Great..

You know, that is a great idea! Has anyone tried to post this to the white house website? We could solve 2 problems at once and still help the environment by use of solar. Plus, we don't have to get into a hot car after shopping.

[FreeState]

99. Yes - just one of the panels is enough for one car

We just had solar installed on our house - if we ever get a car that needs charged we can add a single panel for $1200 which would provide enough energy for one car. Thats about the amount a normal driver would spend on gas in about 1 1/2 years.

[customerserviceguy]

119. If so

then I can see a solar carport industry, for folks who don't have garages, yet want to charge up their plug-in vehicles.

[Fumesucker]

8. Those also save energy in a way that's not quite as obvious

In the summer when you get in your car under the canopy it won't be blazing hot inside from baking in the sun. It will take a lot less energy to cool your car than it would otherwise.

[n2doc]

36. And your plastic parts won't get so baked and release fumes

People pay extra for covered parking at airports. Seems like these would be popular.

[Iwillnevergiveup]

61. So I wouldn't need oven mitts

to grab the steering wheel?

K&R

[robinlynne]

9. so genius and yet so simple!

[stuntcat]

10. that's perfect

If our govt. wasn't spending so much subsidizing fossil fuels we could already have this everywhere.

[Art_from_Ark]

63. It's not just the fossil fuel industry that's holding this technology back

The current technology for solar panels requires rare metals such a gallium, indium, selenium, etc., which are distributed in miniscule amounts in scattered areas in the world and which usually do not exist by themselves in nature.

http://www.ipadnewsdaily.com/699-shortage-rare-metals-threaten-high-tech-innovation-hitchhiker-metals-clean-technologies.html

[PoliticalBiker]

92. If the Germans can do it...

en masse like it appears, there is no reason in the world why we couldn't do it here... putting hundreds of thousands of people to work to boot!

Koch bros. be damned and Exxon/Mobil be damned! Do it anyway!

Our gub'mint needs to get programs like this started. Teapublicans be damned too.

[patricia92243]

114. I think most solar panels come from China now - they undercut out industry some time ago.

[PoliticalBiker]

116. We can change that...

... if our polytishuns have the guts to.
It's time to stand up to the monied interests that have bought our legislators. We will never be able to grow and progress as a nation as long as those that are wealty and powerful are allowed to stay there.

[Art_from_Ark]

131. It's not simply a matter of "if the Germans can do it".

Increasing demand for rare metals is creating very tight situations with supply. For example,

http://www.semiconductor-today.com/features/Semiconductor%20Today%20-%20NovDec2010%20-%20NewDemand.pdf

[PoliticalBiker]

134. Creating demand in a lucritive business...

... can spur creative ways of meeting that demand.
America has the capibility. America need to take the lead.
This could be one of those times when business and government have a common interest and common benefit.
If only the legislature would get thier heads out of thier collective asses and think about the future of all of us.
The left seems willing and up to the task. The right? Well.... it's obvious the good of the people is not high on thier priorities list.

[Art_from_Ark]

135. You make several points

I do think the US has the capability to develop solar, but unfortunately we as a nation seem to have lost the motivation ever since Ronald Reagan and his Visigoths came in and ransacked Jimmy Carter's brilliant energy plan.

At the very least, the US should at least try to do what is being done here in Japan-- provide economic incentives for people to equip their homes and businesses with solar panels. I have noticed a marked increase in houses with solar panels since the 2011 disasters forced Japan to seriously reexamine its energy policy.

Here is a Japanese web site that provides all sorts of advice about solar fitting, including information about solar panel companies, using solar panels in snowy areas, cost comparisons, and so on.

http://sun-pow.com/folder2/en09.html

[CurtEastPoint]

11. Phoenix: car ports galore ... intense sun ... no brainer.

Let's see if AZ can figure it out.

