Solar Carport Installation in Orlando
A solar carport is a covered parking structure with solar panels for a roof. Your car stays cool and shaded. The panels make electricity for your home or business. In Orlando, where parked cars bake in the sun all summer, a solar carport does two jobs at once.
Orlando Solar Installation Pros designs and installs solar carports for homes and businesses. Fill out the contact form to get started.
How Solar Carports Work
The carport is a steel or aluminum frame with a roof made of solar panels. The panels catch sunlight and make electricity just like any solar array. Wiring runs from the carport to your electrical panel.
Power flows the same way as rooftop solar. Your property uses what it needs. Extra power goes to the grid for net metering credit. At night you pull from the grid as normal.
A carport can also feed an EV charger mounted on one of its posts. Drive home, plug in under the shade, and charge with sunshine.
Who Is a Solar Carport For?
Homeowners with a long driveway or a big parking pad are good fits. If your roof cannot take solar, a carport gives you panels without roof work.
Businesses with parking lots are great fits too. Offices, churches, and retail lots can shade customer cars while cutting the electric bill. Covered parking is a real perk in Florida summers.
Anyone planning an EV charger should think about a carport. Shade plus charging in one structure is hard to beat.
What Affects the Cost
Size and Span
A single-car carport costs far less than a structure covering twenty spaces. Wider spans need heavier steel, which costs more.
Foundation Work
Posts anchor into concrete footings. Soil conditions and the number of posts drive this cost. Florida sandy soil usually needs proper engineered footings.
Electrical Run
Trenching a cable from the carport to your panel adds cost. The farther the run, the more it costs.
Extras
Lighting under the canopy, EV charger wiring, and gutters for rain runoff all add to the price. They also add real value.
Permits
A carport is a structure, so it needs building permits. Engineering for Florida wind code is part of the package.
On incentives: the 30 percent federal residential credit under Section 25D ended December 31, 2025. The Florida sales tax exemption on solar equipment still applies and helps on the panels and related gear.
Florida-Specific Notes
Florida wind code is strict for open structures. A carport catches wind like a sail. Engineering must prove it stands up to hurricane-force gusts. This is the most important part of the design.
Shade is gold in Orlando. A carport can drop the temperature inside a parked car by a lot on a summer day. Your AC works less hard on the drive home.
Rain runs off the panel roof in sheets. Gutters and proper drainage keep the parking area from flooding. We design drainage into every carport.
Net metering at the 1-to-1 retail rate applies to carport power from FPL, Duke, and TECO, just like rooftop solar.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will a carport hold up in a hurricane?
Yes, when engineered for Florida wind code. The structure is designed for high wind loads and inspected before use. That engineering is a core part of the cost.
How many cars can a solar carport cover?
Any number. Home carports usually cover one to four cars. Commercial carports can cover dozens of spaces. We design to your lot.
Can I add an EV charger to the carport?
Yes. This is one of the most popular add-ons. We run the circuit during construction so the charger is ready from day one.
Does a carport need a lot of maintenance?
Very little. The steel frame needs no upkeep. Panels get rain-washed like any array. An occasional rinse keeps them at peak output.
Will my HOA allow a solar carport?
Florida law protects solar rights, but HOAs can set reasonable rules on placement and look. We help you through the approval steps.
Is a carport cheaper than rooftop solar?
Usually it costs more per watt than rooftop because you are building a structure plus the solar. But you get covered parking, which rooftop solar does not give you.
Get a Free Solar Carport Quote
Want shade for your cars and power for your property? Fill out our contact form. Tell us about your parking area. We will design a solar carport that fits your space and your goals.