Did you ever dream that next-generation car parks would not be just open lots to park? It might be a "super charging station" where it not only protects your car from sun but also stores electricity to generate money - this is the solar carport coming into our lives soon. With its seemingly ordinary sunshade looks, it has quietly revolutionized the way we park and maybe the future trend of energy use.
The primary function of a traditional carport is wind and rain shielding, but a solar carport, after it has been covered with photovoltaic panels, becomes an "instant power generation hero.".
The powerful sun is "gold" : The more powerful the summer sun, the more energetic the carport's power output. A common family carport (about 20 square meters) may have an output of 10 to 15 kilowatt-hours of electricity a day, sufficient for an ordinary family's electricity consumption daily.
Secret income in car park charges: Assuming shopping malls and residential communities utilize large solar carports to shade their properties, the electricity gained by them can be utilized by themselves but can also be sold to the power grid, thus earning tens of thousands of yuan income per year.
Double the cooling effect: Testing has proven that the under the solar carport temperature is 5-8℃ cooler than outside the exposed parking lot, and the steering wheel within the vehicle will no longer be hot.
(Case: After installing a photovoltaic carport at a particular industrial park in Shanghai, power generation was as high as 320,000 kilowatt-hours per year, and electricity bills were saved by 250,000 yuan. Air conditioners beneath the carport decreased the average fuel consumption by 15%.)
Upgrading solar carports is not only a matter of power generation; it is becoming smart:
Integrated charging piles: The carport bracket has an electric vehicle charging interface, so you can charge immediately after parking. One Beijing community has already achieved a 30% lower charging cost than gas stations.
Even on rainy days, energy is saved: The newest photovoltaic panels can generate electricity with the weak light on cloudy and rainy days. If combined with energy storage batteries, they are even capable of supplying power for night parking lot lighting.
Monitor earnings in your mobile phone: Monitor power generation, earnings and health condition of the carport in real time through APP, as simple as using a "green piggy bank."
(Technical Easter Egg: Certain carports adopt photovoltaic panels with adjustable angles, sun-tracking like the sunflowers, with 20% greater efficiency of power generation.)
The majority of people assume that "high technology = expensive," yet solar carports are actually more affordable than you think:
Family model: Install carport roofs two parking Spaces (around 100,000 yuan). With the support of national subsidies and local policies, it can reduce 30% to 50% of the price. The deficit can be offset in around 6 to 8 years through power generation revenue, and the lifespan of photovoltaic panels is up to 25 years.
Shared model: Guangzhou residents began a "crowdfunding carport" in which residents pooled their money to finance the construction. The power generation profit was shared as a proportion share, equal to free parking and receiving pocket money.
Trend Hint: Since 2023, Zhejiang, Jiangsu and other provinces have blanketed photovoltaic carports within the subsidy scope of "green buildings".
Imagine such a scene:
You drive your car into the carport in the morning, read the code to start charging, and the photovoltaic panels will adjust their Angle automatically to meet the sunlight.
The electricity collected on the roof at noon is stored in the energy storage system and supplied to the square dance venue in the evening.
During the evening, the LED light strips of the carport glow with the power stored during the day and also remind of reversing safety via sensors.
This "parking power generation" system can soon spread from shopping malls and schools to every residential neighborhood. German energy expert Schmidt says, "The surfaces of future buildings will all be energy collectors, and carports are just the starting point of this revolution."
