Solar parking space canopy / solar carport – Image: Xpert.Digital / Nikolas Photo-Video|Shutterstock.com
Solar carports are a profitable investment
Who isn't familiar with the many cramped, crammed customer and company parking lots? Getting in and out of the car is practically impossible when you're trying to squeeze into a space. This could change with the latest parking developments. The age of covered parking is dawning. This doesn't refer to underground garages or multi-story car parks, where parking spaces are already covered. It refers to open-air parking lots – large parking facilities with more than 50 spaces. The ambitious and exciting plan of renewable energy is to utilize these already paved surfaces for solar power generation.
Parking as we know it will change completely. Everywhere. Wherever parking spaces exist or are being created, charging stations will be added in the future, because with the new era of electric cars, charging behavior will also change. You no longer drive to a gas station, but charge where you park. Decentralized and automated. Covered, open parking spaces with solar power generation, so-called solar carports, will revolutionize our world, as they play a key role. Unlike conventional solar panels , which are solely focused on generating solar power, solar carports, in addition to offering the same functionality and charging electric vehicles, also change driving and parking behavior: Parking becomes effectively automated. The efficiency lies in the fact that you can automatically charge your vehicle when it is stationary. You no longer have to consciously or unintentionally drive your vehicle to a charging station, but rather charge it automatically every time you stop. That's the theory. In practice, this will lead to enormous changes in the coming years. There's no doubt this will happen quite quickly, because solar carports aren't just a cost factor , but also an attractive source of income. That's the subtle but crucial difference compared to other environmental protection and energy-saving models, such as those used in heating systems.
Suitable for:
- Solar obligation and solar carport obligation in Rhineland-Palatinate (RLP)
- Covered solar parking spaces as a bridge to the rooftop systems of companies
For example, for those who run a shopping center, parking spaces have traditionally been a cost factor. Charging customers for parking while they shop was previously not feasible. Offering electric vehicle charging while shopping changes this. This model allows parking costs to be transformed into a source of revenue.
There are interesting investment and financing models available for this. Anyone who operates such or similar park facilities but lacks the comprehensive know-how for financial or technical implementation can contact us.
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New commercial buildings: Milestone in achieving our expansion goals - companies can receive advice
Anne Spiegel, Minister for Climate Protection, Environment, Energy and Mobility, on the solar obligation for new commercial buildings: “Milestone towards achieving our expansion targets”
Climate Protection Minister Anne Spiegel welcomes mandatory solar panels / Companies can receive advice
“The solar panel mandate for new commercial buildings and new commercial parking lots with more than 50 spaces is an important milestone in achieving our PV expansion target. To generate our electricity from wind, solar, biomass, and hydropower by 2030, we must at least triple the share of solar energy to 7,700 megawatts. The solar panel mandate will significantly support us in this endeavor,” said Climate Protection Minister Anne Spiegel. The state parliament will debate a draft law from within its ranks next week, which mandates solar panels for new commercial buildings and large covered parking lots. “As the Ministry for Climate Protection, we will support companies in implementing the solar panel mandate: A more detailed state regulation and advisory services, including those offered by the Rhineland-Palatinate Energy Agency, are in the planning stages,” Spiegel continued.
As a further step towards achieving the goals for expanding solar energy, the Climate Protection Minister also announced the planned update of the PV open-field regulation in the fall, with an increased capacity. The Climate Protection Ministry already introduced the open-field regulation for the installation of PV systems on low-yield and species-poor grassland in 2018.
Source: Press release dated July 8, 2021
Large parking areas are ubiquitous in Rhineland-Palatinate
Anne Spiegel, Minister for Climate Protection, Environment, Energy and Mobility: “We must rely on creativity and use existing areas when expanding solar energy.”
