By 2028, all French parking lots with more than 80 spots will have to be covered with solar panels, providing both shade and renewable energy.
Writing in Jalopnik, Ryan Erik King describes a new French law that will require the installation of solar panels over all surface parking lots in the country as part of an effort to shift a larger portion of the nation’s energy production to solar. “The new law goes into effect on July 1, 2023, with the deadlines for compliance set on this date in upcoming years. Smaller lots must install solar panels by 2028. Larger parking lots will be held to a stricter deadline and must comply with the new law by 2026.”
According to King, “France’s government expected to generate 11 gigawatts of electricity or the equivalent output of ten French nuclear reactors,” or almost 8 percent of France’s electricity capacity.
France previously experimented with solar roads, installing a 0.6 mile test strip of photovoltaic road panels in Normandy, but the project yielded disappointing results as the panels deteriorated quickly under pressure from weather and traffic.
FULL STORY: France Requiring Solar Panels to Cover Parking Lots by 2028
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UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
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