DESIGN AND OPTIMIZATION OF SOLAR PARKING CANOPY AS A PART OF ENERGY EFFICIENT URBAN PLANNING

This paper proposes the optimal use of available space on canopies of parking spaces in urban areas for the installation of low and medium power photovoltaic systems and electricity production. Simulations show that a PV1 system offers a return on investment of 187% with a payback period of 5.6 years, while a PV2 system achieves an ROI of 91.9% with an 8.4-year payback. These findings emphasize the cost-effectiveness and environmental benefits of solar parking canopies in urban planning. The obtained electricity could be used to power nearby residential and business premises or electric car chargers. Also, there is a possibility of direct injection of produced electricity into the distribution network. Two configurations of the photovoltaic system at a specific location were analyzed in order to find the optimal solution in terms of the relationship between the price of the system, the electricity produced and the time required to return the investment. The program PVsyst was used for the design and optimization of photovoltaic systems. The obtained simulation results for both proposed photovoltaic systems are presented and compared.