Most people think, and most analysis occurs, in a stove-piped fashion — thinking of issues in channels of problem and solution without consideration of second- and third-order effects. Difficult in conception and more costly in resources (whether brain cells, time or cash), narrow and constrained thinking often fosters (not just far from optimal but) simply bad decisions. This is true across virtually all of human existence. The energy arena is far from an exception to this problem. From not considering lifetime electricity use when buying Christmas lights to using the “commodity” price rather than delivered cost (“fully burdened cost of fuel“) in military procurement decisions to only discussing energy-savings returns off insulation or new windows without talking about comfort or health benefits in the house to ignoring the productivity benefits from greening workplaces (and schools), the limited nature of thinking when it comes to energy and environmental issues is hard to exaggerate. (And, of course, these are only benefits “within the decision maker” rather than all the externalities — both benefits and costs — that are left out of the economic transitions.) The all-too-often limited lens restricts us (all of us) to sub-optimal or simply wrong decisions.

Thinking about solar carports provides a window on this issue.

A recent email correspondence with a top-notch scientist provides a window on the challenge of thinking narrowly vs. the difficulty (but greater accuracy) of broader analysis. In discussions related to the solar-roadways concept, we had the following exchange about solar carports.

A more inexpensive and less industrial looking option

This business and Car Covers and Shelter has now introduced a solar ready carport available in Skillion or Gable carport design. These are the strongest and best value carports available in Australia and unlike almost all others available – they are truly up to Australian Standard and strong enough to retro fit solar panels of your choice on the roof.

This cannot be done with almost all carports currently available in Australia, which, in most cases have false certification stating that they are up to Australian Standard. The Professional Choice range is not only guaranteed to be to Australian Standard but strong enough to retro fit solar panels. Thousands of dollars can be saved by using professional choice and ‘converting’ the roof to solar.