Green Home Systems completed the construction of a solar energy system for Notre Dame High School in Los Angeles, California.
Credit: Green Home Systems
Notre Dame High School had recently built a multi-level parking garage to add extra room for its students to park. The garage was already equipped with electric vehicle charging stations, but the school district wanted to take the garage a step further by adding solar panels to the structure. This would offer the dual purpose of producing electricity and also offer shade for students whose cars are parked on the roof.
The array will save the high school up to $30,000 a year on energy costs and will produce over 200,000 kWh a year.
The school district considered building a solar carport because of a mandate from the state of California for all new construction to include a solar energy system.
“The Notre Dame project was particularly tricky,” said Barry Durand, commercial director at Green Home Systems. “Their contractor had already built the carport as a flat level structure without a roof. They wanted the solar panels to be tilted toward the sun like most solar installations. We designed a custom racking system that allowed us to tilt the panels in rows and accomplish what they desired.”
News item from Green Home Systems
This is the most Appropriate way to deploy solar systems without losing “ground surface”. Added benefits, it can also be used to collect & direct rainwater for catchment & use for Non-Potable applications such as watering the lawns etc.
There are Vast Amounts of “Parking Lots” and structures of which a large percentage could be “Solar Panel Shaded” to generate not only EV Charging capacity but so much more. Shopping Malls, Company Parking Lots, and so many more could very easily accommodate such. *Regional Locations will affect such deployments of course. But even in the North, this can be done and it does work.
There are other benefits that may not be readily apparent as well.
– Shading asphalt reduces its reflective heat, reduces Heat Island Effects, as well as prolongs the lifecycle of the pavement.
– Reduces Vehicle Interior Temp, which does damage the interiors over time… Ever see cracked dashes ?
– Rain Catchment & Management for Non-Potable uses can be incorporated for many purposes.
– Coupled with a Battery Storage System, it could serve to provide Emergency/Backup power to the host facility (ie: School, Shopping Centres, and Businesses in general) Possibly can be Grid Connected as well to export excess and also to “share” battery with grid options. (* Income Potential *)
In My Opinion, such deployments should become a “Default” with all new building applications and planners/designers should factor in for such capability & function. Possibly even adding a “Soft Incentive” of sorts in the form of a Credit/Discount for Building Permits, or a Land Tax discount for X period, relative to scale & capacity of the installation.