Can I believe my eyes? 3 MW from only one shopping center in Wake County? I'm double-checking, but yes folks, Beaver Creek Commons in Apex has the capacity to generate 3 MW of electricity when you cover those puppies with pv. Ok, so here's my guess-timate for all Wake County: 100 MW (they've got a LOT of those large shopping centers!)... *grin*

Solar Parking Lots NC Website Preview

The Solar Parking Lots NC website is being developed!  I hope to finish the initial setup by the end of this week and then begin massaging all those excel lists into csv files in the proper format to import into Google Maps.  And ArcGIS Online.  I plan to do both.  The Google Maps will be shown on the website and the Online Community of ESRI will have my group with the same data shown in maps there.  (Plus there's that nice Storytelling app that just might come in handy for something or another down the line!)

So, hopefully, those csv files will start showing up in the maps on the website by the middle of March.  Keep in mind that the website is divided into the five main regions of North Carolina:  Western, Piedmont, Central, South Central and Eastern.  These are the regions that most of the state government entities use.  Within each region are listed the counties:  30 in the Western region, 24 in the Piedmont region, 12 in the Central region, 11 in the South Central region and 23 in the Eastern region.  Each csv file represents one particular store.  So you won't see how many large chain store parking lots there are per county until all csv lists are imported.

Stay tuned and I'll provide updates.

Here's the link to what is done thus far on the website.  I'm using the school's server right now, so it may disappear.  Keep checking here as I plan to get in up on some commercial setup soon.  (Ah, is it improper to ask for donations here?)

I am loving doing this and I know deep down it will make a difference.  I plan to keep going with the other southeastern states.  I just hope and pray that monetary details will be taken care of in order for me to keep on providing input into this viable and feasible alternative to fossil fuels.

Solar Parking Lots NC
(Oh, there's no back link right now and I'm changing the logo (far left box on header) this week.)

I've checked my large chain store parking lot figures for North Carolina against the Dun & Bradstreet database that ESRI's ArcGIS Business Analyst Online uses and the total has grown... to 2326.

I'm working up a website (have to enter one in the NC State Fair for an assignment due Feb 23rd) so I'll be busy with that these next two weeks.  Then it's mapping them all out by county.  Then on to doing the actual calculations for the solar arrays (yes, per parking lot!).  

Hang with me this year, ya'll....  this is going to be a game changer!

Climate Change Science That Has Me Passionate About Solar Parking Lots

Here are the references and video links:

References	Links
Why I Must Speak Out About Climate Change with Dr. James Hansen	https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWInyaMWBY8
James Hansen Explains Climate Change and the Solution	https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nM5-recP7-E
James Hansen:  We Are Only Beginning To Feel Climate Change's Impact	https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lh2Ih712fbk
James Hansen:  To Save Our Planet	https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQ15zfEUULU
Climate Change:  James Hansen on Tipping Points, Carbon Tax and Organized Denial	https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCxDOs5Taew
James Hansen:  Humanity Cannot "Adapt"	https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6KhGoPlahA
This is not Cool with Peter Sinclair	http://youtu.be/u7EHvfaY8Zs
Understanding the Jet Stream with Dr. Jennifer Francis	http://youtu.be/_nzwJg4Ebzo
Climate 101 with Bill Nye	http://youtu.be/3v-w8Cyfoq8
Rutger's Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rapid Arctic Warming & Wacky Weather: Are They Related?  by Dr. Jennifer Francis	http://marine.rutgers.edu/main/Exciting-Science/
James Balog	http://extremeicesurvey.org/
James Balog	www.chasingice.com
Polar Ice Loss:  Picking Up the Pace by John D. Cox	http://news.discovery.com/earth/global-warming/polar-ice-loss-picking-up-the-pace-110309.htm
South Florida's Rising Seas	http://video.wpbt2.org/video/2365148517/
Sea Level Rise Panel Discussion	http://video.wpbt2.org/video/2365156580/
	http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/1112724709/sea-level-rising-bill-hay-110212/
	http://www.jsonline.com/entertainment/featured/chasing-ice-pursues-chilling-evidence-of-climate-change-5j7v692-184339691.html#ixzz2rZWLhRsf
Global change: The ocean is warming, isn't it?   doi:10.1038/465304a     Kevin E. Trenberth	http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=h0ugg5a8XCvsXM&tbnid=QC6u8mXQWK_SoM:&ved=0CAMQjhw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nature.com%2Fnature%2Fjournal%2Fv465%2Fn7296%2Ffull%2F465304a.html&ei=9B3pUry2H8bLsQSLsIGYCQ&bvm=bv.60157871,d.eW0&psig=AFQjCNH841F7lWfjEAqKFDTPrTDPJIVkvw&ust=1391095220114851

