Solar photovoltaic (PV) technology represents a promising method to prevent dangerous global climate change, however full solar penetration demands substantial surface areas, possibly encroaching on arable land. To avoid repeating the mistakes of previous attempts to convert agricultural land to energy, arable land currently used for crops with known health hazards can be considered for conversion. Tobacco is the leading cause of avoidable death globally, and despite increasingly stringent controls on tobacco, economics provides an incentive to continue tobacco production. However, with the economics of PV ever improving, this study investigates the potential economic benefits of photovoltaic conversion of farms during tobacco's decline. This study analyzes key factors influencing conventional tobacco farming economics in the U.S. over a sensitivity of realistic future values. Then tobacco crop profit is compared to a sensitivity analysis covering the profits of solar PV farming on the same land. The results show that considering existing electric prices, escalation rates, and installed costs, PV farm substitution for tobacco farming makes economic sense in many U.S. cases already. In a case study of North Carolina, 30GW of PV power capacity was found to be economically viable on existing tobacco farms and if conversion took place over 2,000 premature deaths could be prevented from pollution reduction alone. This meets the State's peak summer loads. Land use policies are discussed to facilitate such land use conversions for the benefit of the economy, the environment and human health.

Solar photovoltaic (PV) technology can provide sustainable power for the growing global population in cities, but it demands considerable land area. This is a challenge for densely populated cities. However, the stranded assets of non-productive parking lots areas can be converted to solar farms with PV canopies, enabling sustainable electricity generation while preserving their function to park automobiles. This study provides a method for determining the technical and economic potential for converting a national scale retail company's parking lot area to a solar farm. First, the parking lot area for the company is determined and divided into zones based upon solar flux using virtual maps. Then the potential PV yield in each zone is calculated. A sensitivity analysis is performed on the price per unit power installed, solar energy production as a proxy for conversion efficiency, electricity rates and revenue earned per unit area. To demonstrate this method, analysis of Walmart Supercenters, USA is presented as a case study. The results show solar canopies for parking lot areas are a profitable as well a responsible step in most locations and there is significant potential for sustainable energy deployment in cities by other similar retailers using solar PV canopies. Resumo: A tecnologia solar fotovoltaica (PV) pode fornecer energia sustentável para a crescente população global nas cidades, mas exige área de terra considerável. Este é um desafio para cidades densamente povoadas. No entanto, os ativos encalhados de áreas não produtivas de lotes de estacionamento podem ser convertidos em fazendas solares com coberturas fotovoltaicas, permitindo a geração sustentável de eletricidade, preservando sua função de estacionar automóveis. Este estudo fornece um método para determinar o potencial técnico e econômico para converter a área de estacionamento de uma empresa de varejo em escala nacional em uma fazenda solar. Primeiro, a área de estacionamento da empresa é determinada e dividida em zonas baseadas no fluxo solar usando mapas virtuais. Em seguida, calcula-se o rendimento potencial de PV em cada zona. Uma análise de sensibilidade é realizada sobre o preço por unidade de energia instalada, a produção de energia solar como um Proxy ou tentativa para avaliar a eficiência de conversão, as taxas de electricidade e as receitas obtidas por unidade de área. Para demonstrar este método, uma análise de supermercados Walmart nos Estados e utilizado como um estudo de caso. Os resultados mostram que telhados solares para áreas de estacionamento são rentáveis e representam uma inicativa responsável na maioria dos locais, e há um potencial significativo para a implantação de energia sustentável em cidades por outros varejistas semelhantes usando telhados solares fotovoltaicos.

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Solar photovoltaic (PV) technology represents a promising method to prevent dangerous global climate change, however full solar penetration demands substantial surface areas, possibly encroaching on arable land. To avoid repeating the mistakes of previous attempts to convert agricultural land to energy, arable land currently used for crops with known health hazards can be considered for conversion. Tobacco is the leading cause of avoidable death globally, and despite increasingly stringent controls on tobacco, economics provides an incentive to continue tobacco production. However, with the economics of PV ever improving, this study investigates the potential economic benefits of photovoltaic conversion of farms during tobacco's decline. This study analyzes key factors influencing conventional tobacco farming economics in the U.S. over a sensitivity of realistic future values. Then tobacco crop profit is compared to a sensitivity analysis covering the profits of solar PV farming on the same land. The results show that considering existing electric prices, escalation rates, and installed costs, PV farm substitution for tobacco farming makes economic sense in many U.S. cases already. In a case study of North Carolina, 30GW of PV power capacity was found to be economically viable on existing tobacco farms and if conversion took place over 2,000 premature deaths could be prevented from pollution reduction alone. This meets the State's peak summer loads. Land use policies are discussed to facilitate such land use conversions for the benefit of the economy, the environment and human health.