![]() ![]() ![]() Pearce echoed what Powers from Inovateus said: Accounting just for installation cost, right now it makes more sense to install on the store's roof than a solar farm on open ground. It involves closing off parts of the parking lot while construction occurs, which potentially makes a store a more inconvenient choice, at least for a time. There are hurdles to overcome, especially in retrofitting an existing parking lot with a solar canopy. While a world in which stores charge their customers' electric vehicles for free and make more money in the process sounds great, it's still hypothetical at this point. "This means that for many shoppers with an EV, the trip to Walmart and back would potentially have zero automobile-related energy costs," the researchers wrote. Solar panels and electric vehicle charging could be a useful pairing. According to a study by Pearce and a colleague, 90% of Americans live within 15 miles of a Walmart, and a one-hour shopping trip could provide a car with 20 miles of charge. In a future with free electric charging at Walmart (or another big-box store), shoppers could return home not just with their shopping haul but with more charge in their vehicle than when they left. Do nonelectric vehicles park there? Do people spend longer in the store? Pearce is looking to investigate this hunch in the near future by seeing what happens when charging is actually provided. "Even if you only buy one thing, that will be a net profit for the store." "I believe that if you're given free parking underneath the canopy that can charge your electric vehicle, you'll spend a little bit more time in the store because you're going to wait for it to get charged," he said. He thinks stores might attract even more customers by providing discounted or free electric vehicle charging to shoppers.Īn average Walmart parking lot could support about 100 electric vehicle chargers if covered in solar panels, Pearce's research found. Pearce has a hunch they might, though his research hasn't looked at this question directly. While it's hard to say if someone would opt for one retailer over another because of the environmental messaging of a large, visible solar array, would they if it meant parking out of the sun, snow or rain? ![]() Read more: Are Electric Cars Really Better for the Environment? ![]()
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