Deploying solar energy panels is part using the right equipment and part finding the right place to positions the panels. However, according to The Washington Post, among other states, California boasts enough available space for solar to power itself three times over.
A group of researchers recently published a report in Nature Climate Change, noting that more efficient use of public works and land could expedite clean energy efforts in states like California, ensuring the state reaches its goal of replacing at least one-third of electricity generation with renewable sources of power by 2020. The researchers, from Stanford University and the Carnegie Institution for Science, noted that these efforts could even help save delicate ecosystems in deserts and other open spaces where solar plants are typically installed, by moving them to already developed areas prime for solar panels to collect sunlight.
According to the research, California already has 10,535 square miles of land that is compatible for photovoltaic installations — an area roughly the size of Massachusetts. The state boasts a further 2,422 square miles prime for concentrating solar power array installations — roughly the size of the state of Delaware.
"To determine whether land, energy and environmental compatibility can be achieved within existing developed areas in the state of California, we developed the Carnegie Energy and Environmental Compatibility model to achieve four objectives," the researchers wrote. These objectives include: Quantifying capacity-based potential, quantifying generation-based potential, create a compatibility index of land resources for solar infrastructure and determine the extent of potential energy and climate change goals.
While these efforts might be some ways off, homeowners can do their part in deploying solar across California now. If you're considering investing in solar panels for your home, contact SolarMax Technology today.
To receive a free solar consultation, click HERE.