Internal combustion vehicles run out of gas, electric powered vehicles run out of electrons. However, IC vehicles usually do not have a problem finding a gas station, whereas EV’s have a big problem finding charging stations.
An idea posed in a recent ASME article is to construct solar panel roofs over parking lots, in particular parking lots that typically have a great many vehicles such as WalMart SuperCenters. The article was not clear as to whether WalMart buys into the idea, however the parking lot of any large retail store would work. And think of the weather protection such a roof would provide, Summer and Winter.
The article stated that a solar panel roof over a 5 acre parking lot could produce the necessary power for 100 charging stations. And if a company like WalMart did this at all its stores, 90% of Americans could be within 15 miles of a charging station.
The article also discusses how much energy could be generated that could be part of a microgrid system. The numbers are staggering.
There are certainly major financial issues with the idea, however it does excite the imagination. – Dr. Tom
