Solar Carport or Solar Cardeck?

Now that the RES regions are going to use all possibilities to meet the set transition goals, we see that parking lots are coming more and more under the spotlight. Support is coming from the provinces through additional subsidies to bridge the unprofitable top and thus enable a positive business case.

There are many possible variants and designs of parking lot roofing with solar panels. The choice of the final variant is obviously determined by the selection criteria. If the business case is to be as favorable as possible, then we see that it is preferable to apply charging points in addition to the revenue model on the sustainable generation of energy from the panels. This shortens the payback period of the additional investment. In addition, in some selection processes aesthetics prevail. It is therefore possible to use sustainable wood or even integrate vegetation into the supporting portals. Whether or not to have transparent panels for natural light transmission is another variant.

When it comes to enclosing parking lots, there are roughly two types in terms of design:

• Solar Carports with only the roofing of the parking spaces themselves
• Solar Cardecks with the complete roofing of the entire parking area, i.e. including the driving lanes.

Both superstructures have important differences and application possibilities.

Advantages of both types
Solar carports only cover part of the total area, which can be disadvantageous in case of snow or precipitation. Because not all the surface is equipped with solar panels, the total potential generation is not optimally utilized. In addition, because of the overhanging panels, the underground foundation will have to provide additional counterweight, which requires additional investment. There is also the additional item for earthwork and pavement rehabilitation. In terms of aesthetics, there is relatively a lot of design freedom to create a tasteful design with possibly even artistic traits. Leaving the lanes open has the advantage of preserving the passage for taller vehicles such as trucks and larger delivery vans.

Solar Cardecks are characterized by a continuous canopy where the implementation in terms of foundation can be carried out considerably lighter. It goes without saying that the total parking and driving surface is also maximally utilized for sustainable energy generation. This will benefit a more positive business case. The disadvantage is the limited passage of larger and higher vehicles. Aesthetically, the possibilities for being distinctive in the design without having to make an exceptionally large investment are more limited.

Parking garages
Going to a special implementation of parking lots, it is the category of multi-storey parking garages. In addition to the implementation of solar panels on the canopy on the top floor, parts could also be utilized, especially in the south facade, while maintaining the mandatory ventilation passage. The top floor of a parking garage is ideal for a Solar Cardeck application. The foundation can logically be omitted. It is important that the portals rest on the truss and column structure of the floors below.

A recently applied design by Sunprojects for the upper deck of parking garages involves mounting the panels from below. This provides significant advantages in inspection and replacement of potentially defective panels. In addition, additional safety measures to be taken can be reduced because the installation personnel do not have to move on top of the deck during the assembly. Normally, working at these great heights would automatically lead to an additional safety investment. At the bottom line, there will also be an increased real estate value of the parking garage.

Payback
The potential of Solar Carports and Solar Cardecks is an increasingly important part of the road to transition goals. Currently, higher energy prices are also having a favorable effect on shortening the payback period of solutions for sustainable energy generation. As a result, in addition to the traditional roof and field installations, the possibilities are increasingly within reach to be applied on a larger scale. Solar carports and solar cardecks in particular are striking examples of this. The Solar Cardeck application with the right design on the top floor of parking garages is a more than interesting solution to investigate. Both on financial feasibility and on the contribution to energy neutrality of the parking garage.

Arnoud van Druten
Sunprojects Carports and Floating Energy

Source: https://www.solar365.nl/nieuws/solar-carport-of-solar-cardeck-64ABB2B0.html