Rhineland-Palatinate is introducing an initiative in the Federal Council to expand the area covered by the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG) / The goal: Support for solar carports
“Large parking areas are ubiquitous in Rhineland-Palatinate. However, the design of these parking lots is rarely questioned. Yet they represent a vast, untapped reserve of land for the expansion of photovoltaics. Besides being used for parking vehicles, parking lots can also serve to generate solar energy: By installing solar carports, new possibilities for solar energy production above parking lots are emerging,” said State Minister Anne Spiegel on the occasion of tomorrow’s Federal Council meeting. Rhineland-Palatinate will be introducing an initiative there to integrate solar carports and other innovative approaches into the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG).
Suitable for:
- The government in Rhineland-Palatinate sees no alternative to mandatory solar panels
- Solar carports – carports with solar roofs
The advantage: Charging infrastructure for electric vehicles can be directly integrated into solar carports. And the use of already sealed surfaces for solar energy generation enjoys high acceptance. "With the generation of solar energy on carports, energy can be produced, stored, and consumed on-site – this would be a milestone for a decentralized energy transition," explained Spiegel.
In practice, however, this is not yet fully possible. Currently, each project is subject to an individual assessment to determine its eligibility for subsidies. This hinders investments in solar carports where they make the most sense: in large-scale projects on parking lots belonging to businesses, retailers, and industry, as well as on municipal and state properties such as swimming pools or sports halls.
During the amendment of the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG) last autumn, Rhineland-Palatinate, along with other states, advocated for the explicit inclusion of parking areas in the EEG's designated areas for solar photovoltaic (PV) applications. The federal government did not follow this recommendation and only introduced a one-time provision for parking lot PV projects in the innovation tenders. "This is far too timid: The volume for 2022 is a one-off of only 50 megawatts. Furthermore, potential solar carport projects share this segment with projects for agricultural and floating PV. The federal government is overlooking the fact that parking lot PV has already been extensively tested and proven successful abroad," the minister explained, emphasizing: "With this resolution in the Bundesrat (Federal Council), we want to urge the federal government to be creative in the multiple use of land for the further expansion of photovoltaics and to finally make progress – not least to achieve our climate protection goals."
Overall, the federal government needs to significantly improve the expansion of charging infrastructure – both in public spaces and in the private sector. In public spaces, a binding number of charging points to be installed must be established based on ambitious criteria, Spiegel concluded.
Source: Press release 04.03.2021
Municipal climate package: Systematically pooling resources for greater climate protection
Anne Spiegel, Minister for Climate Protection, Environment, Energy and Mobility: "Systematically pool resources for greater climate protection"
The state, together with the leading municipal associations, is aiming for a "Municipal Climate Pact" / Rhineland-Palatinate as a model region for green hydrogen
To achieve its ambitious climate protection goals, the state intends to provide even stronger support to municipalities and cities in climate protection and adaptation to the consequences of climate change. The state government has therefore decided to pursue a "Municipal Climate Pact" together with the leading municipal associations. "The increase in extreme weather events, such as the devastating disaster in the north of the state as a result of climate change, can only be mitigated in the long term through consistent climate protection and flood prevention," explained Climate Protection Minister Anne Spiegel. “We want to achieve climate neutrality in Rhineland-Palatinate between 2035 and 2040. We can only achieve this goal with allies – climate protection is a shared societal responsibility. Our cities and municipalities are key players in this, because the implementation of the energy transition and climate protection takes place locally at the municipal level. Therefore, we want to support our cities and municipalities in climate protection and climate change adaptation through concerted action with the relevant institutions in the state, systematically pooling resources for greater climate protection: with optimized funding for climate protection and climate change adaptation, as well as targeted and coordinated consulting services from the Rhineland-Palatinate Energy Agency and the Competence Center for Climate Change Impacts,” Spiegel continued.
The plan is to work with the three leading municipal associations, the Association of Municipal Enterprises (VKU), the relevant ministries, the Rhineland-Palatinate Energy Agency, and the Competence Center for Climate Change Impacts to define goals, measures, and concrete milestones for the success of climate protection and the energy transition as soon as possible. The state government intends to support municipalities in intensifying the many promising initiatives already underway at the local level. The state can also benefit from the municipalities' expertise. "We want to create the initial prerequisites for the 'Municipal Climate Pact' promptly and begin negotiations with the leading municipal associations," announced Spiegel. The Cabinet therefore tasked the Ministry for Climate Protection with initiating these negotiations at its last meeting before the summer recess.
