The California city spent years cultivating an urban forest for shade and cooling benefits, which now presents a unique challenge to tapping the area's solar potential. A new company has a solution.
To meet local demand for renewable energy, CleanPath Ventures plans to create a solar farm outside of the city limits, from which Davis homeowners can buy "garden plots" with their own photovoltaic panels. The system allows homeowners, who would otherwise need to install panels on their roofs, to keep their shade-making trees. Todd Woody notes that there are also economies of scale benefits that come with providing power from a centralized location.
Homeowners would even be able to keep their plot if they move within Davis, says Matt Cheney, founder of CleanPath ventures:
"If you moved down the block, you'd take the electricity production with you just like if you make an investment in a community garden, wherever you live you'll benefit from what's grown in the garden."
FULL STORY: The Benefits of Solar With the Beauty of Trees
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Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
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Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions