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Solar Powered Parking Meters
New solar powered parking meters were installed in three country parks across Aberdeenshire in September 2001:
- Aden Country Park in Mintlaw
- Balmedie Country Park
- Haughton Country Park in Alford
At each site three parking meters were placed, one powered from the mains and the remaining two, sourced from solar power.
The presence of a mains powered parking meter ensured the availability of one functioning meter in the event of a lack of light to power the remaining two. Yet, despite this precaution, the solar powered parking meters proved more efficient and reliable than the mains powered one. No problems have been encountered within the past year and initial worries over insufficient light to power the machines have been unsubstantiated.
The solar powered parking meters run by means of an internal battery. The solar panels, located on top of the machine, are used to charge up the battery during the light periods and therefore, the energy collected is stored by the battery until demand arises.
Both the mains and solar powered machines are designed to the same specifications. The only difference remains in the source of power used to operate the parking meters.