[SCVDem]

17. Before they sink into the asphalt? nt

[1StrongBlackMan]

91. The Oro Valley, AZ ...

Town Hall installed parking lot solar panels, covering about 25% of the available parking, about 4 years ago. The annual Budget Report indicates that these collectors power 30% of the Town Hall's energy needs.

Likewise, the Tucson VA has collectors installed on its covered parking roofs that contribute to its power needs.

All this sounds like an Arizona no brainer ... that probably explains why only government buildings are doing it. It would seem that any/every newly built building, whether public or private, would install these, as it would reduce energy costs.

[CurtEastPoint]

100. Government leading by example! Great news for AZ and for all, in fact.

Sounds like it should be required, much like new buildings in earthquake areas must meet new codes.

[loli phabay]

12. very clever we should cover the southwest with solar panels and help people change their roofs

Would love to do it but wind power might be better for me on the mountain.

[JDPriestly]

71. You might be surprised. The Southwest is pretty clearly perfect for solar, but Germany is

not unusually sunny. It rains quite a bit and is cold in Northern Germany.
Italy, Greece and Spain are sunny, but not Germany or France. And England is very rainy.

[Whisp]

13. omg it looks like those Europeans are civilized!

wow. That is a beautiful sight - and the fact that nuclear plants will all be down in the next decade - wow2.

[pangaia]

32. Civilized? What do you mean.

They're 'SOCIALISTS' !! eeeeiiii

[gkhouston]

41. It's literally a beautiful sight. They took something functional and made it attractive.

[Last Stand]

14. nice! nt

[DaveJ]

15. It's amazing how stunning something is when it simply reflects

common sense.

[tclambert]

16. Germany! You want us to imitate Germany? You nazi cow!

As if any good ideas can originate anywhere besides the good ol' USA. Here in America we get our energy the way God, Jesus, and Exxon Mobil intended--we burn up old dinosaur blood.


(just in case you didn't know)

[pangaia]

33. Oh that's nice.

Can I quote you?

[jillan]

39. hahaha! Great post.

[Odin2005]

18. That is awesome!

[DonRedwood]

19. kick kick kick kick kick KICK!!!

[denbot]

20. All the parking at the Los Angeles V.A. Hospital have been remodeled to solar.

Very cool.

[rgbecker]

21. Our local independent grocery store installed several canopies of panels.

It will take care of all their power needs which are high with refrigeration and AC in the summer.

Gotta love it. The Future! I'm for it.

[limpyhobbler]

22. Only thing missing now is leadership

We need like a JFK or a Martin Luther King, something like that. Somebody with a bold vision for the future.

[pangaia]

34. We have one on the way up.

Lizzy---- ssshhhhhh....

[xtraxritical]

52. We need Democrats in both houses of Congress

Republican's only want to destroy the economy and will do nothing sensible.

[limpyhobbler]

113. There are a lot of things the President could do without Congress,

but he doesn't do. Seems like a big leadership fail to me.

[juajen]

107. President Obama is doing a good job, expecially

when you consider the headwinds blowing directly at him 24-7.

[pasto76]

23. if you have the chance, take a look on military posts and bases

Ft Carson, for example, has solar arrays almost everywhere you look. The Air Force Academy just built large array. The car ports are cool. Ive built a solar panel structure on top of an existing parking garage in Denver.

[pink-o]

24. Just kills me there's a shining example of a Roosevelt democracy.

And it's bloody GERMANY. We helped rebuild it, while destroying our own.

Those innovations should totally be ours.

[XemaSab]

25. Sierra Nevada brewery has those

[tandot]

26. our fairgrounds (Cal Expo) in Sacramento has one of these:

Cal Expo Solarport
Location: CA
Operator: Sacramento Municipal Utility District
Configuration: 540 kWp PV
Operation: 2000
System supplier: Siemens BP, Energy PhotoVoltaics
EPC: Kyocera
Quick facts: This was the largest solar parking lot installation in the world at completion. Each cantilevered structure has three rows of tracking panels. Each of the 20 arrays, made up of 685 modules, measures 130ft long, 42ft wide and 14ft high. The US Dept of Energy assisted with funding.

http://www.industcards.com/solar-usa-ca.htm

An additional welcome side-effect: the shade provided from the solar panels keeps the car cooler

I always wondered why we don't have more of those.

