Insights
Guides for owners, developers, and GCs planning canopies and charging.
Written by the team that designs, permits, and builds them. Costs, codes, incentives, geometry, foundations, and the Tesla charging questions we hear most.
Solar carports
7 min read
What a solar carport costs in California in 2026
Installed commercial solar carports in California run roughly $2.75 to $3.50 per watt, with the steel structure about half the cost. Here is how that breaks down per parking space, what drives the price up or down, and how the 2026 incentives change the net number.
6 min read
LETO or TITAN: which canopy geometry fits your lot
Single-row semi-cantilever or double-row T-cantilever? How to pick a solar carport geometry based on row layout, drive aisles, array size per column, drainage, and cost, with the cases where a custom structure is the right call.
6 min read
Solar carport foundations: caissons vs spread footings
A cantilevered canopy puts a large overturning moment on each column, so the foundation is the structural heart of a solar carport. How caissons and spread footings differ, when each is used, what the geotechnical report tells the engineer, and how deck-mounted canopies work.
Tesla charging
8 min read
Tesla charging stations for your business: the four ways in
A property owner has four routes to Tesla charging: host a Tesla-owned Supercharger site, buy your own Superchargers through Tesla's Supercharger for Business program, join Destination Charging with Wall Connectors for guests, or install your own chargers with the NACS (SAE J3400) connector. What each requires, who pays, and where the engineering comes in.
7 min read
How to host a Tesla Supercharger site
Tesla owns and operates Superchargers; property owners host them. What makes a site attractive to Tesla, what the host agreement typically covers, how much utility capacity a fast-charging site needs, and the civil and electrical work a host should expect on its side of the line.
6 min read
Tesla Supercharger for Business: what you buy, what you build, what Tesla runs
Since September 2025, Tesla sells Superchargers to businesses. The owner buys at least four white-labeled posts, hires its own installer, sets the price, and keeps the revenue, while Tesla operates and services the site. How the program works, what the site build involves, and how to size the electrical service.
6 min read
NACS / J3400: what the Tesla connector means for commercial charging
Tesla's connector became the North American Charging Standard and then SAE J3400. Most automakers now ship vehicles with it. What that means when you specify chargers for a parking lot in 2026: connector choices, adapters, dual-cable fast chargers, and how to future-proof the conduit.
6 min read
Tesla Wall Connectors at apartments and workplaces
Tesla's Wall Connector is a Level 2 charger that delivers up to 11.5 kW and can share a circuit among several units. How a multifamily or workplace installation is designed, how billing works for commercial hosts, what the 2025 CALGreen code requires, and where utility rebates apply.
Codes & incentives
6 min read
Title 24's solar requirement and how carports count toward it
The 2025 California Energy Code took effect January 1, 2026. New nonresidential buildings and multifamily buildings of three or more stories must include a PV system, and the roof area of carports and covered parking counts toward the solar area that sizes it. What that means for developers and owners.
4 min read
SB 49 and the California solar canopy tax credit: what actually passed
SB 49 was amended in 2023 to give solar canopies over parking a 5 percent California income tax credit. The credit was removed before the bill was signed. What the law does as enacted, and the incentives a canopy owner can actually claim in 2026.
6 min read
Permitting a solar carport in Los Angeles
A solar carport in the City of Los Angeles needs a building permit for the structure, an electrical permit for the PV and chargers, plan check through LADBS, and a utility interconnection with LADWP. What each requires, how long it takes, and how to run them in parallel.
Markets
6 min read
Solar carports for multifamily properties
Why apartment and condominium owners in California are putting solar canopies over resident parking: common-area energy, tenant EV charging, CALGreen compliance for new buildings, the 2026 incentives, and how the project runs on an occupied property.
5 min read
Solar carports for car dealerships
Why dealerships are among the most natural solar carport sites: large lots, inventory that needs shade, EV inventory that needs charging, high daytime energy use, and a visible brand statement. Layout, charging, and incentives for dealers.
5 min read
Solar carports for schools, cities, and public agencies
Public lots are large, sunny, and owned for decades, which is why libraries, utilities, transit facilities, and school districts build solar canopies. What agencies gain, how approvals differ, and what the LADWP and LADOT reference installations show.
FAQ and glossary