EPCOT Solar field and parking

[sixbagelboy]

This may sound like an odd question, but wouldn't have made sense when Disney built their massive solar field by EPCOT to build it over the EPCOT parking lot? It would keep the cars cooler, keep the people out of the elements, and they didn't have to clear any land. It would have fit right in with what EPCOT stands for - technology and being innovative. Just a thought.

 

[Hakunamatata]

This may sound like an odd question, but wouldn't have made sense when Disney built their massive solar field by EPCOT to build it over the EPCOT parking lot? It would keep the cars cooler, keep the people out of the elements, and they didn't have to clear any land. It would have fit right in with what EPCOT stands for - technology and being innovative. Just a thought.

And would have been much more expensive. Further if/when a tornado hits that area you would have not only nonfunctional solar panels you would also have a nonfunctional parking lot.

 

[Master Yoda]

This was discussed a good bit when the solar farm was under construction.

The cost to build over the parking lot would have been much more expensive than building over the land they chose. They also were not required to alter the layout to fit with traffic patterns and the probability of a car smashing into rather expensive solar panels and their mounting system is near zero in their current location.

Much like a parking lot vs parking garage, the only reason you put solar panels on a roof or over a parking lot is when space is a concern and you don't have a dedicated location they can be installed.

 

[sixbagelboy]

That makes sense. Thanks for the replies.

 

[lazyboy97o]

You also would have had to rip up the parking lot to run the power lines to the new panels.

I do find it disappointing that things like the Big Blue Box are not designed with future rooftop solar in mind. Theme parks have a lot of big flat roofs.

 

[Victor Kelly]

They make roof maintenance a nightmare.

 

[Master Yoda]

They make roof maintenance a nightmare.

This^^^

One sure-fire way to create a roof leak is to drive a few hundred screws through every layer of water protection.

 

[Victor Kelly]

This^^^

One sure-fire way to create a roof leak is to drive a few hundred screws through every layer of water protection.

Yeah something they dont tell homeowners or businesses when they put solar in. If I ever did solar it would be ground based with sun trackers.

 

[lazyboy97o]

They make roof maintenance a nightmare.

This^^^

One sure-fire way to create a roof leak is to drive a few hundred screws through every layer of water protection.

I said “designed” for a reason. Attachment points could be located above the roof membrane and the penetrations detailed just like all of the other structural penetrations provided on a theme park roof.

 

[Victor Kelly]

Then how does maintenance of the stuff mounted on a roof get serviced? I have neighbors that got new roofs before solar was installed have multiple leaks during rain days without fail. So much for any planning.

As for commercial structures the stuff you see on the roof is not directly bolted down through the roof. Instead the HVAC units are mounted on raised sections of the roof and the units are placed around these lips the mounted to the lips on the roof.

The lunacy of putting fasteners through a roof to mount anything is lost upon me. Especially when workers are not known for caring abour quality of work.

 

[Smiley/OCD]

I just wrote about this in another thread...here in NJ, Six Flags/Great Adventure wanted to clear approx. 92 acres to build their solar farm...environmentalists complained and took them to court, and SFGA agreed to reduce the deforestation to 40 acres and built the rest of the panels over the parking lots. Solar now powers almost 98% of the electricity it needs on a daily basis. I agree with the OP, Disney should install solar panels over ALL of the parking lots. If Six Flags can do it (and they usually don't do much right), there's no reason why WDW couldn't complete this project. Yeah, the field is attention getting, shaped like Mickey, but just think of all the positive press they would have garnered with the amount of electricity made with the massive solar panel project in all the lots. I just think it was a missed opportunity. Hopefully, it's an idea they might consider at a future time.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Then how does maintenance of the stuff mounted on a roof get serviced? I have neighbors that got new roofs before solar was installed have multiple leaks during rain days without fail. So much for any planning.

As for commercial structures the stuff you see on the roof is not directly bolted down through the roof. Instead the HVAC units are mounted on raised sections of the roof and the units are placed around these lips the mounted to the lips on the roof.

The lunacy of putting fasteners through a roof to mount anything is lost upon me. Especially when workers are not known for caring abour quality of work.

Again, I said nothing about fastening right into a roof membrane. The frame onto which an HVAC unit is mounted attaches to structure underneath the roof. You need a hole in the roof membrane for that to work. You also need to penetrate the roof for HVAC ducts, fall protection anchors, pipes of various sorts, and structure to support scenic elements like rock work. The added cost of structure and coordination is the main reason it is not done, not the issue of penetrations.

 

[Master Yoda]

Again, I said nothing about fastening right into a roof membrane. The frame onto which an HVAC unit is mounted attaches to structure underneath the roof. You need a hole in the roof membrane for that to work. You also need to penetrate the roof for HVAC ducts, fall protection anchors, pipes of various sorts, and structure to support scenic elements like rock work. The added cost of structure and coordination is the main reason it is not done, not the issue of penetrations.

