We were at e.Leclerc in Châtellerault earlier this week, and noticed they have started installing solar panels as cover for the parking.
This isn't the first we have encountered, that was last year in Tarbes outside an e.Leclerc. This year in Arles we encountered a huge solar array masquerading as a car park, but this one had gone one further and added a display panel that showed just how much electricity they were generating.
It makes perfect sense, of course, car parks outside hypermarkets are enormous and usually flat, and who doesn't like parking under shelter when it's wet, and in the shade when it's hot?
This is not happening in isolation, there are also new laws in place. From January 1, 2023, new commercial and industrial buildings, as well as warehouses and hangars of more than 500m2 and office buildings of more than 1,000m2, have had to solarize 30% of their surface. And as from the start of next year, new car parks of more than 500m2 will have to put panels over 50% of their surface.
4 comments:
Simon, those panels are not new.... they've been in place since 2020! But, presumably they are now adding more to get to their 30%.
Last year there was a leaflet on the Info desk that said that that solar array was generating all the electricity to run the site and put excess into the grid.
Also, all the bulbs inside are being changed to LED on their renewal cycle, which will lower their usage and add more to the grid.
Yes, EleC had them over the car park at Ste-Foy-la-Grande/Pineuilh 2017 or before. Very sensible all round.!
Tim. That just shows how long ago it was that we last went to anything but a medical appointment in Châtellerault
That’s great! The sun should replace the nuclear.
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