What are photovoltaic shelters ?

November 4, 2022 :
The Senate adopts article 11 of the bill relating to the acceleration of the production of renewable energies.
This will make the installation of photovoltaic shelters mandatory for outdoor car parks with more than 80 spaces.

January 11, 2023 :
The bill is amended by the National Assembly.
Article 11 will make the installation of photovoltaic shelters mandatory for outdoor car parks with an area greater than 1 500 square meters.

Provisional agenda pending the promulgation of the law:

• July 1, 2026 :
  Car parks with an area greater or equal than 10 000 square meters must comply with the regulations.
• July 1, 2028 :
  Car parks with an area less than 10 000 square meters and greater than 1 500 square meters must comply with the regulations.

Photovoltaic shelters are not only useful in car parks. Many other surfaces can benefit from these installations which protect against bad weather and heat while generating electricity:

• sports fields
• schoolyards
• material storage spaces for companies
• camping or picnic areas
• and of course electric service stations (chargers)

The photovoltaic shelter is optimally oriented when the lower edge of the roof slope is to the south. The orientation towards the south makes it possible to capture the sun's rays over a greater part of the day and when the sun is at its highest. It is also in this position that the photovoltaic shelter will be most effective as shelter.

When installing in a car park, the recommended dimensions are:

• a height under the structural elements allowing the passage of vehicles, i.e.:
  • for light vehicles: 2.70m,
  • for heavy vehicles: 4.30m along county roads, 4.75m along the highways.
• a sufficient width to park a single vehicle (minimum 5m long) or two vehicles facing each other, while leaving space for the column of the photovoltaic shelter.
• a length corresponding to a multiple of the dimension of the solar panels and including the spaces between each of them.
• spans between columns corresponding to a multiple of the width of the parking space (minimum 2.30m wide).

When installing on a sports field, the dimensions are recommended by the regulations issued by the corresponding federation.

For storage spaces, the dimensions depend on the nature of the materials to be stored and the space required for the movement of handling equipment.

These criteria are not exhaustive and must be specified according to the use for each project.

See the updates of Photovoltaic Shelters