Parking Lot Solar in Los Angeles: How a Solar Carport Project Comes Together

For many Los Angeles businesses, the biggest open surface on the property isn't the roof. It's the parking lot. Retail centers, office parks and warehouses often have more asphalt than usable roof, sitting in full sun all day. Parking lot solar, built as carports or canopies over the stalls, puts that space to work and gives tenants, staff and customers covered parking.

This guide walks through how a parking lot solar project actually comes together, from the first site walk to the day the system turns on. If you want the numbers side (what drives carport cost, LADWP's carport incentive and how to compare bids), our commercial solar carports page covers that in detail.

Why parking lots are getting solar

A carport costs more than a rooftop array because you're paying for a steel structure as well as the solar, so the decision comes down to the site. Parking lot solar tends to fit when:

• The roof can't carry it. Limited structural capacity, crowded equipment, or only a few years of roof life left.
• The lot is the bigger surface. Many retail and office properties have more parking area than clear roof.
• Shade has value. Covered parking is an amenity, especially in Valley summers.
• EV charging is on the roadmap. A canopy is a natural place to mount chargers, with conduit and electrical capacity planned once.

Many sites end up doing both. On our Chatsworth commercial building project, the array went on the roof and on two new carports over the parking lot, with EV charging stations added at the same time.

Step 1: Start with the utility on your bill

In Los Angeles County, the utility named on your electric bill shapes the whole project, so we confirm it before designing anything.

• LADWP (most of the City of Los Angeles, including much of the Valley) is a municipal utility. It runs its own net energy metering rider for customer-owned systems and a separate Feed-in Tariff program that buys the output of eligible local projects.
• Southern California Edison customers applying for interconnection today take service on the CPUC's Net Billing Tariff, which SCE calls the Solar Billing Plan and many people call NEM 3.0. Exported energy is generally credited below the retail rate, so system size and battery storage need more thought.
• Burbank, Glendale and Pasadena run their own municipal utilities with their own rules.

For a side-by-side look, see LADWP vs SCE solar.

Step 2: Walk the lot

A carport site visit looks at more than sun exposure. We check:

• Stall layout and drive aisles. Columns have to land where they don't cost you spaces or block traffic.
• Fire lanes, accessible stalls and loading zones. These affect where canopies can go and how high they need to be.
• Trees, light poles and signage. Existing lighting may need to move or be replaced by lighting mounted under the canopy.
• What's underground. Utility lines, storm drains and irrigation must be located before anyone plans foundations.
• Distance to the electrical room. The trench run from the far end of the lot to your switchgear is real work, and an older service may need upgrades to accept the system.

We also review twelve months of utility bills, because a carport should be sized to how the property uses power, not just to how many stalls it can cover.

Step 3: Design the structure

Carports are engineered structures, the biggest difference from a rooftop job. The main design choices:

• Single-column (cantilevered "T") or two-column canopies. Single-column designs keep stalls open but need heavier steel and foundations. Two-column designs are lighter but put posts between cars.
• Clearance height. Taller canopies may be needed over certain stalls and drive paths, which means more steel.
• Foundations. Usually drilled piers sized to the soil, often based on a geotechnical report.
• Tilt and orientation. These trade a bit of production against drainage, clearance and how the canopy fits the lot.

A structural engineer stamps the canopy design, and the electrical design covers modules, inverters, conduit and the tie-in to your service.

Step 4: Permits and utility review

Parking lot solar typically goes through more review than a rooftop system, because the city reviews the structure as well as the electrical work.

• Building permits. In the City of Los Angeles, plan review and permits go through the Department of Building and Safety (LADBS). Other cities, and unincorporated LA County, have their own building departments with their own processes.
• Inspections. Expect inspections at several stages, including foundations, structure and electrical, before final sign-off.
• Utility interconnection. In parallel, the utility reviews the system before it can operate. On LADWP Feed-in Tariff projects, the carport incentive is part of the FiT application, and LADWP's Feed-in Tariff program terms tie carport incentive payments to installing EV chargers at the site.

Review times vary by jurisdiction, utility and project size, so we schedule around the actual agencies involved.

Step 5: Build while the lot stays open

Most businesses can't close their lot for weeks. A good plan phases the work section by section so part of the lot stays usable, with clear signage and safe walking routes. The usual sequence: mark utilities, drill and pour foundations, set steel, mount modules, run conduit and wiring, then finish lighting, striping and paving repairs.

Step 6: Turn it on and keep it running

After final inspection and utility permission to operate, the system goes live. Monitoring then shows how the array is performing, and periodic maintenance keeps the modules, electrical system and structure in good shape.

Plan EV charging and storage at the same time

Even if chargers come later, running empty conduit and leaving electrical capacity during construction beats trenching through new asphalt. In SCE territory, battery storage is worth evaluating too, since it can shift midday solar into evening hours when Net Billing Tariff export credits can be higher, especially on summer evenings. See our EV charging and battery storage pages for more.

Incentives and tax treatment

Commercial solar may qualify for an up to 30% federal tax credit (6% base; 30% if prevailing wage and apprenticeship rules are met; eligibility varies, consult a tax advisor). Carports raise a specific question for your advisor: how much of the canopy structure counts toward the credit. In LADWP territory, the Feed-in Tariff includes a Carport and Canopy Incentive, subject to program capacity and LADWP's terms. Our incentives page and LADWP solar programs guide have more.

This article is general information, not tax, legal or financial advice. Programs change, so confirm anything that affects a decision with your CPA or the program administrator.

Work with a Sylmar-based carport team

Current Energy designs, permits, builds and services commercial solar from our office in Sylmar, with in-house crews. Our carport work includes projects at Van Nuys Airport, Chatsworth and Vitco Foods. We serve businesses across Los Angeles, the San Fernando Valley and Southern California.

Get a Free Commercial Assessment or call (888) 751-0359. Send a recent utility bill and a site address, and we'll tell you whether your roof, your lot, or both make sense for solar.

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