[pangaia]

35. We don't have more because of the American Taliban.

[davidpdx]

133. Nice examples

It is interesting to see how businesses have used solar panels. California is a good place to use them.

[siligut]

27. An initial investment that will save in the long run

The denial the RW held dear for so long has cost us.

[AverageJoe90]

130. Progress definitely IS being made, though, let's be thankful for that. n/t

[Politicub]

28. What a brilliant idea!!

[kestrel91316]

29. The high school just down the street from me got a whole parking lot full of

solar parking structures just like that last year. They are apparently doing it all over LA at schools.

[pangaia]

30. Meanwhile, back at the ranch..

America digs more oil wells...everywhere......no high speed rail, few "windmills".... etc etc...thanks to idiot anti-reality republicans ..otherwise known asthe American Taliban.. OR.. Al-Qaida in America -aka-- AQIA.

[liberal N proud]

37. I almost had my boss convinced of dooing this.

Then the corporate raiders showed up.

[99Forever]

38. K&R

[amandabeech]

40. Sounds and looks really good for the sunnier parts of the country. n/t

[BlueStreak]

57. It can make economic sense even in the North

A friend of mine put in a 6000 watt system this year. His utility rate is 13 cents per KWH and he receives 5 cents per KWH for anything he adds to the grid. So obviously, the best deal is for him to consume all of his own energy before sucking any off the grid. When the weather report call for sunshine, he plans to do laundry, dishes, and other energy-consuming tasks. Payback is about 3-4 years doing it that way. If the utility weren't allowed to pay him such a low rate, the payback period would be much shorter.

[amandabeech]

58. Sigh. I knew that I shouldn't have posted.

Frankly, there are any number of places in the northeast quadrant of the country that don't get very much sun. The areas downwind of the Great Lakes are especially cloudy. I grew up in one of these areas, and when I moved to Connecticut I couldn't believe how sunny it was. Then I lived in Texas for a year. Moved back to New York and couldn't believe how cloudy it was. Your mileage may vary.

[Gormy Cuss]

111. Cloudy weather reduces the effectiveness but it's still possible to generate power on cloudy days.

Here's a good article on solar power in rainy, cloudy Germany:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2007/07/30/us-germany-solar-idUSL2389939520070730

[RoccoR5955]

42. Only with plug-in stations

and Prius Plug-ins, Leafs, and Volts parked underneath!

[abelenkpe]

47. There are charging stations in the lot at my work

We have many electric car owners as a result.

[cbrer]

43. Solar Energy's not viable.

Just ask the GOP...

[meti57b]

44. Extremely cool!!! I like it!!!

[obxhead]

45. I disagree

I disagree, where are the windmills sticking up from the supports?

[SunSeeker]

108. The windmills might shade the solar panels.

Also, a lot of cities ban windmills in urban areas.

[abelenkpe]

46. CBS just did this to their lot

And the building next to my work has done this as well. Should be everywhere in CA though.

[kmlisle]

48. My hometown Gainesville Fl did a feed in tariff based on the German model

The local utility is publicly owned (by the City) and this Socialist entity offered a fixed rate for electricity generated from solar installed each year for the last 5 or so years with a certain amount of guaranteed rate solar collection capacity offered each year. We now have as much solar electricity being generated as the entire Sunshine State did at the start of our program - the goal was 20MW but I don't think we are quite there yet. lots of jobs were generated to install the systems and everywhere you go there are buildings covered with solar collectors. Most of them are commercial and government buildings but quite a few private homes have bought in as well and we have a 7 acre collecting field as well (without the parking which I think is a fantastic idea). And by the way the unemployment rate here is 6.9%. So it can be done and is being done right here in the Capitalist Free Market USA!
https://www.gru.com/OurCommunity/Environment/GreenEnergy/solar.jsp

