GLOSSARY

Solar Canopy

A solar canopy is a photovoltaic array structure over the top parking deck or surface lot, a power plant with a parking benefit. In a parking facility:

PHOTOVOLTAIC PANELS SHADE + SHELTER BELOW EV CHARGING
A solar canopy turns a flat lot’s dead airspace into three things at once: shade for the cars, shelter for people, and on-site clean power, often feeding the EV chargers directly beneath it.
  • The canopy shades the most weather-exposed stalls while producing revenue-grade energy; structural capacity and utility interconnection are the long-lead items.

Considerations

  • Price it as an energy asset on its own economics, without subsidy assumptions that expire. The roof is leasable real estate.