Duggan proposes solar panels on Detroit's vacant land

[Rocket]

I thought about vandalism as well.

One solution is that you don't install panels at ground level. You suspend them about seventy feet above ground level on stilts made of angle iron.

That would work, but it would also quadruple the cost. Think about how strong that structure would have to be to have 3,200 sq feet of what are essentially sails, up at 70', and have that structure not fall over in a 180 mph wind? [In 2008 we had a storm with 1-minute sustained wind speeds of 144 mph, and 3-second gusts of 184 mph].

If the panels are mounted at a 45 degree angle, that gives a force of 196,000 pounds,.. SIDEWAYS, at 70 FEET in the air. The moment-arm of that at ground level is colossal. The structure would essentially be twice the strength ot the steel structure of a Costco building, and with a substantial cement footing. Half of that ground area would need to be massive cement casings.

Also, workers will need to get up there often to wash the panels, so there would need to be walkways around and in-between the panels, and a water supply, ladder etc. And even all that doesn't protect from hail damage, though we don't usually get really big hail here.

On top of commercial buildings is the only viable solution, and that comes with the additional expense of having to take down the panels when the roofs get replaced. So businesses would need to be paid to install a new roof right before the solar, and then they can throw away the roof and the solar panels every 20 years together.

Residents of each neighborhood could contribute by feeding one or two guard dogs who in turn could keep the residents safe.

...they certainly can be trained to keep junkies and drug dealers away from their designated neighborhood.

That's a liability nightmare. If the dogs are chained up so they can't bite the druggies, then the druggies will ignore them. If the dogs ARE allowed to bite, then whomever is in control of the dogs will be sued for millions.