The number of warehouses is increasing worldwide, notably in the U.S. Most have ideal rooftop conditions for massive solar arrays. Millions upon millions of square feet could house renewable energy stores that generate power back to the grid to give electricity to millions of homes and businesses.Â
Despite the fact the move could provide solutions for some of the more prevalent debates in the solar conversation, there are still questions on practicality.
The Land Use Argument
Land use is the most significant quandary for nations. The media sometimes portrays solar farms as malicious — taking away land from farmers and urbanization. Warehouse rooftop solar farms would make this excuse obsolete.
The Environment America Research and Policy Center drafted a report citing each state’s warehouse solar potential, proving it isn’t only wishful thinking. Even warehouses built before 2019 could produce 185.6 TWh of electricity for over 19 million households. Warehouses that adopt solar could benefit everyone, including companies willing to invest.Â
Numerous distribution centers and warehouses are close to communities or otherwise populous areas. The convenience of proximity is helpful when considering mass infrastructure like transmission lines. When power travels through them, they lose about 5% of electricity, meaning money and energy fly away.
Instead, companies could get money back for sold energy credits with net metering or solar renewable energy certificates by leasing the power to solar providers.
The Resistance Preventing Change
Behind a warehouse’s doors is a megacorporation resisting clean energy buy-in. Many of these businesses have deals with fossil fuel companies and benefit from keeping them in business, even though rooftop solar could produce more energy than the warehouse needs.
Embracing renewable energy like solar puts many legacy B2B relationships in jeopardy. Some warehouses even own or previously owned fossil fuel businesses, so why would they abandon those ventures?
Additionally, their current power systems could be on rooftops, requiring more renovation than simple solar installation. The ideal setup for solar panels is tracking mounts, which allow the panel to adjust its position to get the most sun rays possible. Fixed mounts prevent that from happening, but installers can still position them at an ideal angle to get the most it can. Rooftops aren’t the best for tracking mounts because it’s more complex and expensive, but it’s possible.
The Way Forward
Proving rooftop solar for warehouses is a good idea isn’t enough for companies, so what’s next? It’s necessary to go above corporations to governments and regulatory bodies. With their support, companies may feel more encouraged, or in the worst case, forced, to adopt warehouse rooftop solar.Â
For example, new warehouse builds could already have blueprints that better support panel load and have electrical that supports it. Simple warehouse evaluations and analyses could also retrofit existing structures for improved capacity. The more accessible governments and installers can make it in warehouses, the more likely it will come to fruition.
Permitting and grid-connecting take too much time for companies to justify. Reducing resistance against these necessary administrative hurdles is a proactive step. It’s specifically essential regarding rooftop replacements. With the size of a warehouse, an array’s warranty and life must coincide with a roof’s life to make financial sense. It must happen simultaneously because replacing a roof at a different time would increase the costs of removing and reinstalling the panels.
Education is key. Many warehouses aren’t aware of the potential for solar to surpass the value of fossil fuel connections. Reaching out to the warehousing sector and connecting them to solar providers and manufacturers can enlighten how beneficial it is. Companies might switch over if they even knew it was possible. Providers can relay the fine details about tariffs and metering that would otherwise escape a warehouse manager’s purview.
Why Warehouses Are a Powerful Resource for the Climate
Warehouse rooftops are free real estate for solar panels — warehouse owners might need some convincing, though. The information about how much they could benefit the United States — and the world — could be more widespread. Increasing awareness of this potential could save thousands of acres and sprint closer toward the clean energy future the planet craves.