Counterpoint: they're not, they're an inefficient way of raising the cost of parking lots which would be better accomplished by removing parking minimums/requirements or outright Pigouvian taxes on surface parking.
No parking minimums/parking maximums > solar over parking > status quo
George Pearkes
Solar canopies over car lots are a terrible idea relative to just sticking them in a field somewhere but it is an idea that will never ever ever die because it’s like catnip for boomers
Quantian
"France passed a single law and instantly unlocked 11 gigawatts of #solarenergy — without using new land. In 2023, France's government mandated solar canopies over all car parks larger than 80 spaces. The scale was enormous: There are 400,000 parking areas across France #ActOnClimate #Renewables