You just outlined about 90% of the locations that you check when looking for a roof leak.

Any penetration is a potential leak and a good building designer does their best to keep them to a minimum.

 

[lazyboy97o]

You just outlined about 90% of the locations that you check when looking for a roof leak.

Any penetration is a potential leak and a good building designer does their best to keep them to a minimum.

I’m well aware of their potential problems, but again, attraction facilities are no stranger to having many penetrations. Solar is not planned so that it is easy to fill the roof with other stuff, not to avoid roof-top equipment.

 

[dreamfinder]

I just wrote about this in another thread...here in NJ, Six Flags/Great Adventure wanted to clear approx. 92 acres to build their solar farm...environmentalists complained and took them to court, and SFGA agreed to reduce the deforestation to 40 acres and built the rest of the panels over the parking lots. Solar now powers almost 98% of the electricity it needs on a daily basis. I agree with the OP, Disney should install solar panels over ALL of the parking lots. If Six Flags can do it (and they usually don't do much right), there's no reason why WDW couldn't complete this project. Yeah, the field is attention getting, shaped like Mickey, but just think of all the positive press they would have garnered with the amount of electricity made with the massive solar panel project in all the lots. I just think it was a missed opportunity. Hopefully, it's an idea they might consider at a future time.

Remember that many Six Flags are closed for half the year. (No idea if SFGA is) Assuming it is, that gives you plenty of time to rip up/repave/install solar panels without inconveniencing anyone.

While rooftop/parking lot solar is better than cutting new flat spaces, what WDW has done is no slouch. I believe that the latest 270 acre solar project alone provided enough power for 2 of the theme parks, or 25% of the WDW energy use at any given time.

 

[Smiley/OCD]

Remember that many Six Flags are closed for half the year. (No idea if SFGA is) Assuming it is, that gives you plenty of time to rip up/repave/install solar panels without inconveniencing anyone.

While rooftop/parking lot solar is better than cutting new flat spaces, what WDW has done is no slouch. I believe that the latest 270 acre solar project alone provided enough power for 2 of the theme parks, or 25% of the WDW energy use at any given time.

The solar panels over the lots were started in early 2018 and are built over the water park (Hurricane Harbor), employee and overflow guest parking.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Remember that many Six Flags are closed for half the year. (No idea if SFGA is) Assuming it is, that gives you plenty of time to rip up/repave/install solar panels without inconveniencing anyone.

While rooftop/parking lot solar is better than cutting new flat spaces, what WDW has done is no slouch. I believe that the latest 270 acre solar project alone provided enough power for 2 of the theme parks, or 25% of the WDW energy use at any given time.

Since 2015, Six Flags Great Adventure is only closed for about three, cold months.

 

[Hank Hill]

The technology is changing so fast the last few years for solar. The solar roadways are not cheap or efficient yet, but in a few years could prove to be a good alternative. Maybe it was discussed that at some point a different viable way to use the parking lots would be available and the cheaper option at this time was chosen.

 

[Master Yoda]

The technology is changing so fast the last few years for solar. The solar roadways are not cheap or efficient yet, but in a few years could prove to be a good alternative. Maybe it was discussed that at some point a different viable way to use the parking lots would be available and the cheaper option at this time was chosen.

Solar roads were actually shown to be an abysmal failure. They might be a thing sometime in the distant future, but right now there are much more promising solar technologies to invest in.

The World's First Solar Road Has Officially Crumbled Into a Total Failure

In July, the French daily newspaper Le Monde reported that the 0.6-mile (1 kilometre) solar road was a fiasco.

www.sciencealert.com

 

[Hank Hill]

Solar roads were actually shown to be an abysmal failure. They might be a thing sometime in the distant future, but right now there are much more promising solar technologies to invest in.

The World's First Solar Road Has Officially Crumbled Into a Total Failure

In July, the French daily newspaper Le Monde reported that the 0.6-mile (1 kilometre) solar road was a fiasco.

www.sciencealert.com

That road was installed 3 years ago and was the first attempt. In that time, the tech has changed quite a bit, and several companies are investing and developing solar roads. I could see it being viable enough in the next decade to be used commercially. Especially in Florida on a parking lot that has no semi trucks driving at highway speeds and few leaves.

December 17, 1903, Orville Wright piloted the first powered airplane 20 feet above a wind-swept beach in North Carolina. The flight lasted 12 seconds and covered 120 feet. Tony Jannus conducted the United States' first scheduled commercial airline flight on 1 January 1914. The 23-minute flight traveled between St. Petersburg, Florida and Tampa, Florida...... Things can change really fast.