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2009/02/gainesville-solar-feed-in-tariff-a-done-deal

http://cleantechnica.com/2012/01/06/gainesville-florida-becomes-a-world-leader-in-solar/

[ellisonz]

49. Amen.

[leveymg]

50. Go blue to go green. Nuclear power has no future, and we have no future with nukes. eom.

[WillyT]

53. YES !!!

[alittlelark]

54. High Schools here are putting them up.

The community colleges are starting to.

[rufus dog]

56. Check out Arizona State University

They have a Sustainable Energy Degree. Went there five years ago for a football game and the parking lots were covered with solar panels.

A "DUH" moment! Who in Phoenix wants to park on the upper level 9 months out of the year. Some professor or student said, "cover them with panels."

[onethatcares]

59. I see they are valleyed in the center

could that be for rain run off collection?

[liam_laddie]

66. Yep! And use the water for feeding the greenery, etc.

[ChazII]

60. Our high schools

have those for not only for the parking lots but one has them one top of its different buildings and sells the energy back to the power company..

[Scurrilous]

62. K & R

[liam_laddie]

64. Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden has 1,600 KW parking canopy

6,400-panel, four acres, 800 parking spaces, installed and on-line Spring 2011.
http://cincinnatizoo.org/conservation/go-green/solar-power/
and
http://cincinnatizoo.org/conservation/go-green/
SolarWorld, a German-based company, produced the zoo's panels at its plant in Hillsboro, Ore.
This installation provides 20% of the Zoo's electric power use. At about $0.08 KWh, too.
Take THAT, fossil-fuel idjits!

[Zorra]

65. My OP from 2 years ago ~ "Put solar roofing panels on most structures. Shade all large parking lots

in hot sunny areas of the western US with solar panels. Run them directly into the grid, and store any excess electricity in centralized battery banks. And/or have additions added to the outside of every structure to house individual battery banks that are serviced by government employees solar electric trained to maintain and troubleshoot solar electric systems.

Solar hot water producing systems could also be installed on roofs and parking lots as part of this project.

This would probably have the least environmental impact from placement of solar arrays.

very structure that had a solar roof would generate its own clean electrical power with minimal collateral waste, and batteries are recyclable as well as refurbishable. This would take care of all residential as well as commercial energy needs. The excess power could go to supplying energy needs for industry.

The panels shading the parking lots could also supply residential, commercial, and industrial needs.

Back the systems up with community generators that are fueled by natural gas.

Start funding the project first by taking the $35 billion they're going to give to the nuclear industry and using it for the solar electric systems. End government giveaways to giant oil companies. End the wars and use the savings to fund the solar electric. Since no one would have to pay fossil fuel/nuclear energy driven power companies anymore for power anymore, everyone could be taxed $10 per adult per month per household for electricity. Businesses could be minimally taxed according to their power usage.

If we diverted all the time, money, and energy we are currently devoting to the production and use of fossil/nuclear fueled energy, and used it for the purposes described above, we could all have much cheaper, cleaner energy. We could become much less dependent on the oil industry plutarchs. Enormous numbers of jobs would be generated from building, maintaining, recycling, and refurbishing the systems. Satellite industries, stores, suppliers, etc. that would spring up to serve the needs of the solar grid.

No more nukes. Way less filthy air and water from toxic waste generated by the petroleum industry.

Think about it. Wouldn't it be awesome?

OK, corporate trolls. I know you have been waiting for me. You've already got your corporate bullshit right there in front of you.

Let's get this over with.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=439&topic_id=660837&mesg_id=660837

[DianaForRussFeingold]

67. K&R Inspirational!

Very cool!
'Here Comes The Sun'

"The advancement of solar energy and other forms of alternative energy will brighten the future of our world."

