While a patent is still pending for the LifePort, the LifePort itself appears to be what Romag and IX Energy have designed for a public location but for the home. As for the carports used in the design of a LifePort, they seem to have the basic structure of many metal carports but with an angled and sturdier roof to support solar panels or photovoltaic cells. The structure itself is made for plug-in hybrid electric cars to charge and, according to the advertisement, can support two cars. The photovoltaic cells themselves can generate up to 4.8kw of power and, with additional solar panels, up to a maximum of 6.4kw.

Granted, the video fro, YouTube is an advertisement and partially focuses on purchasing a LifePort for increasing property value. However, one of the key points mentioned is the versatility of the structure. While the LifePort can be a two-car carport, it is also large enough to be a permanent garage or a small building and, although similar in structure to the solar carport by Romag, it is specifically for homes and small businesses. On a practical level, the LifePort represents a solution for renewable energy for home use – not just commercial use. As the next step up for ubiquitous solar energy, one possibility of this solar carport is using it to shelter cars at home – much like any present carport – and charge it simultaneously and to use commercial carports, such as Romag’s model PowerPark, on the road to charge up the car again, as an electric or hybrid car will eventually run out of power. In equating these two semi-futuristic devices with modern day technology, a PowerPark will be much like a gas station for refueling a car with electricity, brought by solar energy, while a LifePort, when used as a solar carport, will serve as an at-home charging dock to get the car going.

The particular carport at the hotel in Swansea experienced water damage from “heavy” ice and snow buildup and that resulted in a crack in the carport’s ceiling. The combination of the crack and snow buildup caused the carport ceiling to collapse.

Although a carport is any structure used to cover a car, the most common carports used are polyethylene canopy carports and metal carports, both of which can come in flat roof, A-frame, and rounded roof designs. For snow, ice, and rain, the ideal carport has a rounded roof, and this type of carport is recommended for areas of the country that experience heavy snow falls, as snow falls off the curved roof and won’t build up on top of the roof of the carport. However, all types of carports are supposed to protect vehicles and other investments from weather damage, and a carport shelter is supposed to withstand certain amounts of wind and snow to give optimal protection for the vehicle.

For a polyethylene canopy and galvanized steel carport, the strongest canopy-type carport available, the roof is designed to withstand 37 to 53 pounds of snow for certain A-frame Shelterlogic carport models. Curved roof carport models can withstand the same amount, only this carport design is less prone to snow buildup on the roof. A metal carport, a popular carport type for its longevity of use, is designed to withstand 40 pounds of snow buildup on the roof. All carports, in addition, should be able to withstand winds up to 90MPH.

A metal carport, in addition to having a galvanized steel frame, has a steel roof, which, when being installed, has holes already in place for the rest of the carport frame. The roof itself is made of 29 gauge steel with 80,000 KSI strength. The steel roof is coated with silicon, which allows the metal roof to have a limited warranty of up to 20 years. Aside from lasting many years, roof coated in silicon can support up to 40 pounds of snow per square foot and will not need frequent coats of paint. In addition, as no wood or plastic is involved, the metal roof will not attract termites. For the vehicles you are protecting with the carport, the metal coated with silicon, naturally, is water and rust proof and will protect your vehicles from the sun, as steel is not affected by UV rays.

A polyethylene canopy carport offers all of the same protection but in different ways. Although a polyethylene carport has the same galvanized or powder-coated steel tubing frame, the canopy is made from heavy-duty polyethylene. To protect the vehicles covered, a polyethylene canopy is UV treated, sometimes on both sides, and is occasionally given anti-fungal treatments. Polyethylene, because it is a woven material, is breathable, so moisture under the carport roof will not become trapped and cause dry rot and mildew, and is also waterproof and tear resistant. As a carport canopy, the polyethylene can withstand large amounts of snow and winds up to 95 MPH.

Price wise, a metal carport is a long term investment and, if you have multiple cars and seasonal vehicles, it is a wise investment, as the carport will outlast most vehicles. A polyethylene canopy carport, while ranging from $300 to $1300 depending upon the size of the carport, is as effective as a metal carport but the polyethylene canopy will need to be replaced over time, although the galvanized or powder-coated steel frame will be intact.