Core components

1. Supporting Structure: This serves as the “skeleton” of the carport. Common materials include steel structures and aluminum alloy structures. The design must take into account the number of parking spaces (single-space, multi-space, or row-and-column arrangement) as well as wind and snow load requirements to ensure overall structural stability.
2. Photovoltaic Modules: The “roof + power-generation core” of the carport, replacing traditional roofing materials such as color steel sheets and polycarbonate panels. These modules typically use high-efficiency monocrystalline or polycrystalline silicon photovoltaic panels, which not only capture solar energy to generate electricity but also provide protective coverage (the module surface features certain impact-resistant and waterproof properties).

1. Spatial reuse, requiring no additional land: The system is built on top of previously idle parking lots, eliminating the need for new land acquisition (unlike ground-mounted photovoltaic power stations). This makes it particularly well-suited for scenarios with limited land availability, such as urban industrial parks, commercial complexes, and factory sites.
2. Multi-functional and versatile: It not only addresses the pain points of outdoor parking—such as exposure to intense sunlight and rain—but also generates clean energy. Moreover, it can be extended to offer additional features like charging and emergency power supply (while traditional carports can only provide parking space).
3. Distributed generation with local consumption: The generation sites are located close to the electricity consumption sites (such as parking lot lighting, charging stations, and office buildings in industrial parks), resulting in minimal energy losses, a high self-consumption ratio, and reduced electricity costs.
4. Safe, environmentally friendly, and long-term stable: Photovoltaic power generation is noise-free and produces no exhaust emissions. The components have a lifespan of up to 25–30 years, with low maintenance costs. Moreover, the structure of the canopy provides additional safety protection for vehicles (shielding against hail, falling objects from heights, and more).

Driven by the global energy transition and the growing popularity of new-energy vehicles, the overseas market for photovoltaic carports is set to maintain a rapid growth trajectory in the future. Different regional markets will exhibit distinct development characteristics, while technological innovation and upgrades in business models will further fuel market expansion. The global photovoltaic carport market is under strong growth momentum; in 2024, its market size reached 1.5 billion U.S. dollars, and it is projected to achieve a compound annual growth rate of 16.3% from 2026 to 2033, expanding to 5.2 billion U.S. dollars by 2033. Another forecast suggests that by 2030, the global installed capacity of photovoltaic carports could reach 80 gigawatts, with the market size surpassing 50 billion U.S. dollars. This growth is driven by the continued decline in the cost of photovoltaic components—currently dropping to between 0.5 and 1 U.S. dollar per watt—and by improvements in conversion efficiency, which have risen to 20%–25%. Additionally, supportive government policies promoting renewable energy and the surging demand for charging infrastructure for new-energy vehicles are jointly boosting the continuous expansion of market demand.

Asia-Pacific (excluding China):Countries such as India and Japan are key growth drivers. India has launched the “National Solar Mission,” vigorously promoting infrastructure development and creating substantial demand for photovoltaic carports. Japan, on the other hand, focuses on technological refinement, making strong efforts in areas such as flexible module adaptation to unconventional scenarios and intelligent operations and maintenance. Thanks to rapid industrialization and growing urban populations, this region is poised to become one of the fastest-growing markets globally in the future, and the rise of local manufacturers will further fuel market expansion.
Other regions:In Latin America, countries such as Brazil and Mexico are gradually promoting the adoption of photovoltaic carports by leveraging the demand for efficient technologies in agriculture and manufacturing. As economic reforms deepen and international cooperation intensifies in the future, market penetration will continue to rise. In the Middle East, countries like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates—benefiting from abundant solar energy resources—are stepping up their investments in new-energy infrastructure. Photovoltaic carports are poised to be widely deployed in scenarios such as commercial parks and public parking lots. Meanwhile, in Africa, photovoltaic carports will help address parking and basic electricity access challenges in certain regions, gradually paving the way for broader market deployment.