Futurology

I always try to gauge things from all angles, much as I can anyway. Solar parking lots are absolute no-brainers. I'm sure there are downsides I'm ignorant of, but damn, I just can't find any.

For one, there's nothing political here. We don't have to convince anyone that global warming is real to show the benefits of a shady parking lot that generates energy. No one is going to whine that they don't want their vehicle protected from the sun, rain and snow. Big box stores and malls gonna complain about more stable local temps saving them on HVAC? (If anyone doesn't believe the dramatic effect of last bit, I can demonstrate with a grove of trees, a small glade and a min/max thermometer. Give me a week to leave the thermometers out there and we'll have a look.)

Replacement costs are real, but I can't imagine they come remotely close to balancing with energy production. I suppose we could bitch that many of these are being made by literal Chinese slave labor. All right conservatives, belly up to the bar and let's talk about bringing jobs back home, Made in 'Murica, all those talking points.

They need cleaned. Again, however that's done, it can't outweigh the stunningly cheap power. Hell, go caveman style, pay a dude to walk around on top with a garden hose twice a year. And there's another green business providing green jobs.

I suppose one could argue that solar takes money from local utilities, money that is needed to keep the current infrastructure in place. And like it or not, we'll need the grid forever, however it's powered, we have to deliver energy over wires. Some utilities are public, some are private, mine's a weird combo. Some rake in the profits, some not so much. This issue has to be tackled on a regional basis, no one-size-fits-all, not even for entire states.

There are a few gigantic (to me) solar farms going up in NW FL. While I'm sad to see 100+ acres (each!) wiped off the map, with the loss of habitat, biodiversity and creating another heat island, I'll take the solar please. And politics again, it's a no-brainer. People like me, who actually go outdoors and know the ecosystem, would flip to move that production to parking lots. For the conservatives, I doubt they could put numbers on the table showing it's cheaper to purchase and clear 100+ acres, taking months of heavy machine work and workers, paying property taxes in perpetuity, vs., worst case, retrofitting the local Walmarts and major malls. 100 acres, divided over a few parking lots, is easy to come by, even in my small town.

Politics, yet again. Subsidize the hell out of this. Politicians of all stripes love giving businesses tax breaks to being in jobs. They can frame it any way they damned please to their constituency; "green jobs", "industry", "'Murican made", don't care.

Sigh, I'm worn out. Someone else take up the rest of this rant... :)