Solar panels used as a roof

Geo-TH,In · Oct 5, 2021

I thought this was a neat idea. Planting a crop under solar panels.

Solar panels help French winemaker keep climate change at bay
solar panels

Gary Mitchell · Oct 5, 2021

Good read. I've been told that radishes and lettuce planted beneath mine would produce later than an open range crop. Been to darn lazy to test that. gm

Geo-TH,In · Oct 5, 2021

Sounds like it may work on frosty mornings too.

paul · Oct 5, 2021

That is neat for his very specific use.

Wine traps are million dollar crop. Anything that makes them do better is going to have a good pay off.

The power industry would turn up their nose at such an installation. It has too much structure, and too few panels per square acre. It is not cost effective for power production.

As a shade for the high dollar grapes, and get some bonus electricity out of it, its cool.

Certainly wouldnt work out well on 95% of the crop acres.

So Im saying I like the application, but we need to be careful when folk read this and say well they should do that everywhere! It really doesnt hardly work anywhere.....

Paul

Alvin 41 · Oct 5, 2021

Isn't the extra cost a little wire and structure while the land cost is less than nothing ,so net is a plus.

Bret4207 · Oct 6, 2021

(quoted from post at 08:58:37 10/05/21) I thought this was a neat idea. Planting a crop under solar panels.

Solar panels help French winemaker keep climate change at bay
solar panels

Someone has to state the obvious I suppose. Before he gets a case of the warm and fuzzies for saving Mudder Erff he better add in the carbon footprint it took to produce those panels and the support system, plus shipping, erection and maintaining them. That will likely increase the payback period exponentially. There is no free lunch!

WNYBill · Oct 6, 2021

Could use as a sun shade over a patio, but it would make maintenance difficult.

Jimmydog · Oct 6, 2021

I've been prattling on about a scheme like this for YEARS. I'm thinking of those big parking lots all the big box stores have. Giant pergola kind of things, keep the cars underneath from getting hotter than... then of course there's a problem to over come in northern climates where snow shedding would have to be addressed. As for maintenance concerns there really isn't that much after installation. I doubt the power companies go around window cleaning acres of those things (but I could be wrong on that). The main task is positioning and that could be accomplished via mechanical or hydraulic systems. There's plenty of places/room to tuck those things in where they won't be intrusive.

Like Gary was saying, I too have been meaning to plant some shade favoring plants. Like Gary, I too have been procrastinating...going on something like ten years. I'm leaning towards raised beds and lettuce. It'll happen just don't hold your breath.

JD

Solar panels used as a roof

Geo-TH,In

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Gary Mitchell

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