Solar Carports Explained: Do They Make Sense? (2024)

Solar carports are overhead canopies built to cover parking areas and are distinct from panels installed onto a preexisting carport structure. Solar carports have many things in common withground-mount solar panels, which are angled panel modules installed onthe ground rather than on a rooftop.

Ground-mount solar and solar carports eliminate the need fora surface on which the panels can be mounted. The primary difference between a solar carport and a typical ground mount installation is that carports are taller to make space for a car to park. Otherwise, the two are similar, and each allows installers to orientthe panels at the most optimal angle for sunlight exposure.

The great advantage of solar carports andsolar patio covers is that they don't require additional land like ground mount. As a result, solar panel carports offer more efficient use of space than ground-mounted panels. Certain states, like Massachusetts, haveincentives for solar canopy structures over ground mounts. If you are concerned about the efficient use of space, you should consider a solar carport over a ground-mounted system. Overall, solar panel carports have fewer restraints or conflicts than ground-mounted solar and are preferable under many circ*mstances.

To date, solar carports are much more prevalent in the U.S. commercial sector than in residential markets. Many businesses have embracedinstalling massive solar canopies for parking lots.

When it comes to commercial and residential solar canopies, many different layouts and sizes are available.Dependent on the number of rows of parking required, a photovoltaic carport is typically one, two, or three rows wide. Solar parking lots, by comparison,can be large enough to spandozensof rows of parking. Installing a solar canopy can power your home or turn a wide-open stretch of pavement intoa major electricity generator.

Other than a solar carport's size, the primary way that solar carport construction varies is in the angle of the panels.The panels will either be angled upwards in one direction (Figure A), angled and curved in one direction leading to a flat surface (Figure B), or very slightly angled to the point of appearing flat (Figure C), typically to provide shading and coverage for a larger number of cars.

As with ground mount solar, it is often assumed that versatile solutions like solar carports and ground mounts are only meant for homeowners who do not qualify for rooftop solar panels. However, the reality is that these alternative options can often make more sense for homeowners due to several factors.

Issues with roof angle, orientation, and size are eliminated with a carport because the panels will serve as the "roof" of the structure, and the supporting metal poles can be situated as necessaryonce the optimal array size and angle are determined. With rooftop solar, homeowners often face issues installing a system that's big enough because they may not have a suitable roof area. Space constraints are eliminated with ground-mount solar and are rare with solar canopies and carports.

Check out the table below to compare and contrast the various array types (carport, ground mount, rooftop). This table containsthe average U.S. dollars per watt, system size, most popularsolar panel brand, and percentage need met (referring to what percentage of electricity needsthe array supplied on average) based on data from the EnergySage Solar Marketplace. The table will help answer possibly the most important question to homeowners curious about solar carports:regardless of how convenient or efficient they are, how do they compare torooftop solar on bill savings and cost?

Residential solar comparison by mount location

Source: EnergySage Solar Marketplace quotes for solar systems

There are many insights from the above solar array comparison. Still, the first clear takeaway is that solar carports are a viable option for homeowners, evenwhencompared to rooftop and ground-mount solar. Though the dollars per watt figure from this dataset is slightly higher than ground mount and significantly higher than rooftop PV, the cost of solar carports may fall faster than its counterparts over the coming years.

The comparison also shows parallels between solar carports and ground-mount solar systems. Both options allow for bigger system sizes than rooftops (likely due to a lack of space constraints), and both are conducive to panels that an average rooftop system also often uses (LG).

Because solar panel carports are still a new and growing product offering in the U.S. solar industry, it may not be obvious how to get one for your home. However,most installers who work with ground mount arrays shouldalso be able to install solar carports. If you want asmaller off-grid system rather than one that powers your entire home, you can also exploreDIY solar options.

We always recommend that customers educate themselves aboutsolar and get more than one quote to compare options, pricing, savings, system size, etc. Register your home on the EnergySage Solar Marketplace and specify in the "add details" section that you are looking for a solar carport installation. If you are building a carport from the ground up for this project, drag the pin to your driveway or the area where you would like the carport to be built.

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