Solar Canopy

Solar Canopy for Homes and Businesses

We provide customized residential and commercial solar services, one of which being  solar canopy installations. No two situations are ever exactly the same when someone is investing in solar—and so we strategically tailor our recommendations, including for solar ground mounts and canopies, with unique client goals.

In addition to building a solar canopy for homeowners and businesses, we also offer them to:

• solar companies who want to enhance their client offerings
• finance companies and utility companies

To talk about the optimal options for your residential solar or commercial solar needs, contact us online or call 704-525-6767 today.

What is a Solar Canopy?

“Businesses across the country are building solar parking lots that provide shade for cars while simultaneously generating renewable energy—and they’re saving thousands of dollars on electricity bills in the process.” (U.S. Department of Energy)

Canopies are more often used for commercial solar systems than for residential ones—and are, in effect, elevated versions of ground mounts that can support solar panels while also providing shade for vehicles. Typically placed in paved areas, such as in parking lots, these can include electric charging stations for an even more eco-friendly solar solution.

Benefits of Solar Canopies

Going solar has numerous important benefits, being an eco-friendly choice that also reduces electricity bills and provides protection against rising energy costs. Going solar allows you to reduce your carbon footprint while increasing energy independence.

In addition, solar canopies provide additional benefits, including these:

• Efficient use of space; in 2012, according to the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, paved areas accounted for 35 to 50 percent of space in an average city; out of those paved areas, 40 percent consisted of parking lots—and solar canopies make eco-friendly, efficient use of that space
• When cars are parked in canopies, the shade can help to improve the fuel economy of those vehicles; by keeping the cars cooler, less air conditioning needs run to cool them down. FuelEconomy.gov, a website of the U.S. Department of Energy, notes that running the air conditioning in a vehicle is the largest contributor to negatively affecting fuel economy in heat, and can in fact reduce efficiency by more than 25 percent.

Federal Investment Tax Credit for Solar

• Solar PV panels, inverters, racking, balance-of-system equipment, and sales and use taxes on the equipment
• Installation costs and indirect costs
• Step-up transformers, circuit breakers, and surge arrestors
• Energy storage devices (if charged by a renewable energy system more than 75% of the time)

In 2020, the federal ITC is at 26%. In 2021, it will go down to 22% and, in 2022 and beyond, it will be at 10%. This makes 2020 a great year to invest in solar!

State incentives also exist in South Carolina (25 percent tax credit up to $35,000, spread over up to ten years) and in North Carolina (no property tax assessment on the value solar adds), as well as in other states.

There are also local and energy company incentives and, speak to one of our energy consultants and we can provide that information to you.