The Malahat First Nation will take a step toward energy independence this year with the installation of a solar energy system to power its administration facility.
It’s also the first project where a Shift energy-storage system — previously the company focused attention on the marine transport sector — will be applied on land to store energy from Solar Earth’s unique solar system, which can transform infrastructure like parking lots and sidewalks into a renewable energy source.
“This is actually multiple pilot projects rolled into one,” said Tristan Gale, Malahat’s executive director of environment and sustainable development. “Using Shift’s batteries on land is a pilot, using Solar Earth’s technology in this specific climate, in this specific situation is a pilot and then tying that all together with microgrid functionality so that it is as automated as possible when we lose grid power is its own pilot project.
“The Malahat’s values of taking what the land is offering, including the solar energy that’s available and using that to progress the presence of Malahat Nation,” he said. “Any Indigenous government probably has some experience with having control exerted over them by external entities, and while that’s not the sole focus of this, it is certainly important for Malahat to develop another option should B.C. Hydro make decisions that don’t align with where Malahat wants to go in the future.
“We are basically showing how we can convert typical concrete hardscape and put the solar panel on top of it — you can basically drive on top of it, it can take a beating,” he said. “That means you can monetize a hardscape that was typically a sunk cost to a municipality or a developer.”
They’re going to have to be doing a yearly cleaning ceremony of the sidewalk or they will jot be able to move forward.
10 years ago Iceland installed solar walkways and bike lanes
Great idea
The homeless will put bricks through then. You know because...society!
On sidewalks... that should be shaded... I applaud the efforts but there are so many better ways to do solar. So. Many. This greenwashing was debunked back when it was first proposed ten years ago.
LOL. this is not the place for solar
Is there a pool on how long before someone jumps all over them?
This tech has been proven over and over to be ineffective, expensive and untenable, why continue to dump. money on it?
Record drug deaths but look at our solar sidewalks… it’s possible to walk and chew gum at the same time but maybe start with crawling…
Who sold them on this. Everything I read says that roof solar panels have to be constantly cleaned and maintained to work properly. Sidewalk panels will operate at very low efficiency.
30.5KW system is composed of 54 rooftop panels and 119 PV pavers. 119 Paver * 42W/paver = 5KW or only 16% of the projects total. Putting panels on the ground instead of on roofs where they have clear sun and can be angled reduces effectiveness.
Just put the panels on roofs... Building into sidewalk/pavement is reducing potential and heightening breakage.
what could possibly go wrong?🤦♂️
Oh god solar paving is such a bad idea... worst place to put solar imaginable. The whole 'tech' is pure grift.