Montreal-based researchers developed a plan to embed solar panels into sidewalks to power electric vehicles that deliver food.
This "green city" innovation would free up traditionally solar-powered rooftops and small lots for growing fresh, healthy food.
The Concordia University researchers published their study in the journal Sustainability to explain how solar power, city agriculture, and people-centric neighborhoods can work together.
As PV Magazine reported, equipping sidewalks with solar panels can help city-dwellers have closer access to community gardens, farmers' markets, and grocery stores. Using the West 5 smart community in Ontario as an example, the researchers demonstrated how incorporating solar-panel sidewalks would benefit cities in high-traffic pedestrian walkways.
They found that just over 1,000 square feet of solar sidewalk can produce enough energy to power a city's entire urban mobility system. The sidewalks also significantly reduce pollution and deliver electricity at an affordable rate.
"We want to see how we can integrate energy, mobility, land use, and social functions to bring daily needs closer to residents so they can reduce the number of fossil-fuel-consuming trips," said Caroline Hachem-Vermette, one of the study's authors.
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This technological development is promising because it helps us see cities in a cleaner, greener, and more sustainable way.
Various cities have been exploring the possibilities of installing solar panels on sidewalks and also generating solar power from parking lots, rooftops, and waterways.
In your own life, you can reap the cost-saving, pollution-preventing benefits of solar energy by installing panels at home or signing up for a community solar program.
However, this new study stands out because it also contributes to a broader goal of making the food and agriculture industries more sustainable.
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I want panels 🏠 There are many benefits to growing fresh, healthy foods right within cities rather than trucking them in from distant farms or requiring residents to travel far for groceries. Meanwhile, we can begin using traditional agricultural lands to generate energy and grow crops, thereby supporting sustainable mixed land use that conserves resources and provides additional income for local farmers.
The Concordia researchers proved that even a small solar footprint can have big impacts.
"A Food Production Schedule (FPS) indicated that dedicating 13.8% of rooftop area, 10% of facades, and 15% of lot space is sufficient to achieve Food Self-Sufficiency (FSS) for selected crops," they concluded. "Harvested produce can be distributed through intra-cluster food outlets using a photovoltaic-powered GT system, significantly lowering food miles and CO2 emissions."
They studied the impacts of solar sidewalks in a cold climate, with open-air farming possible only for half the year. Therefore, many cities worldwide can consider adopting a similar neighborhood-level food self-sufficiency plan to promote public health and a resilient, sustainable energy supply.
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