I. Policy Tailwinds: A Golden Period for PV Parking Projects

In 2022, the central and local governments introduced a series of policies to facilitate PV parking projects. Henan Province issued a notice to allow on‑the‑spot filing for distributed PV projects built on eligible rooftops, parking lots, etc., in logistics parks, requiring grid companies to promptly accept applications and connect them to the grid under a “self‑generation with surplus fed into the grid” model. The Shenzhen Municipal Development and Reform Commission released several measures to vigorously promote distributed PV, explicitly providing municipal fiscal subsidies for eligible projects based on their power generation during the policy’s validity period. The town of Qiaotou in Dongguan also encouraged the use of building rooftops, facades, or adjacent idle spaces such as parking lots for PV projects, following the principle of “building wherever feasible”.

The continued policy support laid a solid foundation for the large‑scale deployment of solar parking solutions in 2022.

II. Benchmark Projects: Multiple Scenarios Show Immense Potential

▍ Industrial Park: Jiangling Motors 63MW Distributed PV Carport Project

In September 2022, the 63.05MW distributed PV carport project jointly built by Jiangling Motors and Beijing Energy International was fully connected to the grid, becoming the largest single‑unit distributed PV project in China to date. The project made scientific and efficient use of existing parking lots within the Jiangling Motors plant, building new carport‑mounted distributed PV stations covering an area of approximately 325,000 square meters. It not only generates clean electricity but also provides shade for parked vehicles, achieving intensive, three‑dimensional land use.

▍ Highway Service Area: Shanghai’s First PV Carport Project

In January 2022, Shanghai’s first highway service area distributed PV power project was successfully connected to the grid at Changxing Island Service Area. The project installed 231 PV modules over the parking area of the west service zone, adopting a “self‑generation with surplus fed into the grid” model. With an expected operational life of 25 years, the PV carport provides about 120,000 kWh of green electricity per year to the on‑site EV charging piles.

▍ Multi‑Story Parking Structure: Xuelin Street Project, Haining, Zhejiang

In December 2022, the Xuelin Street PV parking building in Haining was completed and connected to the grid. With a total floor area of approximately 14,529 square meters, the project installed rooftop distributed PV modules with a capacity of 689kWp and an estimated annual generation of about 700,000 kWh. It reduces standard coal consumption by 210 tons, CO₂ emissions by 561 tons, and sulfur compound emissions by 4.2 tons per year, making it the largest PV parking building project in Haining to date.

▍ “Carbon‑Negative” Parking Lot: Jiangsu Province’s First Demonstration Project

In May 2022, Jiangsu Province’s first “carbon‑negative” multi‑story parking lot was put into operation in Wuxi. The parking lot’s rooftop and two side walls are all covered with solar panels, generating an estimated 760,000 kWh in its first year. Using bifacial solar panels, even the backside generates power from reflected light off vehicles and the ground, reducing CO₂ emissions by 490 tons annually.

▍ Public Institution: “Near‑Zero Carbon Agency” Project in Futian District, Shenzhen

In December 2022, the integrated PV‑storage‑charging carport project at the Futian District Committee compound in Shenzhen officially commenced. The project integrates PV power generation with carports, incorporating a “Fu” (fortune) character with Futian’s cultural identity into the carport canopy design. It is equipped with ultra‑fast integrated charging facilities supporting 500 km of range with just 10 minutes of charging, making it the parking lot with the highest ratio of charging piles among government institutions in Shenzhen.

III. Technological and Model Innovations: From “PV Carports” to Integrated PV‑Storage‑Charging

By 2022, solar parking solutions had evolved beyond simple power generation and shading towards more intelligent systems. The integrated PV‑storage‑charging model became the mainstream. A PV, energy storage, and charging micro‑grid system intelligently interacts with the main grid through seamless switching between on‑grid and off‑grid modes. While providing green energy, it also performs functions such as peak shaving and valley filling, greatly improving overall economic efficiency.

Installation forms of PV carports have also become more flexible. Using PV panels as the carport roof, mounted on steel trusses above parking spaces, they both protect vehicles from sun and rain and supply electricity for carport lighting. The carport can be equipped with charging piles, energy storage, and other facilities to charge EVs and e‑bikes.

IV. Dual Economic and Environmental Benefits

The economic benefits of solar parking solutions are substantial. For example, a multi‑story parking lot generates an estimated 760,000 kWh annually, while its own electricity consumption is only about 40,000 kWh per year. The surplus 720,000 kWh can be used by the enterprise for production, saving over 500,000 yuan in electricity bills annually, achieving “carbon‑negative” operation.

The environmental benefits are equally remarkable. PV power generation has unique advantages of zero consumption, zero pollution, and zero emissions – a green energy source combining economic and environmental gains.

V. Global Perspective: Solar Parking Becomes a Worldwide Trend

In 2022, solar parking solutions also attracted significant attention globally. The Netherlands launched the world’s largest solar carport at the time, covering an area of 35 hectares, capable of parking 15,000 vehicles, equipped with 90,000 solar panels and a total capacity of 35MWp, providing green energy for about 10,000 households. France passed a law requiring all parking lots with more than 400 spaces to install solar canopies within the next three years. These international developments fully indicate that solar parking has become an important direction for global renewable energy development.