Comments on: Could U.S. Get 20% of Electricity from Solar under Power Lines? http://cleantechnica.com/2011/10/17/could-u-s-get-20-of-electricity-from-solar-under-power-lines/ Clean Tech News & Views: Solar Energy News. Wind Energy News. EV News. & More. Tue, 30 Dec 2014 09:26:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=4.0.1 By: John Farrell http://cleantechnica.com/2011/10/17/could-u-s-get-20-of-electricity-from-solar-under-power-lines/#comment-105806 Thu, 20 Oct 2011 19:50:00 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=31452#comment-105806 Bob,

Good point about rooftops. You can see a map of the potential for rooftop solar to serve U.S. electric demand by state here: http://energyselfreliantstates.org/content/graphics-report-democratizing-electricity-system

]]> By: Matthew Peffly http://cleantechnica.com/2011/10/17/could-u-s-get-20-of-electricity-from-solar-under-power-lines/#comment-105655 Mon, 17 Oct 2011 21:24:00 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=31452#comment-105655 Power lines don’t buy the land. The get a right of way easement. The lines pass over homes, backyards, and farmer fields. So the only thing this post should have said is that there is land under the wires were for sure all the trees have been cut down. NOT that any of it can be used for solar. The only land they buy is right under the tower itself. So I guess you could hang panels on those. But you calculation should have been based on number of towers not the amount of land with a easement on it. That is like take all the roads in the US and say hey all home developments have a 15 ft setback easement on them. Put panels in them and we get all the energy we need. Oh wait that puts them in your front yard, and the white house front yard, and in everyone’s yard and parking lot.

Why not go easier, keep the 30% tax credit. Drop the $80Billion a year to oil/coal (see earlier post on support to oil/coal version wind/solar), Add a 10% cash payment to anyone who adds a roof top, or parking lot top PV system. Require all US power company to provide Net metering hook in one month or pay 5% of PV system cost/month until hook up is approved or 20 months which ever comes first.

]]> By: Anonymous http://cleantechnica.com/2011/10/17/could-u-s-get-20-of-electricity-from-solar-under-power-lines/#comment-105651 Mon, 17 Oct 2011 20:32:00 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=31452#comment-105651 Great idea. It’s land that’s cleared anyway.

]]> By: Anonymous http://cleantechnica.com/2011/10/17/could-u-s-get-20-of-electricity-from-solar-under-power-lines/#comment-105644 Mon, 17 Oct 2011 19:17:00 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=31452#comment-105644 A couple of issues. 1) Shade. As the sun moves through the sky panels under transmission lines are going to be shaded by lines and towers. 2) Transmission distance. Much of the high voltage line system runs through quite remote areas.

Don’t we have enough existing rooftops and parking lots close to where the power would be used?

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