Should DisneyLand Go Solar???

[Walt Jr.]

All it takes is a look at google earth to see how much surface area there is on the many show buildings and tops of facades at Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure.

Which leads me to this idea, Disney should consider putting Solar Panels on the tops of their show buildings. Considering the heat energy of Southern California and the mass amount of space on the top of every show building in the resort, this could work.

The amount of energy provided could be enough to account for a ton of the resort's overall electricity, making Disney a step ahead in going green.

Opinions anyone?

[Peoplemover Priit]

Yes. Absolutely. Positively. I'm all for it. It seems kind of stupid without them.

[Dlandclub33]

I think they should I was thinkin bout this a few years ago in DCA around halloween time at ToT and I saw the bat entry thing at ToT outside had Solor Panels

[The Disneylander]

It's definitely a very good idea. However, as with most other alternative fuel technologies, it's simply uneconomical-at least until the price of the solar panels dip down a bit.

[Walt Jr.]

I still wonder though with the amount of electricity disney uses and pays for, if in the long term, the amount of savings would override the cost and then some.

[Alex E]

That would be awesome if they could make it work.

[firebolt413]

This sounds like a great idea, but it's unconventional since solar technology only captures energy through sunlight. Now, what happens when it gets cloudy? It could take years for Disney to store enough energy for DL and DCA combined. There is, however, a new technology called Nanosolar which is actually made of a type of aluminum that captures and stores more than twice the amount of solar energy more efficiently then current solar tech. If Disney is to "go green," then they should incorporate this nanosolar into all their parks since it's not too expensive... well at least it's cheaper than normal solar panels. I am almost 16, so then again, who would listen to a 16 year old... right?

[dl1955pounds]

If it will save them money compared to paying for utilities by Edison, yes.

If it will be such a successful marketing tool that it offsets the cost of existing marketing campaigns, yes.

Otherwise, no. Disneyland is a theme park, not an alternative energy company.

[Dustysage]

I'd love to see Disney start down this path. Get the marketing buzz out of it and set a plan for adding solar and other renewable energy sources to the park over time.

The solar industry is really starting to mature. So many new technologies are on the way. Solar film will allow you to put a nearly clear film over windows which turns sunlight into energy! Traditional Solar panels are becoming more efficient, and technologies like ethanol and fuel cells could one day power moving vehicles at Disneyland.

The Disney Company has always been a technology leader. I'd love to see them get more involved with these sorts of technologies as well.

[Uncle Bob]

There's some problems with roof mounting panels in terms of reparing the roof too. Lots of potential leak problems. I have strongly supported their addition on steel structures at the roofs of the parking garages and other parking areas because in those locations they can also act as carports and are a nice amenity. Eventually though they should certainly look at more options, but the panel efficiencies do need to improve. In terms of the power supply they would not use their power as its created, it can simply be dumped into the grid and that much power will come off Disney's bill. They wouldn't be providing their own power all the time or be "off the grid." I'm pretty sure with current technology they would not be able to come remotely close to filling all their power needs if they covered every square foot of the resort with panels.

[dl_appurtenant]

Yeah, they definitely should. At least some of the way.

[wanderw1]

at the moment solar panels take 30 years to pay off and often take more energy to make then they collect in their lifetime. disney would be much better served in the going green effort to sort all there garbage, use only recyclable or compost-able food trays and replace their plants with drought resistant plants.

[RumRunner31]

Some small spots in the park are already solar powered - the lights on all the international map kiosks are solar charged. You can see the panels on top of the boxes pretty easily. But as many people have already pointed out, it's not nearly as economical/functional large-scale as it is small-scale.

[mrfantasmic]

Originally Posted by dl1955pounds

If it will save them money compared to paying for utilities by Edison, yes.

The City of Anaheim actually owns its own utilities.

[RumRunner31]

Originally Posted by mrfantasmic

The City of Anaheim actually owns its own utilities.

And they're uber-cheap! YAY!