Reading this guide on How to Build a Solar Carport gives you the basis for understanding which type of solar carport best suits your needs. Because we all know that switching to solar energy allows you to achieve significant savings on your bill. As well as reducing emissions and helping the environment. But to have a return on your investment in a few years you must maximize the energy efficiency of your solar canopy. So you have to choose the size of the solar system based on the useful space and your electricity consumption. Then you have to pay attention to the inclination of the photovoltaic panels to optimize exposure to the sun during the different seasons.
Advantages of Residential Solar Carport
The installation of a solar carport with photovoltaic panels represents an advantageous solution from several points of view. From an environmental point of view you have the production of electricity without CO2 emissions. From a cost point of view you have a significant saving on your electricity bill which can reach zero if your solar canopy is large. Last but not least, the solar carport protects your car from the sun’s rays and rain. So now that you’ve convinced yourself to build your own solar carport, all you need to do is figure out how to build it. In fact, to obtain the maximum benefit from a photovoltaic system it is essential that the solar panels are positioned correctly.
In addition to energy needs, it is important to consider the aesthetic and functional aspect. Because the solar carport must have its own inclination and orientation, but also fit well into the urban landscape.
The Size of Your Solar Carport
To determine the right size of your solar carport you must first check the available space. Then calculate the amount of electricity you could generate if you covered the entire roof with solar panels. Finally calculate the installation costs. Overall, larger solar carports cost more, but the cost per watt generated decreases with size. This is because many of the installation costs are fixed and do not change with the size of the carport.
You will also need to consider how many cars you need to park under the carport and how many of these are electric. Because if you have a parking area for 4 cars, but you only have 1 electric car, then the solar carport can also provide electricity to your home. This allows you to completely eliminate the electricity bill. But even if you have a small space available, the solar canopy still saves you money. In fact, 6 solar panels are enough to charge your electric car for your daily commute.
The Right Height of a Solar Carport
The height of the carport structure must be high enough to allow free passage and parking of electric cars. The right clearance height for your property will therefore depend on the type of vehicles you intend to park under the solar carport. Because if you build a low-height carport structure, you may have trouble parking your RV. While if you opt for a very high solar carport, you will increase the costs for no reason.
The issue becomes more complicated if you are designing a solar carport for an apartment building or a shopping center. In general the trend is to create solar canopies suitable only for cars or small trucks. Of course, the situation changes if you have a logistics company with passage of large trucks and delivery vehicles. Because such vehicles have larger space requirements in both length and height than a small pickup truck.
How to Build Water Drain in Case of Rain
The main benefit of a solar carport is that it produces free, clean electricity for your home to use. But there is also another great advantage. A canopy with solar panels protects cars from bad weather, the scorching sun, rain and snow. However, to really protect the cars underneath from the rain well, you will need to install a metal or PVC cover under the solar panels. This layer prevents rainwater from running off onto the cars below. In fact, when you mount solar panels, even if you are careful, you always leave a crack which causes flows in case of rain.
If you want to keep costs as low as possible, you can install solar panels directly on the mounting structure. Just like on a ground-mounted solar system. However, this solution is only advisable in areas where it rains little and does not snow. Because when snow accumulates on top of the solar panels, it will start to drip as it melts, and this lasts for days. Another option that you need to mount to the sides of the solar panels are gutters that help divert water to the appropriate drainage site.
How to Build a Solar Carport in Snowy Areas
If you live in an area with a lot of precipitation, including snow, you should install a snow guard on your solar carport. Because when snow falls heavily, it accumulates on the solar panels even if they are slightly inclined. The longer snow covers your panels, the less electricity will be produced. For this reason it is necessary to equip solar panels with a heating system. This prevents snow from accumulating on the solar canopy. This way you don’t have to manually remove snow from the panels. As useful as the heating system is, it is still good practice to increase the slope of the roof. In this you will certainly have less snow deposits on the solar panels with two advantages. You melt the snow first, but above all you avoid overloading the supporting structure.
How to Place Solar Panels
The correct orientation and inclination of the solar panels are the factors that determine the efficiency of a photovoltaic system. In fact, solar energy production increases if the sun’s rays reach the surface of the panels perpendicularly. Therefore, since you cannot change your position, the only factors that can optimize your solar system are orientation and tilt. For this reason you will have to try to mount your solar carport with the right positioning. This way you maximize the energy efficiency of the photovoltaic panels and get the maximum benefit from installing a solar carport.
To maximize energy production, solar panels should face the equator and have a slope that varies with latitude. In any case, indicatively the ideal indication would be from 20° to 30°. But for aesthetic and functional reasons the inclination of solar panels mounted above a car park is 12°. This is to have adequate ground clearance on both sides of the parking lot.
Solar Canopy Lighting
If you install a solar carport that covers multiple parking spaces, you may need to install lights underneath. In fact, it is important to have good visibility of both the car park and the surrounding spaces. In this regard, a series of LED lights on the perimeter of the roof can be a nice added bonus for a carport. All you need is a small battery that charges with solar panels to power the lights all night.
Why Build a Residential Solar Carport
If you’re looking for an easy way to reduce your electric bill and increase the value of your property, a solar carport could be the answer. In fact, solar canopies transform an underutilized space, such as a parking lot, into a source of electricity. So, while the canopy protects your cars from the sun’s rays and from rain or snow, you save money. To have these benefits it is necessary to install a load-bearing structure in steel or aluminium on the parking lot of your property. You then mount the solar panels on the roof of the structure and connect the cables to a solar controller. You have thus created a solar roof that generates free and sustainable electricity.
The solar panels, in fact, will generate electricity by exploiting the sun’s energy, without emitting CO2. Your home can then use that energy to offset what you purchase from the electricity grid, significantly reducing your electricity bills. If a solar carport sounds like a good option for your home, find out which system is best for you.
Design the Right Solar Carport for Your Parking Lot
There are many elements to take into consideration when designing a solar carport. The first thing in importance is the space available for the carport structure. The first step is therefore to check the exact property lines and any zoning regulations in your area that could affect the project. To do this, consult the relevant local authority. Once you have checked the useful space of your parking space, calculate your energy needs. You need this to see if you should make full use of the available space or build a smaller solar carport.
The size of the solar canopy has a big impact on the quantity of energy generated, but also on the cost of the system. Furthermore, a large number of solar panels is not necessary if you do not plan to store the energy in a battery. But the battery doubles the cost of the solar system. We recommend working with experienced solar energy professionals to ensure you create the perfect solar system for your needs.