I. Global Market Landscape and Growth Trends of Solar Carport Mounting Systems

In 2022, the global solar carport market showed steady growth. According to market research data, the global solar carport market value reached approximately USD 524 million in 2022 and is expected to reach USD 685 million by 2028, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of about 4.80% during the forecast period. Another research report indicated that the global solar carport market value was about USD 415.63 million and is expected to grow at a healthy CAGR of over 10.4% from 2023 to 2030.

From a regional perspective, North America dominated the global solar carport market in 2022, mainly driven by growing consumer awareness of solar energy, government incentive policies, and the presence of major market players. The Asia-Pacific region is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period, driven by increasing environmental concerns, technological advancements, and continued government support.

In the Chinese market, Building-Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV) have received strong policy support, and market space continues to expand. According to estimates, China's BIPV market space reached approximately RMB 21.1 billion in 2022 and is expected to reach RMB 76.6 billion by 2026. China's BIPV installed capacity is expected to reach 751 MW in 2022, a year-on-year increase of 6.2%. China's PV market grew again in 2021, ranking first globally in both annual and cumulative installed capacity, with the PV industry becoming a model of high-quality development and a strategic emerging industry.

As carbon peak and carbon neutrality efforts gradually advance across various sectors, relevant ministries and commissions have successively issued policies to promote the integrated application of PV power generation. "PV+" is quietly changing people's production and lifestyles. As the smallest combination of "PV + building", the PV carport not only provides shelter for vehicles but also uses solar energy to generate clean PV power for EV charging, lighting, and grid feed-in, offering broad market prospects.

II. Technical Parameters and Structural Design of Solar Carport Mounting Systems

The solar carport mounting system is the core component of a PV carport. A typical PV carport mounting system mainly includes support columns, inclined beams fixed between the columns, purlins connected to the inclined beams to support the PV module array, as well as relevant fasteners, diagonal braces, tie bars, and other auxiliary facilities. The mounting system is usually installed on concrete foundations, which can be pile foundations, strip foundations, or independent foundations.

There are various types of mounting structures. Conventional products can be divided into single-column single-slope, double-column single-slope, single-column double-slope, etc., as well as special support structures such as V-type, N-type, and X-type. Taking industry benchmark products as an example, the single-V column carport mounting system uses AL6005-T5 aluminum alloy with surface anodizing treatment, and fasteners are made of zinc-nickel alloy and stainless steel SUS304, providing excellent corrosion resistance. Technical parameters include an adjustable installation angle range of 5 to 15 degrees, wind load design of 45 m/s, snow load design of 1.2 KN/㎡, ground clearance not less than 2000 mm, compatibility with framed and frameless modules, and module layout supporting both horizontal and vertical orientations.

In terms of key performance indicators, the industry generally uses Q235B or Q355B steel as the main material for the mounting system. The hot-dip galvanized coating thickness is required to be no less than 65 μm, and it is recommended to reach more than 80 μm in high-corrosion areas (such as coastal regions). Wind resistance must reach at least 1.5 kN/m². The structural design of the mounting system generally refers to international standards such as AS/NZS 1170, DIN 1055, JIS C 8955:2017, and the International Building Code IBC 2009. Grace Solar's PV building solutions, through advanced structural and material design, can withstand super typhoons and heavy snow, with a system lifespan exceeding 25 years.

Waterproofing design is also an important consideration for PV carport mounting systems. The top surface of the mounting system adopts a BIPV structure, using modules instead of roofing, and is equipped with water gutters or drainage pipes to ensure effective rainwater drainage and avoid damage from water accumulation. Modular design has become a mainstream industry trend. Products are pre-assembled at the factory, requiring no cutting or welding on-site, and installation is completed only with bolted connections, significantly shortening construction periods and reducing installation costs.

III. Typical Project Application Cases in 2022

In 2022, a number of representative solar carport projects emerged globally, demonstrating the broad applicability and significant comprehensive benefits of this technology.

In the Chinese market, a large-scale PV carport integrated project in Hangzhou Bay, Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, was completed and put into use at the end of August 2022. The project was invested and built by a well-known automaker, using Canadian Solar's monocrystalline HiKu6 series modules with a power output of up to 555W and conversion efficiency of 21.6%. The effective installation area of the carport was about 138,700 square meters, with a total installed capacity of 29 MW. The module array can accommodate parking for 9,800 vehicles. It is expected to generate approximately 34.8 million kWh of green electricity annually, equivalent to saving about 10,400 tons of standard coal and reducing CO2 emissions by about 27,800 tons per year, saving the enterprise about RMB 27.8 million in electricity bills annually.

In the Japanese market, in March 2022, Grace Solar's large-scale parking lot project in Fukushima Prefecture was officially grid-connected. The project accommodates 154 vehicles, uses a high-strength aluminum alloy structure that can withstand 150 cm of snow accumulation, and has passed the Japanese JIS carport certification, making Grace Solar the first PV carport mounting system enterprise in China to obtain JIS carport certification. Around the same time, Antai New Energy's 1.3 MW aluminum alloy carport project in Hyogo Prefecture, Japan, was successfully grid-connected. Considering the coastal environment, the solution used high-performance aluminum alloy resistant to salt damage and corrosion, with additional thickening of the aluminum surface film to extend service life.

In overseas markets, Australian startup Canyon Solar launched a modular solar carport solution for commercial applications in July 2022, designed specifically for rapid installation, significantly reducing on-site labor requirements and saving costs. In the United States, Terrasmart provided a fixed-tilt mounting system for the Chicago Urban League project, building a 162 kW solar carport, introducing PV power generation to Chicago's historic South Side for the first time. The Alchemist Brewery project in Vermont used a truss structure design, including 11 columns and 22 truss sections, capable of withstanding a 70 psf snow load and 115 mph wind speed, with power generation covering 33% of the site's total energy consumption.

IV. Policy Drivers and Industry Standards

2022 was a year of intensive policy issuance for PV carports. At the national level, five ministries including the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) jointly issued the "Action Plan for Innovative Development of the Smart Photovoltaic Industry (2021–2025)" in January 2022, explicitly accelerating the promotion and application of integrated "PV + transportation" projects. The national standard "General Code for Building Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Utilization" (GB55015-2021) came into effect on April 1, 2022, requiring that new buildings be equipped with solar systems, and the design of solar building-integrated application systems should be completed simultaneously with architectural design.

In March 2022, the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development (MOHURD) issued the "14th Five-Year Plan for Building Energy Efficiency and Green Building Development", proposing to promote the integrated construction of PV systems in new buildings and encourage government-invested public welfare buildings to strengthen solar PV applications. National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) member Gu Ming proposed during the 2022 Two Sessions to promote the conversion of open parking lots into PV carports, which could be combined with the large roof areas of shopping malls where conditions permit, and to install EV charging piles inside the carports to provide more clean energy to society.

Regarding industry standards, the China Photovoltaic Industry Association (CPIA) released T/CPIA 0047-2022 "Technical Guidelines for Design and Installation of Photovoltaic Flexible Mounting Systems" on December 30, 2022, specifying key technical requirements for the design and installation principles, loads and load combinations, structural systems, and component design of flexible PV mounting systems. In addition, the industry also refers to GB 50009 "Load Code for the Design of Building Structures" and "Design Code for Photovoltaic Mounting Structures" for load取值, and requires steel structure mounting systems to follow relevant specifications for anti-corrosion measures to ensure a 25-year service life.