The sun works hard in the West

©2015 Lydia Hinshaw

Solar parking lot shelters

 TUCSON, AZ -- At the local YMCA here, and at a large city recreation center we visited recently in Santa Fe, NM, we were surprised to find covered parking areas.

 When we looked more closely, we discovered that the covered parking wasn't just to prevent folks from burning their hands when trying to get back into their cars after a workout, which is a risk this time of year.

 The shade is being provided by solar panels, which provide power to the buildings they serve.  At the Y here, there are three rows of covered parking, though the uncovered parking is popular too -- it's closer to the building.

 We'll take the shade.  The uphill walk to the Y is just a bonus workout.