For sites with large car parks
Solar carports
In a Saudi summer, a shaded parking space has a value anyone who has opened a car left for hours in the sun understands. Solar carports provide that shade and, at the same time, produce electricity the building uses during the day.
They suit sites whose roof is small or crowded but whose car park is large: shopping centres, offices, hospitals and universities. Send one request with your type of site, city and approximate number of spaces, and qualified solar installers send you quotes.
How a solar carport works
A carport is a steel structure over rows of parking bays, roofed by the panels themselves or by panels fixed to purlins above it. The power produced runs by cable to inverters and then to the building’s switchboard, where it feeds cooling, lighting and other loads.
Electrically it is an ordinary grid-connected solar system. The difference is the structure: a carport is a construction project in its own right, with foundations, columns and rainwater drainage, designed around vehicle movement and the safety of people underneath.
Who it suits — and who it may not
Usually a good fit
Shopping centres, offices, hospitals, universities and schools with large open car parks and high daytime consumption, or a roof too small for a meaningful system.
Needs a closer look
Car parks shaded by tall buildings or trees, mixed parking with trucks or buses that need extra height, or leased land.
May not be the first step
If you have a large unused roof, rooftop panels usually cost less. Start there and add carports later if you want shade or extra capacity.
Carport components in general
Steel structure
Galvanised or coated steel columns and beams, in a single-column (T) or two-column design depending on bay width and traffic.
Foundations
Concrete footings designed for the soil and wind loads, taking account of services buried under the car park.
Panels and inverters
Panels of an approved class, inverters in a ventilated, protected location, and cables in buried ducts or along the structure.
Drainage and lighting
Gutters and downpipes that carry rainwater away from cars, and LED lighting under the canopy for night-time safety.
Monitoring
A system showing production and faults that also helps time the cleaning.
What shade is worth in a Saudi summer
A solar carport is not just panels in a different place. Staff, patients and visitors come back to a cooler car, and the site offers something people notice every day. Some sites need parking shade anyway, so the panels add to a project that was already planned.
That is why carports shouldn’t be judged on electricity alone. They usually cost more than rooftop panels because of the structure and foundations, but part of that cost buys shade the site would have paid for regardless. Read our guide to solar carports for businesses.
What happens during the car-park survey
The survey covers the car-park layout, number and orientation of rows, traffic flow and emergency access, and shading from nearby buildings. The engineer also needs to know the tallest vehicle that uses the car park — ambulances, vans or civil-defence vehicles — to set the canopy height.
A scan for underground services is needed before digging foundations: cables, irrigation and drainage pipes. The distance to the switchboard is checked too, because long cable runs affect cost and losses. With 12 months of bills, it becomes clear how much of the carport output the site will actually use.
Grid connection and building permits
The electrical connection follows the same small-scale solar framework: an application to the Saudi Electricity Company, approved equipment, an inspection and a bidirectional meter. Details on grid-connected solar.
Because a carport is a fixed structure, it may need a building permit or structural approval from the municipality, and sometimes civil-defence requirements. Ask who prepares the structural drawings and handles permits. Electrical work and connection must only be done by a licensed electrical contractor.
Heat, dust and cleaning carports
Carport panels are better ventilated underneath than panels close to a roof, which helps a little in summer heat. But dust settles on them like any other panel, and they are harder to reach because they sit high above the cars.
Plan cleaning from the start: nearby water points, cleaning times that avoid peak parking hours, and safe access equipment. In coastal cities, ask how the structure and fixings are protected against humidity and salt. Read our dust, heat and cleaning guide.
Typical project steps
- 1. Request and layout
You send your request with the car-park plan and bills; installers contact you.
- 2. Survey and design
Structural and electrical design, setting the height, the number of covered bays and capacity.
- 3. Quote and permits
A written quote, then building permits and the connection procedure.
- 4. Phased installation
Foundations and steel first, then panels and cabling, closing only part of the car park at a time.
- 5. Inspection and commissioning
Connection inspection, switch-on, and handover of drawings and the maintenance plan.
Warranties to ask about
Carports add a warranty you don’t usually see on rooftops: a warranty on the steel structure and its coating against corrosion and rust. Add it to the product and performance warranties on the panels, the inverter warranty and a workmanship warranty that covers drainage and leaks.
Ask for the length of each warranty and who gives it in writing. More in our warranties and maintenance guide.
What drives the cost of solar carports?
We don’t publish prices, but these are the main factors:
- Number of bays and capacity
How many rows you cover and how many kWp you install.
- Structure type and height
Single- or two-column design, required clearance and span between columns.
- Foundations and soil
Soil type, buried services and footing size.
- Extras
Lighting, drainage and EV-charging readiness.
- Cabling and connection
Distance from the car park to the switchboard and connection requirements.
Compare quotes on the same number of bays, capacity, height and warranties. Read solar costs.
Financing options in general
Sites fund carports by paying outright, through financing from a lender, or with models where the customer pays for the electricity produced. We don’t recommend lenders or quote rates — ask each installer which options exist and compare the terms carefully.
Questions to ask before signing
- Who did the structural design?
Ask for drawings approved by a structural engineer and the wind-load calculations.
- What is the clear height under the canopy?
Make sure it suits the tallest vehicle using the car park, including emergency vehicles.
- Who handles building permits and connection?
And is the timeline in writing?
- Are you qualified for electrical work and grid connection?
Ask for proof of qualification and electrical licence and check it yourself.
- Is the design ready for EV chargers?
Even if you don’t install them now, ask about laying cable ducts from the start.
Solar carports: common questions
Will rain drip through onto the cars?
Panels alone don’t stop water passing between the gaps, so ask about drainage: gutters, watertight panel systems or a separate roof sheet under the panels.
Can I add EV chargers under the canopy?
Yes, in general. It is best to plan cable routes and switchboard capacity from the start. Chargers need their own electrical design and a licensed electrical contractor.
Do I need a building permit?
Carports usually need municipal approval because they are fixed structures. A qualified installer will explain what your site needs.
Are carports better than rooftop panels?
Not always. Roofs usually cost less; carports add shade and use space that would otherwise do nothing. Many sites combine both.
Does the lighting under the canopy run on solar?
It runs at night, so it takes power from the grid or from solar lighting with its own batteries. Ask the installer about both options.
Do you install the carports?
No. SaudiSolar only compares offers: with your consent we pass your request to qualified installers, and the contract and warranty are between you and the installer you choose.
Related services
Helpful guides
Compare solar carport quotes
One request with your type of site, city and approximate number of spaces brings quotes from qualified installers. Free, no obligation.