[kimmylavin]

68. California here.

North of Los Angeles.
Most of the high schools around here are doing this.

I think it's brilliant!

[NuttyFluffers]

69. in my area of SF Bay Area, local community colleges do the same

provides electricity, provides parking lot lighting for campus safety, excess electricity offsets school bond costs.

it makes sense and should be elsewhere. passive generation makes sense. no one's relying on parking lot solar power to survive, it's just extra.

[alp227]

72. LOL my old high school has these panels at the parking lot!

[reverend_tim]

73. two of the larger church parking lots in Tucson have solar panels

[xxqqqzme]

74. In Huntington Beach, CA

The parking lots at City Hall and the Central Public Library are covered like this. If every parking lot @ every SoCal mall, commercial building, anchor grocery store shopping plaza were covered, we would be in great shape.

[Scuba]

75. Here's an epic example of doing this right here in Wisconsin ...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x1237494

[rightsideout]

76. Solar carports are cool. Here is one at Redskin's FedEx Field in Landover, MD with EV charging

[stultusporcos]

77. EV's, Solor Chargers all cool stuff however the 1 thing no one is really talking about

what are we going to do with all the batteries when they expire? Battery recycling is not as easy or clean as some may make it out to be lots of nasty stuff involved.

Same problem we have with Nuclear Power, it seemed good at first but we now have a problem of storing the waste.

I am not against EV's and solar and other alt forms of energy but we fully need to think things through first before we proclaim it will solve the problem of fossel fuels.

[rightsideout]

78. The batteries are 98 percent recyclable and some are reused for backup storage supply

I have an electric Ford Escort I've been driving for 20 years. It uses lead acid golf cart batteries which are 98 percent recyclable. I believe there are only two major lead battery recycling plants in the US which are under heavy EPA regulations. All the lead is recycled, most of the plastic is recycled and the acid which is really mostly water is cleaned.

The same with lithium and nickle metal hydride batteries. All recyclable. There is actually very little lithium in lithium batteries.

As a matter of fact, hybrid car batteries pulled from junked hybrids are being reused as backup power supplies. Even though they lost their capacity to propel the drivetrain many still have the capacity to handle electronic backup power supply systems.

I have several EV friends who go to junk yards and get hybrid battery packs to use in their EV projects, mostly for electric motorcycle projects.

I work in the EV industry repairing electric vehicles and recycle several tons of lead batteries each year. It's all handled responsibly. There is a high dollar paid for heavy metals like lead. EV Batteries are one of the few components where most of the units are completely recyclable.

[stultusporcos]

81. Yes they are recyclable but dig deeper into it and extrapolate the scale

once EV's are the norm.

Look at it this way cars were everywhere before paved roads existed and we are still playing catch up in building them today.

[Rain Mcloud]

79. Solar Panels on every garage and an EV inside

And a chicken in every pot.
Lets hope that this isn't the first nation in the history of the earth to go to the poor house in an EV.
Bob Lutz has been busy with his X-Truck,here is the story:
http://green.autoblog.com/2013/01/15/bob-lutz-approved-via-x-truck-offers-800-hp-100-mpge/

[RILib]

80. excellent, but

There's no way solar and conservation can produce enough green energy to stop global warming. Safely designed and safely operated nuclear power plants are necessary for that. Them's the facts.

[GTurck]

83. Wonderful idea...

and think of the jobs it would create to install them.

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

85. Our community college in Joshua Tree, CA, has these

They are flat roofs and not gull shaped, however. One of my classmates has been working on installing a solar farm east of town. Living in a place with sunlight 364 days a year has its advantages. He said things were going great until we had a huge wind storm a couple of weeks ago and it destroyed about a third of the installed panels.

Back to the drawing board...

