Solar carports seem to be a new phenomenon developed over the past few years in North America and Europe, and the application of these carports is not only to protect the cars but to generate electricity. A new article from PV-Tech.org details another type of solar carports that are being designed for high schools in three school districts in California. What is different about these carports, however, is that they’re not designed for powering cars under them but, instead, are simply solar panel structures that are being used as carports.
The article doesn’t mention whether these carports are for students or teachers but the key aspect about them is their purpose: solar energy for the school buildings. As mentioned in the article, the solar panels doubling as carports designed by Real Goods Solar will be 3.65 solar electric systems that, over a period of 25 years, should cover 45 percent of the school’s electricity and power usage and save tax payers $12 million dollars.
What is it about carports and solar electricity? Carports, regardless of what materials are used to construct them, are structures that can attach to the side of a building, have a peaked, flat, or sloped roof, and their structure makes them friendlier to being equipped with solar panels. In fact, from looking back at the past three posts about solar carports, one similarity of all structures is how many of them look like ordinary carports with solar panels attached to the roof. And, as the roof can be angled to accommodate the solar panels, the car will stay protected as long as the roof is large enough.
Is it a possibility that carports will become more pervasive structures in the future than they already are due to their versatility for solar energy panels? It’s a possibility, especially as businesses, homes, and now schools are all capable of using and supporting these structures, be it for powering a building or powering electric vehicles.
