To the editor:
A recent Enterprise letter to the editor (March 7th) criticized the idea of putting in solar energy at the Leelanau County Government Center, and specifically called out mounting some of them as carports over parking areas. Another letter pointed out— correctly— that although solar panel output is reduced by cloud cover here, installations eventually pay back more than they cost. Were that not the case, we would not see the recent further expansion of solar along M-72 to provide power for Traverse City. But here I wish to address the solar carport issue because the concept may be unfamiliar to many. Carports cost more to install, but they often allow for more optimal positioning of the panels in unshaded places, and can thus produce more electricity. They also shelter vehicles from sun, rain and snow. Michigan State University (my former employer) put in one of the largest solar carport systems in the country in 2017, covering 5,000 parking spaces, and producing electricity equivalent to 45 acres of solar panels had they used their farmland instead. The covered parking at MSU has proven popular, as numerous media reports attest. Solar carports can bring solar energy to urban areas lacking open spaces, and make some of the vast amount of land dedicated to parking in our country serve an additional purpose— helping us meet our renewable energy goals.
Stephen Hamilton Centerville Township
