Parking lot owners have lost a lot of money during the corona period. In addition to the daily work traffic that needs a place for the car, fewer tourists also came to park. In France, some parking managers receive an additional cost. The French government instructs administrators to install solar panels.
The reason for the extra solar panels is logically to generate energy. That has two reasons. President Macron gets rid of nuclear energy but does not want to get the energy from abroad. By generating its own energy, France also protects itself against price increases from outside. During the brainstorming sessions, they ended up at parking lots.
Parking lots often don’t offer too nice views and besides parking, little happens. An additional advantage is that the cars do not have to stand for hours in the screaming heat, but can cool down nicely under a hood. Moreover, managers of the parking spaces earn money from the panels. After 12 years, the investment should be recouped.
Do all parking spaces need solar panels in France?
Parking zones with space for at least eighty cars are covered by this scheme. In 2028, all parking spaces must comply with the new rules. Venues with more than 400 parking spaces should have it sorted by 2026. Incidentally, there are some exceptions, for example if it is not technically possible or if there is too much shade in the parking lot.
Mickey Mouse led the way
The photo accompanying this article was taken at Disneyland Paris. The amusement park started in 2020 with the idea of covering the parking lots with solar panels. There are now 46,000 panels on the roofs. That should be 82,000. This currently produces 10 gigawatt hours per year. For reference; in the Netherlands we use a total of about 13 to 14 gigawatts every day. Mickey isn’t that crazy after all.
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