Average Cost of a Solar Carport (Commercial)

[Hugh]

Australia has just released its first domestic solar carport kits manufactured by Powershade and available through web.

[J.P.M.]

They are located in Duke Electric territory which surprising has a true Net Metering plan. Cost for a homeowner is around $0.12/kWh so Lockheed should be getting at least that amount for what they send to the grid.

Usually or at least often, commercial and industrial rates are a whole lot lower than residential rates to the point that I'd guess residential users would be surprised and really pissed off if they knew what the differential was.

I used $0.04/kWh as a SWAG of ~~ 1/3 what the residential rates might be, which is about what I've seen from other POCOs in CA and NY. I've no problem believing Duke pays full buck on a net metering schedule, but I'd be surprised if L-M paid rates equal to those of a residential customer.

If they did pay $0.12/kWh, that $126,000/yr. SWAG I made would turn in to $378,000/yr or ~ $9.5 million over 25 yrs. as a simple ROI with no adjustment for rate inflation or anything else having to do with valid or GAAP type economic analysis.

[SunEagle]

SWAG's: L-M pays ~ $0.04/kWh for power. Array produces 1400 kWh/yr./STC kW. --->>> 1st yr. savings ~~ $126,000. To save $6.50 million saved over 25 yrs., no inflation/tax breaks/depreciation/annual perform. degradation/maint./etc., means electricity rates need to be expected to increase ~ 5.5%/yr. average/yr. compounded, or about the same as ROI. Maybe they can get it installed for a buck a W. Back of envelope stuff only.

They are located in Duke Electric territory which surprising has a true Net Metering plan. Cost for a homeowner is around $0.12/kWh so Lockheed should be getting at least that amount for what they send to the grid.

[J.P.M.]

Lockheed Martin in Oldsmar Florida installed a 2.25mw array over their personnel parking lot back in 2015. It is reported it will save $6.5m over 25 years. I wonder what that cost to install.

Lockheed

SWAG's: L-M pays ~ $0.04/kWh for power. Array produces 1400 kWh/yr./STC kW. --->>> 1st yr. savings ~~ $126,000. To save $6.50 million saved over 25 yrs., no inflation/tax breaks/depreciation/annual perform. degradation/maint./etc., means electricity rates need to be expected to increase ~ 5.5%/yr. average/yr. compounded, or about the same as ROI. Maybe they can get it installed for a buck a W. Back of envelope stuff only.

[J.P.M.]

It makes little sense to go less than 5 degrees, 10 is a typical max.

Which doesn't do much for output unless in the tropics, and so doesn't do much for cost effectiveness most other places.

[SunEagle]

Lockheed Martin in Oldsmar Florida installed a 2.25mw array over their personnel parking lot back in 2015. It is reported it will save $6.5m over 25 years. I wonder what that cost to install.

Lockheed

Funding for municipal stuff is always easier, whereas private business has to have their own funding or someone that does a lease and PPA. Businesses also want a higher rate of return whereas public are happy if they take 15 years to get the money back.

Agreed. Also, poor drainage/slope can lead to other problems such as breeding sites in standing H2O/puddles and other issues.

All those considerations also add to cost.

And, after all that, no one on this thread is as yet talking about the fact that panels slapped on a carport roof, or that act somewhat as a roof are probably going how to placed on or close to the horizontal which is, for several reasons, a very poor orientation for PV devices for most locations.

It makes little sense to go less than 5 degrees, 10 is a typical max.

[J.P.M.]

One good place to look at solar carports is the Cincinnati Zoo. They put in solar carports over their entire parking lot. Pretty cool to see.

Or the San Diego airport. Parking lots and other expansive areas are target rich environments for PV. Usually, or often, public lots such for airports, schools and municipal facilities get PV before non gov. places like Costco parking lots, etc.

Wonder what that says, if anything, about funding and cost ?

[GRickard]

One good place to look at solar carports is the Cincinnati Zoo. They put in solar carports over their entire parking lot. Pretty cool to see.

[J.P.M.]

Others commented about where it will go. Ground snow loads, soil conditions and wind loading impacts the design significantly. Drainage a is big issue in winter. I saw one popular design that has snow clips on it to reduce snow slides, they equipped it with gutters that appeared to be a flat slope running to common near horizontal leader to a vertical downspout. Might be fine for non freezing climates but a recipe for freezing issues.

Agreed. Also, poor drainage/slope can lead to other problems such as breeding sites in standing H2O/puddles and other issues.

All those considerations also add to cost.

And, after all that, no one on this thread is as yet talking about the fact that panels slapped on a carport roof, or that act somewhat as a roof are probably going how to placed on or close to the horizontal which is, for several reasons, a very poor orientation for PV devices for most locations.

[peakbagger]

Others commented about where it will go. Ground snow loads, soil conditions and wind loading impacts the design significantly. Drainage a is big issue in winter. I saw one popular design that has snow clips on it to reduce snow slides, they equipped it with gutters that appeared to be a flat slope running to common near horizontal leader to a vertical downspout. Might be fine for non freezing climates but a recipe for freezing issues.

[J.P.M.]

Also, total, if done properly, there is no reason a carport should exceed $3/w DC unless they are putting a ton of bells and whistles, was designed by an architect, and also has coupled battery storage. That $5/w discussed earlier is ridiculous.

It's probably likely that I could get a PV system designed and installed on an existing carport roof for < $3.00/ STC W, but I doubt I could get a decent/fit for purpose and large enough carport for say, a 5 STC kW system designed, permitted and erected for $3.00 /ft^2.

Hell, I couldn't get the engineering done for that price.

At $3.00/ft^2, that would be ~ 300ft.^2 *$3.00 = $ 900 installed for a 300 ft'^2 carport. Da' ya' think ? NOT.

Also, total, if done properly, there is no reason a carport should exceed $3/w DC unless they are putting a ton of bells and whistles, was designed by an architect, and also has coupled battery storage. That $5/w discussed earlier is ridiculous.

The price of a solar carport depends on a few factors. First, snow and wind loads. Second, standard or custom. Third, parking configuration (two deep parking or single stall rows).
There are other minor factors, but those are the main drivers.

For the North East USA, you can get the base carport structure (not including foundations or options), standard design, typical 30-40psf snow, non-coastal winds, two deep parking for under 50 cents per watt (based on a decent module wattage). If you go single stalls, the price goes up into the 70s. If you have heavier snow or winds it will also increase.

Your foundations are your other major cost. To avoid getting in the way of parking space, these foundations need to be designed for each project.

xxxxxxxxx has a system designed for snow loads. Removed website

Vehicle shade in the summer, vehicle protection from snow and ice in the winter, diverting water from the sewage system, being able to throw your groceries in the car without soaking your trunk space, eliminating a lot of the heat island affect, etc are all harder to put value on but exist. There is also no land cost as there would be with a farm, its already there, unused, and now multi purpose. And typically a parking lot is next to a big building that uses a lot of power, that now has to travel a couple hundred feet and not a hundred miles (just like good ole regular rooftop).

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