Why putting solar panels beside highways is a no-brainer
California could generate enough electricity to power 270,000 homes by putting solar panels in the empty land next to highway interchanges in just 3 Southern California counties, according to a new report released today by Environment California and The Ray.
There is a lot of “dead” space between highways, which is currently not used for much of anything. It’s not a usable space for wildlife, either, due to the proximity of so many cars.
But what it does get is a lot of sun, especially in Southern California, where there are a lot of highways and a lot of sun.
The report highlights the benefits of using this empty land beside highways for electricity generation and totals up the potential energy available from all suitable areas in the counties of Los Angeles, San Diego, and Ventura.
And there is a lot of potential space combined across these three counties. Every highway interchange and every offramp will generally have some space for an installation like this. Here are some maps of potential sites examined by the report:
Put together, it’s a total of almost a gigawatt of potential solar power just from empty land.
Better yet, these locations are often near transmission lines and are already owned by the state, which makes developing the space for large solar projects easier than contracting or leasing with several property owners for land, building transmission lines to virgin desert areas, and so on.
Here’s an example of just one highway interchange in San Diego next to State Route 163:
This installation would have 1.86 MW of capacity, enough to power 180 homes. And that’s just one interchange, with many more that are ripe for these opportunities.
While the analysis covered just three counties, those counties are rather sprawling and populated with many people and highways, meaning there are plenty of highway interchanges covered by the report’s area.
But other counties with plenty of sun and plenty of highways, like Orange, San Bernardino, and Santa Clara, were not covered. Nor were the rest of California’s 58 counties. So, if the state were to find opportunities in every county, there would be far more free energy available.
There is currently a bill working its way through California’s legislature, known as SB49, introduced by Senator Josh Becker, who represents San Mateo and Santa Clara counties. Environment California has a page where Californians can contact their representatives and ask them to support the bill.
This isn’t just a no-brainer for California (as even Caltrans acknowledges) but for other states as well. In 2021, the Federal Highway Administration suggested that states do this very thing, and the Biden administration considers it a “game-changer” for meeting net-zero goals.
The Ray has a tool for mapping similar beside-highway solar opportunities across the country. Some states have already started putting solar panels beside highways, with installations existing in Georgia, Oregon, Maine, and others.
This is just one of the areas in which Environment California has advocated for solar panels. Another analysis shows that 5 million homes could be powered by putting solar on the roofs of warehouses in the state (and surely the warehouses themselves as well), allowing us to turn unproductive flat roofspace into a useful energy generation opportunity without having to clear additional land for solar farms. Add in parking lots and superstores, and you could make a pretty big dent in emissions from electricity generation without a whole lot of effort.
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On today’s battle-ready episode of Quick Charge, it’s Elon Musk vs. the world as big players position themselves for control of enough lithium to build 600 million electric cars and the rest of the industry squares up to Tesla in the battle for market leadership.
While Windrose is making sales and expanding into new markets, the Tesla Semi is still in limited tests, Robotaxi launches as a “ride hailing service” in California with randos in the drivers’ seat and Academy Award nominated actor/noted college football analyst Timothée Chalamet teams up with Lucid to steal (even more) sales from the embattled Model S and X lines.
Today’s episode is brought to you by Retrospec, the makers of sleek, powerful e-bikes and outdoor gear built for everyday adventure. Quick Charge listeners can get 10% off their next e-bike ride through August 14 with the exclusive code ELECTREK10 only at retrospec.com.
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If you’re considering going solar, it’s always a good idea to get quotes from a few installers. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.
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EV charging company ezVOLTz has partnered with Driivz, the EV software arm of Vontier, to make its “Charging as a Service” platform even smarter and more reliable for fleets, businesses, and state and local governments across the US.
If you’re not familiar with ezVOLTz, it’s a full-service EV charging provider. It handles everything, from installing hardware-agnostic chargers to managing the backend with its software platform, ezCONNECT. Now, ezVOLTz is plugging into Driivz’s charging and energy management tech to help run things even more smoothly.
With Driivz’s help, ezVOLTz plans to keep its network humming with 24/7 monitoring and real-time issue detection. Driivz’s Alert Management System can auto-fix up to 80% of charger hiccups remotely without sending a tech on-site. That means more uptime and fewer headaches for drivers and site owners.
“EV adoption is surging, and drivers and the companies and entities that serve them need smart, connected, and reliable charging options,” said ezVOLTz CEO Sam Malhotra. “The Driivz team and their smart charging and energy management solutions are a natural fit in bolstering our services.”
The partnership also gives ezVOLTz new tools to grow its network. Driivz’s software tracks usage patterns and charger performance, helping pinpoint the best spots for new installations. Driivz will also support the ezVOLTz app, letting users plan road trips and find chargers nationwide.
“Reliability and ease-of-use are two of the most important considerations for EV drivers,” said Andrew Bennett, CEO of Driivz. “We’re proud to partner with ezVOLTz in delivering seamless and reliable charging to their customers.”
As more businesses, fleets, and municipalities plug into EVs, partnerships like this one aim to make sure the charging experience keeps up.
Read more: Driivz expands in the US EV charging market with a new HQ
The 30% federal solar tax credit is ending this year. If you’ve ever considered going solar, now’s the time to act. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.
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The Subaru BRZ may live on as an EV after all. Subaru wants its share of the sports car market, and an electric BRZ could hit the sweet spot.
Is Subaru launching an electric BRZ?
Subaru discontinued the BRZ in Europe in 2020 after the first generation. Although its twin, the Toyota GR86, was sold until the 2024 model year, the BRZ was released as a US-only model.
In its third generation, it could return as an EV. Speaking with Autocar, Subaru’s European head, David Dello Stritto, said, “Our options are open,” hinting that the BRZ could make a comeback in electric form.
Subaru’s global EV product boss, Inoue Masahiko, confirmed an electric version of the sports car “was under consideration.” He added that Subaru has extensively looked into an EV version of the BRZ with its partner, Toyota.
Masahiko explained that “We did consider electrifying the BRZ and GR86, but the win-win relationship is more important.” So far, “We can’t get the kind of benefits from both sides,” he added.
Subaru is already launching several new electric vehicles in Europe, including the new Uncharted, E-Outback (known as Trailseeker in the US), and an updated Solterra SUV.
Stritto said that an electric sports car will depend on the success of these models first, especially the Uncharted. According to Subaru’s European boss, the Japanese automaker feels “very positively about Subaru enthusiasts, but we need to see how Uncharted does first.”
As for an “electrified” powertrain, or hybrid, Masahiko said the vehicle’s packaging “would make it difficult,” adding an EV version would be “easier” to create.
The comments come after Stritto told Autocar last week that a new entry-level EV could also be in the works. However, that will also depend on how well the Uncharted sells.
For those in the US, don’t worry – Subaru is not planning to discontinue the BRZ. If it did launch as an EV, would you consider one? It would go up against the new Hyundai IONIQ 6 N and Tesla Model 3 Performance.
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