As a recent WashU graduate who lived on the Loop, I’m certain that this solar canopy will deliver big benefits to St. Louis’ people and businesses. Clean energy projects like rooftop solar help us get off of polluting fossil fuels, which makes a big difference in protecting St. Louis’ air and water. Putting solar panels on the building’s parking lot will also play a role in keeping the lights on in the event of a power outage.
Hopefully, Delmar DivINe’s solar parking lot is just the start. The advocacy group Environment Missouri recently launched a campaign calling on big box stores like Walmart to install solar panels on all of their viable roofs and parking lots. Doing so could generate enough clean electricity to power almost 8 million average American homes, and would have the same climate impact of taking 11.3 million cars off the road. We can’t pass that opportunity up. From nonprofits on Delmar Blvd. to the Walmart in Brentwood, every big, flat, unobstructed roof and parking lot should have solar panels.
