Commercial Solar Carports: Generate Power, Shade your Fleet
Carport-mounted solar panels turn an unused parking area into a second roof for your site, generating clean power while protecting vehicles, stock or staff from the weather. Ideal for warehouses, distribution centres and manufacturing sites where roof space is limited, shaded, structurally unsuitable, or already needed for skylights and HVAC.
See if your parking area can power your business, contact us today.
Turn unused parking into a power asset
Carport structure does two jobs from one build: it generates solar power exactly like a rooftop array, and it shades and weatherproofs whatever sits underneath it, company vehicles, delivery fleets, staff parking or stock in transit.
For sites where the roof is already spoken for, structurally unsuitable, or simply too small for the system size the business needs, a carport is a genuine second option rather than a compromise.
Engineered for South African wind and load conditions
A carport structure carries different engineering demands to a rooftop array: foundation depth, wind loading and ground clearance all need to be calculated for the specific site rather than assumed.
Bigfisch’s in-house engineering team designs the mounting structure alongside the electrical systems, so the carport is specified as one project rather than a structural contractor and a solar installer working from separate assumptions.
Two real Bigfisch carport installations already at work
Bigfisch has already delivered commercial carport installations at this scale: A 102kWp solar carport for Centurion Systems, a manufacturing site, built alongside diesel generator backup for full outage protection; and a 67kWp solar carport powering an IT services provider’s operation. Both are running today, not concept designs.
Carports, batteries and EV charging work well together
A carport’s generation profile, daytime, consistent, close to where vehicles are parked, pairs naturally with battery storage for after-hours use, or with EV charging infrastructure for company fleets moving toward electric vehicles. Neither needs to be part of the initial build, but the structure can be specified to accommodate them later.
What to expect from site assessment to switch-on: a site visit confirms parking layout, ground conditions and available capacity before any structural design begins. From there, the same design, SSEG registration, installation and commissioning process applies as any other Bigfisch system, with the carport structure and electrical system engineered and built together.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a solar carport replace a rooftop system, or does it work alongside one?
It can be either. Some sites use a carport because the roof isn't suitable at all. Others add a carport to a roof array once available roof space runs out.
How much shade and weather protection does a solar carport actually provide?
A properly engineered carport structure gives full overhead cover, the same protection as a conventional carport roof, with the solar array replacing standard roofing sheets.
Do I need separate approval for the carport structure, on top of SSEG registration for the solar itself?
Structure typically needs standard building structural sign-off in addition to SSEG registration for the grid-tied solar system. Bigfisch manages both as part of the project.
Can a solar carport be combined with EV charging or battery storage?
The structure can be designed to accommodate EV charging points, or battery storage from the outset, or to allow for them later.
What roof or ground conditions make a site a poor fit for a carport instead of a rooftop system?
This depends on parking layout, ground conditions and how the site uses its yard or parking area day-to-day.