Installing solar carports on your commercial parking lots can be an excellent substitute for installing solar panels on roofs or other undeveloped areas, especially if the latter has constraints.
A solar canopy solution is highly flexible, simple to construct, and an affordable solar carport mounting system. Solar carports are the most adaptable solution available in the market. They offer single, double, and big-span choices.
These advantages make solar carports the most viable technology trend and a practical renewable energy resource. We will discuss how commercial solar carports are advantageous for businesses.
What are Commercial Solar Carports?
Solar carports are one of the fastest-growing trends in the solar industry. These are ground-mounted solar panels built above parking lots. The benefit of a carport is that it enables installers to position the panels so that sunlight is exposed at the best angle possible.
Since an existing parking lot is being used, solar carports don’t require any extra space. As a result, they provide practical use of available space and have significant long-term financial and environmental advantages. Additionally, they typically output greater power due to the lack of space restrictions.
Carports with solar panels are canopies that cover parking spaces and have solar panels installed to harvest sunlight. They are widely used in large commercial parking lots for charging cars.
Similar technology is used in solar panel carports in conventional rooftop panels. The energy generated by the solar panels is transformed into alternating current and then sent to the grid’s electricity supply.
Benefits of Commercial Solar Carports
There is no denying that the solar energy industry is booming right now, with new businesses popping up everywhere. You may visit a solar company because you have heard about the benefits solar energy provides or have read an article listing the advantages of commercial solar systems online.
Commercial carports consume solar energy produced by the sun and provide electricity to businesses. A solar carport is a covered structure where you can keep your car, and it protects it from other elements while providing an electricity supply to your car to charge it.
A commercial solar carport is made of stainless steel and can be placed on a concrete foundation. The solar panels are fastened to the carport’s roof, making it a solar system for cars.
When working with the panels, consider the amount of room available. The clearance beneath the carport structure must be sufficient to provide unrestricted passage of vehicles and other machinery. However, if you set it too high, you run the risk of unnecessarily driving up the cost of your project.
The clearance height that is suitable for your property will be determined by the types of vehicles you wish to park and pass beneath the solar canopy. Here are some benefits of commercial solar carports:
1. Maximizes the Available Space
Even when no automobiles are on the lot, parking spaces can take up a lot of room and, in some cases, offer nothing useful to that space. Enterprises can use the space for various reasons, like commercial solar panel installation for cars or other purposes.
Commercial solar carports make the best use of the limited space available by transforming empty areas into stunning art pieces and energy-generating machines, all while preserving the environment. This enhances the value of the space and makes better use of it.
2. Installation Process is Simple
These solar panels are simple to set up in any parking lot because they can be raised higher from the ground. Solar carports can be used in any space, unlike other equipment requiring considerable planning when installing it on a business property. Because of this, the procedure is relatively simple. It also permits effective space utilization without obstructing anything.
3. Provides Protection From Sun Exposure
Customers and employees can be sure that in the scorching heat, their car will be waiting for them when they return, whether they leave it for a few hours or all day. This is crucial when it is extremely hot outside, and you are getting into a car at that moment. Commercial solar carports shield automobiles from the intense sunlight, making it simple for your staff and consumers to come back.
Solar carports give businesses access to solar energy as well as a safe place to park their cars. For instance, the carport will shield the vehicle from the elements during bad weather, such as snow or scorching sunlight.
On particularly hot days, the cool shades shield the automobile from the heat, perhaps saving on gasoline. They can help with rainwater collecting along with providing shade for your car.
4. Federal Incentives Reduce Costs
The Department of Energy supports environmental improvement initiatives and funds creative research projects contributing to the global integration of additional solar energy. Businesses can receive financial incentives for upgrading to solar energy.
Commercial solar panel installation is also included in that incentive package. A firm can deduct a portion of the cost of the system as a solar investment tax credit from their income tax. That implies that you receive help with some of the installation expenses.
5. Environmental Advantages
Commercial solar carports are helpful in all kinds of weather, including rain, hail, and those annoying lightning storms in the summer. People don’t always have to stay inside during more intense weather; they can go about their daily lives under a solar carport.
6. Enhance the Appearance of Commercial Real Estate
Commercial solar carports are beneficial for your building’s outside design. The solar carport’s large canopies blend well with your commercial building’s current design to improve the overall appeal. In some circumstances, company owners can alter the canopy’s design to blend in with the architecture of the building.
7. Improves the Reputation of Your Business
Many people enjoy taking all the necessary steps to preserve the environment. Given that more individuals are supporting causes that promote sustainability, it stands to reason that they would support a company that follows suit.
Being environmentally friendly now is unquestionably a wonderful idea; when people are aware of this, they will support you. Commercial solar panels are a fantastic method to protect the environment and practice sustainability. Your team members and clients will value this initiative, and some new clients might choose you over your competitors.
8. EV Charging Stations
One of the best things about commercial solar carports is that they are the best option for their energy source as electric cars become more accessible and common on the roads. Solar carports can be combined with EV charging options. This increases the likelihood that customers and staff will integrate with your business and make an alliance.
9. Enhanced Safety
Traditional rooftop solar panels are more challenging to handle and install than commercial solar carports. Working around the requirements of a parking lot is simpler than rearranging a rooftop. You may also adjust the panels for the best solar angle to impact more power and save more money.
10. Adaptable
A solar panel carport can be utilized to meet a business’ requirements. The business owner can design every aspect of a project, from size to style, which generates quick returns and starts generating cash flow immediately.
11. Reduce Carbon Footprint
By constructing a solar carport, your company can have environmentally and socially responsible operations. A sustainable company can create an atmosphere where its staff members are highly engaged and motivated. Additionally, customers often appreciate businesses that are dedicated to sustainability.
12. Maintains Comfort
Solar carports are far less challenging to maintain than you might think regarding servicing and weather issues. Since solar carports can direct rain and snow away from automobiles, they make it simpler to manage parking lots.
Furthermore, it reduces the amount of ice present and improves navigation in that area. The solar panels are very accessible and require little work to maintain if they ever need it.
Depending on the carport’s design, it may be able to direct rain and snow to specific locations, which lowers the cost of removal and maintenance. This can also make the parking lot safer during the winter by reducing the quantity of ice in the parking area.
13. Reduces Cost of Electricity
A solar carport can help protect against growing utility expenses by cutting energy bills and making them more predictable. Electricity costs are unpredictable and subject to rate rises. A solar system stabilizes a company’s cash flow and makes it possible to use the savings on energy to fund various initiatives within the business or group.
14. More Efficient Power Generation
How you install your commercial solar panel for your carport is also essential and what the angle would be. The installation angle of commercial solar panels significantly impacts the amount of sunlight exposure affecting energy output.
There are restrictions on how much the panels can be tilted or even how they can be fastened for roof installations. On the other hand, solar carports are flexible and can be constructed to maximize exposure to the sun and energy output.
Contact Coldwell Solar for Commercial Solar Carports
Solar carports offer better efficiency and can be desirable for most businesses. If you value a cleaner, more comfortable car, clear windscreens, and the extra benefit of renewable energy, a solar carport is one of the best multi-purpose infrastructure improvements money can buy.
Like rooftop or ground-mounted solar panels, solar carports absorb photons from the sun and convert them into useful electrons. These electrons are then sent to an inverter, where they are transformed into AC electricity for use in the grid.
If you want to install commercial solar carports, contact Coldwell Solar for detailed information.
