Solar Canopies
How can solar canopies benefit your business?
Solar canopies bring shade and clean energy to your parking lot.
The financial and environmental benefits of solar are greater than ever, and companies looking to benefit can now install a solar canopy over their parking lots to share in the savings. Businesses across the country are building solar parking lots that provide shade for cars while simultaneously generating renewable energy – and they’re saving thousands of dollars on electricity bills in the process.
Benefits of solar parking canopies
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When you installing a solar energy system, you reduce your electric bills, protect against rising energy costs, and reduce your impact on the environment. Solar parking lots have a few additional benefits that standard roof-mounted and ground-mounted solar systems don’t always offer.
Solar canopies are an efficient use of space
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Installing a solar canopy over an existing parking lot is simply a more efficient use of space than installing a standard ground-mounted system – when you build a solar canopy, you add more uses to the same square footage and don’t have to set aside additional space.
Solar panel parking lots also provide shade
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If you’ve ever had to get into a hot car that has been sitting in the sun all day, it’s easy to understand why the shade that solar parking canopies offer is another major benefit. However, shade isn’t just a matter of comfort in your car. When you build a solar canopy in your parking lot, the shade it provides can also improve the fuel economy of cars that park under it. According to FuelEconomy.gov, running your car’s air conditioning (AC) system is the main cause of reduced fuel economy in hot weather. Under very hot conditions (such as when your car has been baking in the hot sun), using the AC can reduce a conventional vehicle’s fuel economy by more than 25 percent. For hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and electric vehicles, the effect can be even larger. By keeping cars cool on hot days, solar parking lots reduce the need for heavy air conditioning use.
Canopy parking can be oriented for maximum production
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Rooftop solar arrays are restricted by the characteristics of the roof on which they are installed. If your roof isn’t at the right angle, doesn’t face south, or has obstructions like chimneys, skylights, or vents, then your solar array will be less productive. The solar panels on your parking canopy, however, can be oriented so that they produce as much electricity as possible, which means maximum savings.
How much can you save with a solar parking canopy installation?
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Your solar canopy economics will depend on the size of your system and how much you currently pay for electricity. A few things to keep in mind:
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Solar panels typically reach their maximum production in the afternoon, when demand charges can be very high. If your business is subject to demand charges during moments of peak electricity consumption, a solar canopy can dramatically reduce your bill by cutting your grid electricity use during those times.
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A solar parking lot will cost more than a similarly sized rooftop installation because of the additional labor and equipment needed to construct the canopies to host the panels. However, as mentioned above, solar canopies also offer additional environmental benefits, can produce more electricity, and aren’t subject to the same space restrictions as rooftop systems.
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In addition to the tax breaks available for solar, businesses that construct solar canopies (and other types of solar panel systems) can write off the value of their solar energy systems through the Modified Accelerated Cost Recovery System (MACRS), which reduces businesses’ tax burden and accelerates returns on solar investments. Qualified solar energy equipment is eligible for a cost recovery period of five years. Accelerated depreciation can reduce your net system cost by an additional 30 percent.