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
Study: Midwest Property Values Unaffected by Nearby Solar Farms
Despite concerns that solar projects could lower property values, new research finds they actually rose slightly in areas near utility-scale solar installations.
New Jersey Agrivoltaic Project Combines Solar Energy With Farming
A Rutgers University-New Brunswick demonstration farm will evaluate solar array designs to understand how they can best support grazing and agriculture on the same site.
How Renewable Projects Are Threatening a Crucial Carbon Sink
The sprawling Mojave Desert plays a key role in carbon sequestration, storing around 10 percent of California’s carbon. But the fragile ecosystem is threatened by large-scale renewable energy projects.
National Parks Layoffs Will Cause Communities to Lose Billions
Thousands of essential park workers were laid off this week, just before the busy spring break season.
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A master-planned community north of Houston offers lessons on green infrastructure and resilient design, but falls short of its founder’s lofty affordability and walkability goals.
Delivering for America Plan Will Downgrade Mail Service in at Least 49.5 Percent of Zip Codes
Republican and Democrat lawmakers criticize the plan for its disproportionate negative impact on rural communities.
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Balancing Bombs and Butterflies: How the National Guard Protects a Rare Species
The National Guard at Fort Indiantown Gap uses GIS technology and land management strategies to balance military training with conservation efforts, ensuring the survival of the rare eastern regal fritillary butterfly.
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.
EMC Planning Group, Inc.
Planetizen
Planetizen
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service