Belgian zoo launches large solar panel parking lot

Belgium's Pairi Daiza zoo has built a huge photovoltaic parking lot in a bid to fight global warming, reported Xinhua.

More than 62,000 overhead solar panels have been installed in the parking lot, covering an area of over 100,000 square meters, the zoo said in a press release.

Out of a total of around 7,000 parking spaces, more than 80 percent are covered by the panels, making it "the largest photovoltaic carport in the world," said the zoo.

With a total power of 20 megawatt peak (MWp), the facility is expected to produce 20,000 megawatt-hours (MWh) annually -- far more than the zoo's current electricity needs.

The surplus green energy produced by the panels could be used to power electric cars, since the parking lot will be equipped with charging stations. It may also be fed back into the public network.