Suitable for:
Another topic from which municipalities and municipal companies can benefit in the long term is the further development of Rhineland-Palatinate into a model region for green hydrogen. "Greenhouse gas-neutral hydrogen will help us achieve our climate protection goals and decarbonize our economy. In this way, we want to combine the future viability and competitiveness of our state with climate protection. The advantage: hydrogen is versatile – as an energy carrier in the electricity, heating, and transport sectors, as an energy storage medium, but also as a raw material in industry. We want to unlock this 'green treasure' for Rhineland-Palatinate: the recently commissioned hydrogen study with its implementation roadmap for the state will create a solid foundation for this," the minister continued.
The municipalities are to be heavily involved in the preparation of the study. The study is intended to result in an implementation-oriented state hydrogen strategy. A sustainable hydrogen economy in the state holds considerable potential. The production of green hydrogen from domestic renewable energy sources increases regional value creation, provides additional economic impetus for both industrial hydrogen users and technology companies, and thus strengthens Rhineland-Palatinate as a business, innovation, research, and science hub.
Background:
The hydrogen study and roadmap for Rhineland-Palatinate aims to analyze the current state of hydrogen production and use in the energy sector, transportation, industry, and research and development in the state. Furthermore, it identifies key development potential for a sustainable hydrogen economy, sets realistic expansion targets, and outlines a practical implementation path for Rhineland-Palatinate via the roadmap. Simultaneously, it identifies the necessary new energy regulations.
Source: Press release 16.08.2021
Our solar parking solution is modular and scalable:
- Quick and easy assembly
- Stable strip foundation as collision protection
- Individually customizable design (color, materials, surface, size, etc.)
- Installation of charging stations and inverters is possible at any time
- Scalable & modular: Available as a single, double or arbitrarily scalable row carport
- Can even be used in the standard version for very high wind and snow loads (s k = 2.2 kN/m²)
- Extra large and wide parking spaces and very easy parking thanks to W-shaped supports
- High-quality design for sophisticated and long-lasting requirements: Hot-dip galvanized steel construction (DIN EN 10346, DIN EN 1461)
- [Click here for more]
Why solar carports?
Solar carports and the solar obligation/solar carport obligation – Image: Xpert.Digital / seo byeong gon|Shutterstock.com
Demand for electric vehicles is rising. The number of electric vehicles worldwide has increased more than fiftyfold since 2012. In 2007, there were a total of 8 new electric car registrations in Germany. By 2019, this number had risen to 194,163! From January to May 2021, it had already reached 115,296 new registrations. This trend is expected to continue. Solar carports are already attractive investment goods. This also translates into increased appeal for personnel and customer development, making the production and company location more attractive.
Suitable for:
Charging stations and charging infrastructure
A solar carport alone isn't enough. Fundamental questions need to be answered. Should the generated energy be fed into the grid or stored in energy storage systems? What are the load profiles, the technical connection requirements, the number of charging stations, the vehicle parking time, and ultimately, the total PV output? How will the charging sessions be recorded by the company if the employee charges their company car from home? These are questions we will have to address in the future. It's different from what we're used to today.
Suitable for:
- Plan photovoltaics for warehouses, commercial halls and industrial halls
- Industrial plant: Plan a photovoltaic open-air system or open-space system
- Plan solar systems with photovoltaic solutions for freight forwarding and contract logistics
- B2B solar systems and photovoltaic solutions & advice
Xpert.Solar Consulting in Rhineland-Palatinate (RLP): (PV) Photovoltaic parking systems (solar carports) and solar systems on flat roofs for Pirmasens, Ingelheim, Zweibrücken and Andernach!
Konrad Wolfenstein
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Xpert.Digital – Konrad Wolfenstein
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