Checking In with ya'll Solar Lot Lizards *grin*

Taking a full load at UNC-Greensboro: Weather and Climate, Remote Sensing, Music Appreciation and German 204 (my fourth and final semester, maybe!). Very busy. For my Remote Sensing project I have approval to analyze the 5 main park n ride lots in Chapel Hill (where I live, commute to Greensboro by car or train) for electrical capacity. Yeah! My professor says to put the distribution lines on the final image/map as well. And to include costing data in my report. Ugh. However, there is a solar company within a mile of me. I emailed one company and they completely ignored me! Are they part of the 1%'ers?

Speaking of the very few in power that have previously ran our nation, I fully believe that it is their greed for more money that has the solar industry making such a slow start. Here in NC, the net metering wasn't approved until many citizens got involved - the Utility Commission in this state is clearly being lobbied by Duke Energy! And their repetitive requests for 18% residential rate increases as well as gaining approval for a coal plant nobody wanted and studies showed was not needed (Cliffside). I remember one protest I went to: very friendly & positive: yet one lady tells me, "I don't care how they make my money, I just want my money!" Now that is typical of what I believe is the attitude behind what those "Occupying" want to change. Personally, I'm into saving the planet. I love life. Period. End of line.

I also am going to go through with another project I have in mind as I'll be able to use most of what I'm gathering for this project for that one. I hope they keep the computer lab open on campus (in our Geography building) over the semester break! I plan on using it daily! For this project I am planning on a poster for the output - and planning on selling it at UNC-Chapel Hill events once I obtain a peddler's license! These kids love their school (most do, right?!) and the Sustainability Office here at UNC-CH has already changed their Chancellor's decision on going with renewable energy prior to his deadline! So, back to work! Let's get this party started! *grin*

many smiles~ Joy





ps - stay tuned!

Hello!

Hello!

I haven't thought I had time to do anything with pursuing my passion for solar parking lots lately, but you know what? Time takes care of itself.

This is basically an introduction to me. I'm a returning college student, did over ten in the Air Force, then about ten at home while my boys were in middle & high school. I take classes at Durham Tech and at UNC-Greensboro. I'm a Geography major, with a concentration in Physical Geography, though as I was a mainframe computer operator in the Air Force, I am loving the GIS applications and pursue them as much as possible (though time is rather tight right now!).

I had the brilliant idea for solar parking lots about 5 years ago & started researching on the web. I found one company out west that was putting them up! Envision Solar. I did a GIS study on the amount of paved parking in Greensboro (10.27 square miles of it) and then calculated the capacity to generate electricity when covered with pv - it was more than enough to power the 250,000 residents of Greensboro. In fact, one calculation I did showed where we could replace 5 coal plants with just that city's pv parking lots! Envision Solar changed their numbers after a while (in fact didn't even post them on the website) but I didn't recalculate.

I've taken PV Design and Advanced PV Design classes online. I plan on creating my own solar carport for a electric bicycle I will be putting together soon. I'll keep ya'll posted!

I try to keep abreast of the latest in solar energy news (and climate change in general). Please follow me on Twitter: @solarparkinglot

Nice to meet you!