Shopping Dom Pedro installs solar carport with 124 covered spaces

Shopping Parque Dom Pedro, one of the largest shopping malls in Latin America, located in Campinas (SP), took an important step towards sustainability by inaugurating a solar power plant with a carport structure in its parking lot.

The solar panels were installed on 124 of the 8 parking spaces. Although they only occupy 1,5% of the spaces, they will be responsible for generating 6% of the energy consumed by the development, which has around 400 stores and 126 m² of leasable area.

Expected to produce around 780 MWh per year, the system represents an environmental impact comparable to supplying more than 5 homes or 6 electric cars.

The solar panels also supply charging points for electric vehicles operated by KARG, an electric charging station company owned by ALLOS — administrator of Shopping Parque Dom Pedro.

The initiative also contributes to reducing the enterprise's carbon footprint, avoiding the emission of 42,4 tons of CO₂ per year – the equivalent of planting more than 1,5 trees.

“Parque Dom Pedro was born committed to sustainability and the results reinforce our positioning as an exemplary model of conscious and efficient management”, says Rafael Marques, superintendent of Parque Dom Pedro.

Origin of the carport

The term carport comes from the French expression “porte-cochère”, historically used to describe a covered entrance that allowed carriages to arrive protected from the rain.

The word gained popularity in the United States in the 1930s, when it came to refer to covered structures for vehicles, usually attached to houses or buildings but without side walls.

With the evolution of the concept and the advancement of clean technologies, the solar carport has become a strategic solution in the energy sector.

The structure now serves not only as protection against the sun and rain, but also as a platform for generating photovoltaic energy, by incorporating solar panels into its roof.

Today the solar carports are gaining space in parking lots of shopping malls, supermarkets, universities, commercial centers and residential condominiums, combining practicality, sustainability and intelligent use of already built urban areas.

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