Solar PV paving

[CHG-ON]

Great concept. There certainly is no shortage of paved surfaces on this planet. Good luck with the execution and maintenance.

 

[Johan]

The basic question here is: when do you put solar panels on the actual ground [surface]?

The answer is: when you're out of building roofs and other elevated structured surfaces to put them on.

 

[tomas]

The basic question here is: when do you put solar panels on the actual ground [surface]?

The answer is: when you're out of building roofs and other elevated structured surfaces to put them on.

Disagree. For example, my CA house has tile roof upon which you cannot economically mount panels. I could clear some landscaping and put in ground mounted array. But the landscaping is beautiful and mature. It's even better if I could pave my driveway.

 

[Ludus]

Another possible case would be Tesla Super chargers. Very few now actually have PV although it's part of the concept. Canopies over the charging stations obviously aren't nearly sufficient area.

Many superchargers are located in parking lots, often in areas with a lot of adjacent parking lots. Tesla might well be able to work out deals to put PV paving on as much nearby parking area as is needed. This might be part of microgrid arrangements selling excess power to the businesses.

As mentioned, there's often so much paved space available that it's unnecessary to put PV on any space likely to be frequently shaded by parked cars. Parking lots are often overbuilt with a periphery that's rarely used. Even busy lots have a lot of space devoted to access lanes rather than parking slots.

 

[Ludus]

The basic question here is: when do you put solar panels on the actual ground [surface]?

The answer is: when you're out of building roofs and other elevated structured surfaces to put them on.

Why? Much of the cost isn't PV panels themselves but the labor, materials and other expenses to mount them on a roof. Rooftops are all unique. They're all hard to work on. Many are unsuited. Instead of a bespoke design job every time, paving may prove to be standard and systematic to install and ultimately cheaper. Just like rooftop it's using already developed space not new land.

Much of the utility of this depends on where you come from. In warm areas of the US there are endless acres of paved parking and service drives just sitting in the sun. Often much more surface area than nearby roof top space. This has less appeal in areas that aren't like that. Putting it on busy roads (as proposed) seems like a distant and unnecessarily difficult application.

 

[Ludus]

The basic question here is: when do you put solar panels on the actual ground [surface]?

The answer is: when you're out of building roofs and other elevated structured surfaces to put them on.

I notice you are from Norway. This may not be at all practical there and I didn't have northern areas in mind. You'd want inclined panels facing south and would have issues with snow covering paving PV.

 

[liuping]

Disagree. For example, my CA house has tile roof upon which you cannot economically mount panels. I could clear some landscaping and put in ground mounted array. But the landscaping is beautiful and mature. It's even better if I could pave my driveway.

I don't think tile roof are much of a problem for solar installers. All the roof in my neighborhood are tile, and many have solar. Roof tops are not all that hard to work on for experience installers.

Most driveways are not at a good tilt for solar and many have shade for a good part of the day, making them much less efficient compared to a roof mount.

 

[tomas]

I don't think tile roof are much of a problem for solar installers. All the roof in my neighborhood are tile, and many have solar. Roof tops are not all that hard to work on for experience installers.

Most driveways are not at a good tilt for solar and many have shade for a good part of the day, making them much less efficient compared to a roof mount.

Not handmade Mexican tile. My driveway is great for solar.

 

[Johan]

I suppose putting solar panels on the ground might make sense in some places. But I also think it kind of moot: when the technology has progressed to a point where we can cheaply and easily "pave" panels to the ground I suppose we will also have stuff like solar panels that can be sprayed or painted on to - you guessed it - roofs

 

[Ludus]

I suppose putting solar panels on the ground might make sense in some places. But I also think it kind of moot: when the technology has progressed to a point where we can cheaply and easily "pave" panels to the ground I suppose we will also have stuff like solar panels that can be sprayed or painted on to - you guessed it - roofs

The Colas system might not prove to be workable over time but the fact it's being installed on 1000 km of roadway in France suggests it's effective for less challenging paving situations like driveways, walkways, sports courts, parking lots now.

Paving represents a larger opportunity in solar exposed area than rooftops and one that doesn't require endless bespoke adjustments. Because it's not customized it's also not optimally placed. That's a worthwhile trade off as PV gets cheaper and an increasing proportion of costs come from installation expenses not the panels themselves.

It does make sense that a variant of the same system might work for some rooftops, especially flat asphalt roofing. Just glue it down and coat it.

 

[BriansTesla]

OTOH there's a full size tennis court and a large drive. If they were covered with PV panels the output would be enough to make the house net zero. It's an odd case but the world is a collection of odd cases. If solar panels could cover pavement it would let Elon Musk's house go solar. Rooftop won't. In that case it solves a problem. Are there other Cali mansions like it? Thousands.

In large areas of the US, there's more area devoted to unoccupied pavement than rooftops. More importantly, if it worked, this sort of thin solar panel overlay would be a lot simpler and easier to install than rooftop panels and might have lower total costs.

Tennis courts would seem to be a perfect spot for solar.
1. They need to be kept clean
2. They need a stable smooth surface
3. They are not covered by parked cars, etc

 

[mspohr]

same as with the other one - this really seems to be a case of solving a problem that doesn't exist... it's not like we've run out of places to put solar panels that DON'T get driven on...

I've read that in India, they are installing solar panels over irrigation canals. They already have the rights to the land. They also reduce evaporation from the canal.

 

[tomas]

Tennis courts would seem to be a perfect spot for solar.
1. They need to be kept clean
2. They need a stable smooth surface
3. They are not covered by parked cars, etc

Depends how it looks and feels. Tennis courts are engineered for traction and bounce, and they are colored for ball contrast consistency and low glare. If solar messed those up then courts no longer good for tennis.