Green Urban Solar City: Solar carport greening obligation & solar obligation for the roofing of parking spaces

The trend towards urbanization of cities continues. 77.5% of the total German population now lives in cities and urban regions. The logistical challenges in goods and transport as well as the sustainable energy supply while maintaining and increasing the quality of life play a further important role here. Attempts are now being made to accelerate this development using various measures.

The aim is not only to improve the urban climate and living conditions, including in the area of ​​work-life balance, but above all also to adapt to climate impacts.

For this purpose, various requirements have been introduced, such as the solar obligation or the greening obligation :

“The obligations for structures that were created by projects that require approval or notification in accordance with the state building regulations, as well as for the undeveloped areas of the properties built on with structures that require building permits or notification. The same applies to existing buildings if they are changed through measures that require approval or notification. Changes of use and insignificant structural changes are excluded.”

The same or similar requirements can be found nationwide in building regulations or preambles. These are not regulated uniformly, because building regulations are primarily the responsibility of the respective federal states . These can also be supplemented by the respective town planning regulations and municipal building regulations.

Degree of urbanization: Proportion of city dwellers to the total population in Germany – Image: Xpert.Digital

The statistics show the degree of urbanization in Germany from 2000 to 2020. Urbanization refers to the proportion of city residents in the total population. In 2020, around 77.5 percent of Germany's total population lived in cities.

The values ​​have been rounded for better understanding of the statistics.

Getting the technology (the technical implementation for electricity generation), solar or photovoltaics and greenery under one roof usually turns out to be not that easy. An example here is the use of agricultural land while generating electricity at the same time. There are several promising solutions for this type of agri-photovoltaics, but none of the systems have really become established to date.

When it comes to solar carports, the focus has so far been on standardized and quick implementation with maximum power output. The focus here is usually on the amortization or return of investment, without taking into account that a solar carport protects the parked vehicles from the elements, direct sunlight, falling branches and direct snow or rain.

The only problem is that a solar carport with its solar modules shades the area underneath so much that no greenery is actually possible in the sense of the intervention compensation regulation under the Federal Nature Conservation Act. From an urban planning perspective, green roofs are considered a measure to reduce encroachment, but this is logically not possible when it comes to roofing with solar modules.

However, the solar obligation for solar carports and the greening obligation do not have to contradict each other. With transparent double-glass solar modules, greenery below the solar port would be possible. The semi-transparent modules allow enough light through to ensure permanent greenery and beautification of the solar caport system.

In addition, the transparent glass modules not only enable a translucent space, not only enable a green environment and improve the urban quality of life, they themselves look good in terms of design and style.

Everything from a single source, specially designed for solar solutions for large parking areas. You refinance or counterfinance into the future with your own electricity generation.

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