I. Major Domestic PV Carport Projects in China

1. NIO: Tender for 47MW Rooftop & Parking Lot PV Project

In early April 2022, NIO officially released the tender documents for its distributed PV power generation project at the Xinqiao Intelligent Electric Vehicle Industrial Park in Hefei, Anhui Province. The project has an installed capacity of approximately 47.0475MW, utilizing six rooftops within the NIO plant (assembly, stamping & welding, electric drive & electronic control, and three smart logistics warehouses) as well as parking lot PV canopy areas (including the front parking lot PV canopy and the VDC parking lot PV canopy, the latter requiring new construction). The project is divided into eight grid-connection points, with an estimated contract value of RMB 51.0372 million.

On April 2, the project released its first tender for PV mounting structures, requiring manufacturers to deliver gradually from April 20, 2022, according to the construction schedule. The tender specified that the project includes a PV canopy in the VDC plant area (13.03128MW capacity) and several rooftop PV projects, totaling about 44.683MW. The estimated contract value for the PV mounting structure procurement was RMB 24.5 million, with each installed module having a peak power of 540Wp.

NIO stated that the project tender was scheduled for April 2022, with 100% self-raised construction funds. NIO is not the only automaker investing in PV. Public information shows that as early as November 2021, the BMW Brilliance Shenyang Tiexi plant (Phase II) distributed PV project was successfully grid-connected; Volkswagen also announced plans to invest €40 million by 2025 to build solar and wind power plants in Europe, mainly to meet the additional demand for renewable energy from electric vehicles.

2. Tianjin FAW Toyota: 20.5MW BIPV Carput Put into Operation

In late April, the Tianjin FAW Toyota PV carport project, invested and constructed by China Southern Power Grid Integrated Energy Co., Ltd., was officially put into operation. Located in the parking lot of the FAW Toyota plant in Binhai New Area, Tianjin, the first phase reached 20.5MW, marking the successful completion of another large-scale PV project in China.

Project highlights: The PV carport adopts BIPV (Building-Integrated Photovoltaic) technology: the main structure uses hot-dip galvanized steel, and the roof uses an aluminum BIPV system, designed and constructed by Guangdong Jugong Steel Structure Co., Ltd. In terms of benefits: The project is expected to generate over 20 million kWh annually, reducing CO2 emissions by up to 24,000 tons per year, significantly lowering the enterprise's electricity costs and supporting its green brand image. Design standards: The overall design life exceeds 25 years, with a typhoon resistance rating of Level 12 or above, fully considering the effects of snow, rain, and ice in northern winters, demonstrating strong environmental adaptability.

It is worth noting that the constructor, Guangdong Jugong Steel Structure Co., Ltd., has extensive experience in PV carports and BIPV projects, having designed and constructed over 1 million square meters of PV carports for GAC Toyota, GAC Honda, Foshan Volkswagen, Dongfeng Liuzhou Motor, among others. They have also developed a BIPV roof system consisting of a 360-degree standing seam locking system combined directly with PV modules.

3. Changzhou: First "PV-Storage-Charging-Discharging" Integrated Charging Station at a Public Institution

On April 20, 2022, a new new energy vehicle parking lot was inaugurated at the west gate of the Changzhou Municipal Administrative Center. Its canopy is made of PV panels, and inside houses the city's first "PV-storage-charging-discharging" integrated charging station at a public institution, capable of parking and charging up to 43 new energy vehicles simultaneously.

Huang Pei, Deputy Director of the Public Institution Energy Management Division of the Changzhou Municipal Administration Bureau, introduced that the PV system generates 350 kWh of electricity per day, reducing carbon emissions by an estimated 160 tons annually. Thanks to PV power generation, charging fees are about 20% cheaper than at ordinary charging stations. The station integrates PV power generation, new energy charging, and smart management, combining PV modules with the carport to achieve both shading and power generation, balancing environmental protection and energy saving.

From a policy perspective, the "14th Five-Year Plan for Modern Energy Systems" released by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and the National Energy Administration on March 22, 2022, explicitly proposed "promoting the interactive two-way flow of energy and information between electric vehicles and smart grids, and carrying out pilot demonstrations of new charging and swapping stations combining PV, storage, charging, and swapping," providing a clear policy direction for the integration of PV carports and charging facilities.

4. Other Domestic PV Carport Projects

In addition to the key projects above, several other PV carport projects made progress in April 2022:

Tianjin Eco-City Fangte Parking Lot Project: Entered the design phase on April 15, 2022, with an installed capacity of 1MW and a total investment of approximately RMB 6.9 million. The construction period was from Q2 to Q4 2022, with Tianjin Eco-City Energy Investment and Construction Co., Ltd. responsible for construction.

Jintan District PV Theme Park: On April 22, 2022, a successful bid announcement was issued for integrating PV applications into an existing wetland park, including new PV sunshade carports for grid-connected power generation and park landscape lighting.

