Balcony solar panels can save 30% on a typical household’s electricity bill and, with vertical surface area in cities larger than roof space, the appeal is clear
If humans can build huge swaths of development and buildings and constructions in every major city all over the planet … then I think we can make an effort to at least cover a good percentage of it with solar panels. The majority of us build shelters to avoid the sun anyway … we like the sun but only for short periods during the day. So why not build shelters, homes, buildings, coverings, everything out of solar panels. Instead of deflecting all that energy, collect it and make it useful.
Given the higher cooling demands during summer in more and more places, awnings are a good idea. These are specifically designed to capture the sunlight, hence it would perhaps follow that making these solar panels would be a good idea - solar awnings.
The albedo decease from urbanization in 2018 relative to 2001 has yielded a 100-year average annual global warming of 0.00014 [0.00008, 0.00021] °C. Without proper mitigation, future urbanization in 2050 relative to 2018 and that in 2100 relative to 2018 under the intermediate emission scenario (SSP2-4.5) would yield a 100-year average warming effect of 0.00107 [0.00057,0.00179] °C and 0.00152 [0.00078,0.00259] °C, respectively, through altering the Earth’s albedo.
The albedo does have an effect, but not much of one. If we were to supplement every household with the ~30% solar power this article suggests, it would be a massive improvement and far outweigh the costs of the albedo.
Especially when you consider looking at the average city from above … the surface is almost 70 to 80% either asphalt or concrete. The average city is literally just a giant solar heat collector. If we didn’t do anything about solar panels … it would be just as efficient if we figured out how to just heat water and use the steam power instead.
If humans can build huge swaths of development and buildings and constructions in every major city all over the planet … then I think we can make an effort to at least cover a good percentage of it with solar panels. The majority of us build shelters to avoid the sun anyway … we like the sun but only for short periods during the day. So why not build shelters, homes, buildings, coverings, everything out of solar panels. Instead of deflecting all that energy, collect it and make it useful.
Given the higher cooling demands during summer in more and more places, awnings are a good idea. These are specifically designed to capture the sunlight, hence it would perhaps follow that making these solar panels would be a good idea - solar awnings.
That seems like a bad idea unless we figure out a good way to fix the albedo problem that is apparently worse than ever
They’re saying to cover the stuff that’s already there, not to build new solar cities
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-022-31558-z
The albedo does have an effect, but not much of one. If we were to supplement every household with the ~30% solar power this article suggests, it would be a massive improvement and far outweigh the costs of the albedo.
Especially when you consider looking at the average city from above … the surface is almost 70 to 80% either asphalt or concrete. The average city is literally just a giant solar heat collector. If we didn’t do anything about solar panels … it would be just as efficient if we figured out how to just heat water and use the steam power instead.
I think of that kinda pic every time I’m on a plane.