Due to the demand for these products in the residential market, the size and appearance of solar carports and canopies are changing. A new manufacturer producing a large number of solar canopies has narrowed down these structures to fit residential properties and designed them to look more like pavilions than towering carports covering parking lots and garages.

Although their cost is certainly higher than installing solar cell arrays of similar size on rooftops, these solar roofs have other functions besides generating electricity. Their construction is relatively simple and can provide shelter from wind and rain for vehicles or personnel below.

The biggest advantage is its secondary utilization. I think the industry underestimates people's demand for solar energy, but they just don't want to put it on rooftops, "said Aleksandr Bernhard, CEO of Pavilion Solar, a Florida based photovoltaic canopy manufacturer.

The solar carport has already provided integration with accessories such as electric vehicle chargers and overhead lighting. Residential solar canopies are expanding their functionality to include items in backyard pavilions such as fans, televisions, weather resistant canvas, and even walls for enclosed spaces.

These canopies fall between premium products and practical solar energy solutions. Pavilion Solar will launch EnPod in 2024, a solar powered carport/canopy certified for use in high-speed hurricane zones. Although products like EnPod can withstand wind speeds of 175 miles per hour, their structure is also inspired by Italian and Nordic design concepts aimed at naturally integrating into residential courtyards.

Manufacturers now focus on aesthetic design and provide services for their carport and canopy structures that are not just factory completed.

Among the five residential winners in the Solar Power World 2024 Top Product Competition, two are solar canopy manufacturers: Infinity Rack and Lumos Solar. Both companies produce canopies suitable for residential spaces. In addition, there are companies like Brooklyn Solar Canopy Co. that manufacture roofs for urban buildings.

The residential solar ceiling market is still expanding. Bernhard said he founded Pavilion Solar because he couldn't find a solar canopy that could withstand the weather demands of his Florida home. But since he built his own canopy, he found that even this specific type of solar canopy has enough demand to ensure large-scale production.

All of our insights come from solar installers because they are our partners, "Bernhard said. What we see from them is that more and more people are demanding the construction of carports, pavilions, and cabins around swimming pools. I don't know why this is happening, but I know that solar installers generally indicate that they are receiving more demand for such products