Xiaoyun Coal Mine PV Carport: Completed in May 2022, utilizing about 10,000 m² of ground parking lot to install a 1MWp PV carport and new energy smart charging piles. Operating under a "self-use, surplus-to-grid" model, it generates about 1.1 million kWh annually, saving over RMB 110,000 per year in electricity costs.

5. Technological Innovation: Patent for Solar Charging Carport Published

On April 14, 2022, a "solar charging carport" was published on the "Science and Technology Innovation China" platform. This utility model patent relates to the field of carport manufacturing technology, comprising a carport body, PV modules, and charging components. The carport body features a detachable canopy design; the PV modules include a PV mounting frame and multiple PV panels with adjustable height, making it convenient for users to clean or replace PV panels, offering high practicality and convenience.

II. Global PV Carport Market Trends

1. Global Solar Carport Market Report Released

On April 7, 2022, Fortune Business Insights released its "Solar Carport Market 2022-2029" research report, indicating that the global solar carport market size will grow significantly due to substantial economic and environmental benefits. The report notes that solar carports are essentially ground-mounted PV panels that cover parking lots like canopies, reducing traditional energy consumption and carbon footprints. Solar carports can be optimally angled to capture maximum sunlight, enhancing consumer energy savings. These energy and cost-saving potentials are the core drivers of growing global demand for solar carports. The report also lists several industry leaders, including SunPower Corporation, SolarCity, and SunEdison.

2. Global PV Carport Developments

Canada: The city of Leduc completed a 24.3kW solar carport PV system in 2022, consisting of 54 solar modules with an estimated annual generation of 20,000 kWh. The project received a C$18,225 rebate through the Alberta Municipal Solar Program. The total project cost was C$86,727, with projected electricity savings of C$50,000 over its 25-year lifespan and annual GHG reductions of about 11.4 tons.

United States: On April 27, 2022, the city of Orlando, Florida, issued a tender for its Fleet solar carport project, requiring the construction of a 277kW bifacial PV array and 32 EV charging stations (31 Level 2 and 1 Level 3), with integration of renewable energy/EV generation and consumption data into the existing building automation system for remote monitoring.

United Kingdom: Herefordshire Council issued a Request for Information (RFI) for a solar PV carport before April 15, 2022, as part of its net-zero commitment following the declaration of a climate emergency in 2019. The plan includes building a solar carport in the north parking lot of the Plough Lane main office, utilizing existing solar PV facilities and building base load to increase clean energy production for EV charging.

Europe: On April 1, 2022, a German modular solar carport system provider released solutions for various scenarios, covering from 1 to over 1,000 parking spaces, offering four carport types: all-wood, aluminum alloy, steel, and steel-wood hybrid. Meanwhile, on April 29, 2022, the city of Vienna, Austria, updated its PV carport subsidy policy, providing funding for commercial and private cantilevered roof PV systems on already hardened surfaces, requiring the system to be grid-connected and operate at full capacity for at least 800 hours per year.

Palestine: An-Najah National University launched its first PV solar carport project in May 2022, installing 105 465W PV modules, capable of fully charging up to 6 electric vehicles simultaneously, aiming to promote knowledge and technology transfer in the renewable energy field.

III. Technological and Model Innovations in PV Carports

1. "PV-Storage-Charging-Discharging" Integrated Model Matures

In April 2022, several "PV-storage-charging" integrated charging stations were completed in China. In such an integrated station, during the day, PV panels convert sunlight into electricity for chargers, with excess power stored in energy storage equipment; at night, the storage equipment supplies power to the chargers, enabling "low-carbon" or even "zero-carbon" operation. The PV-storage-charging system consists of four parts: PV generation, energy storage, charging piles, and energy management. It can operate in parallel with the conventional grid or independently as a microgrid, hailed by the industry as the "last mile" of new energy technology.

2. Rapid Development of Modular and Customized Solutions

In April 2022, German company Xpert.Digital released a modular solar carport system solution adaptable to from 1 to over 1,000 parking spaces, featuring mainly four-column technology and V-frame technology. Four-column technology offers high stability, safety, easy expansion, and minimal foundation work, and can be anchored to the ground without affecting underground pipelines, making it ideal for open parking areas and rooftop parking lots. For vegetation under the carport, translucent solar module solutions have also emerged, meeting lighting needs while maintaining aesthetics.

3. BIPV Technology Enhances Carport Performance

The 20.5MW Tianjin FAW Toyota project using BIPV technology directly integrates PV modules with the building structure, achieving excellent waterproofing, wind resistance, and durability, with an overall design life exceeding 25 years, becoming a benchmark case in the domestic BIPV carport field. Additionally, the German modular carport system offers solutions using semi-transparent glass modules, suitable for scenarios with higher requirements for aesthetics and light transmission.