This Walmart parking lot is about to get shady.

[ZoNiE]

The Safeway in Old Town Scottsdale just put in a parking shade solar array. Seems to be the "thing" now, especially when Bashas (AZ Grocery chain) started putting covered parking at many stores.

[PatsyG]

The Safeway in Old Town Scottsdale just put in a parking shade solar array. Seems to be the "thing" now, especially when Bashas (AZ Grocery chain) started putting covered parking at many stores.

Sun City has them all over town. I think it's pretty neat, and pretty smart considering how many hours of sun we have here. This weather is a fluke.

[Dust-In-the-Wind]

What's the height of these? Any issues for a hi-top van?

[WheelEstate USA]

The south facing edge is lower, but the taller north side has plenty of clearance on all the ones we've seen.

[WriterMs]

Walmart is part of a corporate "pact"... last I read there were well over 50. Companies that have looked at the climate data and have agreed that business has to take steps since governments cannot get it together to move very fast.

Of course, they are seeing exactly how climate change will affect their bottom line in the next years and decades. You are sure to start seeing more press on these companies in the next year. Starbucks, you'd expect; Walmart, I was surprised (but they have the money to hire their own scientists to help with projections).

[Varmint]

It would surprise me if they stop at solar installations. Wind is being touted as another green technology, but the big problem with it is that it doesn't pay out. Those big 2-megawatt turbines you see on wind farms? They can spin until they fall apart and never generate the amount of energy that went into them. I can see smaller turbines, mounted on vans and trailers, or tiny house installations paying out and/or supplementing the solar arrays for battery banks, but never for commercial use.

That said, I'm not so sure solar arrays "pay out", but they certainly supply our small needs as a mobile or tiny community, and in the long-term, quite well. Far better than paying a utility company, in my opinion. As for those who are in places like Florida, where you're required by law to be connected to the grid, there's still no law requiring you to USE their power....only to be hooked up to it. No law in existence can require you to use power you don't need.

[bukzin]

Yes, but getting more affordable all the time. Wonder if we'll ever catch up with other countries?

[Varmint]

buzkin said, in relevant part:
"Wonder if we'll ever catch up with other countries?"

My reply:
The way I see it, there was never any need to catch up to other countries. THEY need to catch up to US, and WE need to return to our founding principles, which made us the envy of the entire world. Nothing is truly cheaper or better in other countries, only subsidized by heavy taxation, which means you pay for many things you neither need or use, whether you like it or not. For that reason alone, I can't begin to imagine why we would want to imitate another country anywhere on this planet, despite our vaunted "leaders" insistence that we should. Taxation is the engine that drives inflation, forcing you into higher tax brackets while simultaneously lowering your power to save and purchase things you really need or want.

On the other hand.... what, exactly, did you have in mind that we should catch up to?

[bukzin]

We need to get a little more progressive regarding expanding the use of solar.

[Varmint]

Still don't know what you mean. I purchased a solar panel. That's "progress". If I want to increase my solar capacity I, and only I, will determine what I need and purchase it. That will be more progress, unless my actual NEED for it is unchanged, in which case it's mere excess. This, as I see it, is how it should be done; I want, therefore I buy and use however I choose.

Do you think we should learn to use and rely on more solar and/or wind power? Or do you mean government should tax everyone else to help pay for YOUR solar/wind power?

Perhaps you could clarify what you mean by "be more progressive"....?
I hope this doesn't become emotionally-charged and politically chaotic....