Parking lots will supply France with electricity (3 photos)

The French Senate passed a law making large car parks whose owners will have to equip with solar panels.







According to experts, car parking is a pointless source of wasted energy. The dark pavement absorbs the sun's rays creating heat islands in urban areas. We decided to take advantage of this in France. The new French law aims to use these hotspots for energy production by equipping over parking lots rooftops with solar panels.



The law that has just been passed by the French Senate is part of President Macron's initiatives to significantly expand supplies wind and solar energy in France. Starting July 1, 2023, owners of parking lots containing from 80 to 400 spaces for cars, there are five years to install solar panels as "roofs" over parking spaces. Lots with more than 400 spots must be covered with solar panels for three years. At the same time, solar panels will have to cover at least 50% of the parking area. Most large parking lots in transit and shopping areas will produce most energy, while historical districts and parking lots for tall trucks are exempt from the new initiative.

Solar panels in parking lots are expected to generate up to 11 gigawatts of energy. This is equivalent to the power of 10 nuclear reactors. The government is also considering installing solar panels in other places not used for electricity production. SNCF - the French railway system - is also planning equip your stations with panels. By 2050 the government plans to commission 50 new wind farms to provide electricity to the country.