From November, a new law in South Korea will require all parking lots with 80 or more cars to be equipped with solar canopies. The measure applies to both new and existing parking lots across the country and is aimed at advancing renewable energy.
According to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the initiative will not only increase solar generation, but also create jobs in the construction sector. Solar canopies protect cars from heat and bad weather, reduce the battery drain of electric vehicles, and can be combined with charging stations.
South Korea is among the first countries to implement such an initiative at the national level. But interest in this approach is also growing elsewhere. In Arizona, a solar canopy that produces more than one million kilowatt-hours a year is already operating, and in New York, commercial sites have been opened for installing panels and charging stations.
With different deadlines and area thresholds, similar national requirements to install solar panels in parking lots are already in force in France and Slovenia. Even an ordinary parking lot can become a step toward an eco-friendly future.
