Solar carports are increasingly popular for charging electric vehicles (EVs) in public and private parking areas. Solar carports and solar canopies offer protection from UV light and precipitation and provide convenient charging stations for EVs. They can also provide energy to be pumped into nearby businesses, homes or the local utility grid.

Solar carports use the same technology to generate solar energy as a typical ground-mounted or rooftop system. Like ground or roof-mounted solar panels, a solar carport converts the energy of photons (light particles) into electricity, a process called the photovoltaic effect. When a photon hits a solar panel, its energy causes electrons to flow throughout the solar cells, producing an electric current. The resulting electricity is direct current (DC) power, which is commonly used in battery-operated devices. For household or commercial use, this current is converted into alternating current (AC) with an inverter.

Though solar carports utilize the same technology as other solar configurations, they offer several key benefits. First, solar carports require zero additional land, taking advantage of wasted real estate above a parking space. Second, because solar carports are installed higher than ground-mounted systems, they allow optimal orientation to get the most of the sun’s rays.Solar carports offer a more efficient and unobtrusive way to gather energy from the sun when compared to ground-mounted systems. If space is an issue for your home or business, a solar carport is a great way to cash in on clean energy in the most efficient way possible.

Like rooftop or ground-mounted solar, solar carport costs vary depending on the type of solar panel you choose, how much power you want to generate, how much space you want to cover and more. A commercial solar carport, for example, usually spans one to three rows of vehicles, with many spanning as many as a dozen or more. Commercial solar carports almost always require steel construction, a further cost to installation. But while they come with multimillion-dollar price tags, they also provide multimillion-dollar benefits.

Types of Solar Carport

Single Cantilever

A single cantilever combines efficient energy production with lower build costs. Generally, this approach provides shade cover for a single parking row.

Double Cantilever

A double incline cantilever is generally used to provide shade for two parking rows. The tilt can be easily optimized for maximum sunlight capture.

Garage

A garage top canopy can generally be incorporated into new or existing garage structures, depending on unique facility factors. In many cases, a garage canopy can be oriented for maximum sunlight capture regardless of structure orientation.

Long Span

Each structure features a single contiguous PV-covered canopy, maximizing energy production while providing shade for multiple parking rows.

Y-Shaped

A Y-shaped cantilever provides high-energy production while directing water runoff to the center of the structure.

Custom Steel Structures for Solar Carports