South Korea Mandates Solar Panels for Public Parking Lots • Hacker News Board

Re: South Korea Mandates Solar Panels for Public Parking Lots

#61

Post by dgoldstein0 » Sun, Mar 29, 2026, 1:07 AM UTC

jyounker wrote: post #37

scottyah wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ground level solar in a big city doesn't make much sense, they'll be getting a lot of shade- which significantly reduces the power generated. They've made new panels that are better with partial shade, but it's still crazy.

Most parking lots in big cities are not surrounded by high-rises.

Well also when they are they are small parking lots. This regulation specifically is for big public parking lots.

Also the "surrounded by high rises" locations are more likely to be built as parking garages in the first place.

Re: South Korea Mandates Solar Panels for Public Parking Lots

#62

Post by Havoc » Sun, Mar 29, 2026, 1:14 AM UTC

jld wrote: post #3

It seems inefficient to put solar panels over parking areas as it requires significant amount of structure which costs a lot more than shade it creates is worth. Especially compared to how much less structure is needed on more remote solar farms. Maybe I'm just using American mindset where there is lots of open land that is good for solar generation? Perhaps not true in Korea?

>It seems inefficient to put solar panels over parking areas as it requires significant amount of structure which costs a lot more than shade it creates is worth

If you're putting up structures to shade cars from bright sun anyway then it doesn't take a lot of legislative pressure to enforce "the thing you put up has to be solar panels".

Not familiar with SK, but in principle this parking shade had better be panels works. This is doable within both governmental, social and financial frameworks in countries that get decent sun. Whether SK qualifies as "decent sun"...idk...seems borderline to my unqualified eye

Re: South Korea Mandates Solar Panels for Public Parking Lots

#63

Post by Scoundreller » Sun, Mar 29, 2026, 1:17 AM UTC

joecool1029 wrote: post #24

Maybe some WX nerds on HN can answer, but uh... would this help with reducing convection cells that appear above large parking lots? I can look at radarscope during summer and see them roiding up over really large parking lots in my region. Do solar panels help reduce this 'heat island' effect?

Top of my head thought:

Depends on the colour of the cars and pavement. A PV will send ~20% of the light energy hitting it down the wire, the rest = heat.

PVs don’t really reflect back much light for obvious reasons.

The increased surface area might help it radiate more heat at night on a clear day, unless the panels are flat and then it’s no change really.

Re: South Korea Mandates Solar Panels for Public Parking Lots

#64

Post by [deleted] » Sun, Mar 29, 2026, 1:21 AM UTC

watersb wrote: post #39

In Phoenix, Arizona, there are solar panels over the parking lots at since of the grocery stores. Makes a huge difference in survivability when you get back to the car. (Without huge infrastructure dedicated to car welfare, Phoenix is uninhabitable.)

[deleted]

Re: South Korea Mandates Solar Panels for Public Parking Lots

#65

Post by Scoundreller » Sun, Mar 29, 2026, 1:24 AM UTC

jyounker wrote: post #37

scottyah wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ground level solar in a big city doesn't make much sense, they'll be getting a lot of shade- which significantly reduces the power generated. They've made new panels that are better with partial shade, but it's still crazy.

Most parking lots in big cities are not surrounded by high-rises.

Low rise or high rise, (near) ground level (sub)urban PVs are going to run hotter because of the heat island and disrupted breeze, so panel efficiency and lifespan will take a non-zero hit too

Re: South Korea Mandates Solar Panels for Public Parking Lots

#66

Post by rocketpastsix » Sun, Mar 29, 2026, 1:24 AM UTC

I really want America to get on board with this. Getting people to not drive is a nearly impossible task given how slow cities move to change the codes, so if we have to have parking lots, put them to use.

Re: South Korea Mandates Solar Panels for Public Parking Lots

#67

Post by bigfatkitten » Sun, Mar 29, 2026, 1:25 AM UTC

scottyah wrote: post #20

Aurornis wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In a city the best place to put them first is roof tops. Rooftop solar has minimal structural requirements relative to parking lot canopies. I think this might be partially an indirect tax on parking lots inside a dense city. It raises the cost of using land for parking, but does so in a way that provides shade and clean energy at the same time.

Ground level solar in a big city doesn't make much sense, they'll be getting a lot of shade- which significantly reduces the power generated. They've made new panels that are better with partial shade, but it's still crazy.

High rises are expensive to build. The reason they are built in the first place is that land is even more expensive, and expensive land militates for parking garages rather than open parking lots.

Re: South Korea Mandates Solar Panels for Public Parking Lots

#68

Post by foobarian » Sun, Mar 29, 2026, 1:25 AM UTC

filoleg wrote: post #44

jyounker wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm an American, and it seems like a great use of land to me. This sort of a policy is particularly sensible in areas where it's hot, and there are extensive parking lots next to places that are mostly active during the day. Instead of just having a heat island, you generate power to run AC in the associated buildings, and you also get shade for the parked cars.

I recently was at the Vegas airport, and what struck me was the parking lot. It was the same parking lot I saw many years ago. But this time, instead of feeling sorry for the owners of the cars that were obviously getting cooked up, that whole are was shaded in bajillion solar panels. It seemed like such an obvious win-win for everyone, I expect it to catch on fairly quickly.

But, isn't the albedo of a solar panel farm still way dark? It means the radiation is still being captured rather than reflected back up.

Re: South Korea Mandates Solar Panels for Public Parking Lots

#69

Post by rocketpastsix » Sun, Mar 29, 2026, 1:26 AM UTC

jld wrote: post #3

It seems inefficient to put solar panels over parking areas as it requires significant amount of structure which costs a lot more than shade it creates is worth. Especially compared to how much less structure is needed on more remote solar farms. Maybe I'm just using American mindset where there is lots of open land that is good for solar generation? Perhaps not true in Korea?

it seems wildly efficient to use the massive amount of dead space we cede to cars. Without cars, parking lots are just massive heat sinks that trap and hold heat. Might as well do something with them to make it a little bit better. It also has the added benefit of creating shade for people in the summer and cover during rain.

Re: South Korea Mandates Solar Panels for Public Parking Lots

#70

Post by kulahan » Sun, Mar 29, 2026, 1:26 AM UTC

jld wrote: post #3

It seems inefficient to put solar panels over parking areas as it requires significant amount of structure which costs a lot more than shade it creates is worth. Especially compared to how much less structure is needed on more remote solar farms. Maybe I'm just using American mindset where there is lots of open land that is good for solar generation? Perhaps not true in Korea?

Correct. There really isnt “more remote” in Korea because it’s such a small nation geographically speaking. You’re never more than a few hours from the farthest border.