[Yavin4]

87. Imagine Dome Arenas Covered with Solar Panels

Imagine the New Orleans Superdome, home of the next Superbowl, covered with solar panels. The stadium would generate power all year long.

[4lbs]

93. Oh come on, that would be too sensible. When have you ever known Congress to be that?

Some idiot in Congress will pipe up with something stupid like "But.... those panels can leak, getting the cars wet!" or "And what happens when it's cloudy or nighttime? All that money gone!"

[AllyCat]

95. Big Oil is NOT going to like this!

Last edited Wed Jan 16, 2013, 06:46 PM - Edit history (1)

I just bought a solar phone charger and after I figured out how to use it (directions were strange), it works well. Too bad I can't power more than electronics with it, but it looks like if I string a bunch of them together, it would charge a small 12V fridge! Not that I need to...

[oldandhappy]

96. Fantastic!!

[Speck Tater]

98. Every parking lot should look like THIS....

Cars are killing the planet. Get serious. A couple solar panels will do nothing significant to prevent global meltdown.

[Ian David]

101. Yeah, but this is America. Someone will start stealing and reselling the solar panels. n/t

[benld74]

104. BIG KICK!

[AsahinaKimi]

109. But don't you know in

Republican logic, those Heat soaker thingys would soak up all the heat, leaving everyone's car a giant Iced Popcycle!! No one could enter their car without an ice melting heat source, and that would be sucked away by those heat soaken panels up top!! Not only that!! But if you sat long enough under there you would become frozen too!! Best pray and let GOD find us a giant spot to dig for oil.. say, maybe the Grand Canyon or maybe one of those other "liberal" park sites that's a waste of tax payers money!!11!!!



Mark my words, Republicans will think of something stupid to prevent alternative energies from happening.



pssst! by the way, I personally love the idea.

[NoMoreWarNow]

110. one question I've always wondered about-- how vulnerable are solar panels to hail storms?

Are they tougher than they look?

[4_TN_TITANS]

115. Noticed the roof of the building too....

The Germans rock, way ahead of us in so many ways.

[Eagle_Eye]

118. Put those things up on the Gulf coast and watch them turn into missile hazards

Wind from a hurricane would get up under those and send them out into the community as ninety mile an hour sheets of glass with aluminum spears attached.

Brilliant.

[PotatoChip]

120. That is so cool! (nt)

[calimary]

121. There are several parking areas like this at the local VA, and it's GREAT to see!

Whenever my husband and I drive through there, we inevitably comment about it - what a terrific idea it is and how I like seeing my tax money spent on things like this. WORTH IT!!!!

And it makes so much sense here in SoCal! To paraphrase that spot of Rachel Maddow's where she's standing with all those windmills, here in Southern California, we are not gonna run out of sun!

[Glassunion]

122. Our roof here where I work looks like that.

However, we could not justify the cost (not yet) of doing the parking lot.

[CE5]

123. I saw these at UNLV

They are big on solar.

[0rganism]

124. that's what they look like where i work

Here at <some large semiconductor company> we've had lots like that for years.

[samsingh]

125. and rooftop too

[ELI BOY 1950]

126. GOP backlash

as long as we have the those pea brained Republicans running the show we will never be -afforded the possibility to reduce our dependency on all the bad stuff.

Solar energy are you crazy...we just need to vote them out.
The most important thing we can do as liberals is to make sure the next president is a democrat and moves the Obama policies forward. If we loose the white house in 2016 we
will revert back to the past.

[Bay Boy]

128. Why are most of the comments about...

...where people are seeing them saying they are government buildings?

[AverageJoe90]

129. Indeed, Harvey, damn straight!

Of course, Exxon-Mobil can't have that here, can they? No,they gotta protect their profits, amirite?

In all honesty, good for the Germans. Hope they don't elect a rightist gov't anytime soon.....

[davidpdx]

132. Wow not only keeps the cars cool, but collects energy