Visionpark is developing a concrete-structure photovoltaic canopy measuring 24 meters in length, 15 meters in width, and nearly 6 meters in height, designed for heavy-duty vehicle parking lots, logistics hubs, and highway service areas. The concept is based on a simple premise: generate solar electricity on already-utilized surfaces, without consuming additional land or hindering heavy-vehicle maneuverability.
Highly adaptable, the structure is engineered to meet real-world operational constraints in the transport sector. With spans of up to approximately 15 meters between support columns, the new carport reduces the number of ground supports required, helping preserve full parking capacity. This wide-span design accommodates heavy-duty vehicle parking configurations at 45°, 60°, or 90°, while maintaining existing layouts and ensuring smooth traffic flow.
The canopy is also designed to provide a direct operational benefit for refrigerated transport operators. When a refrigerated trailer is parked in direct sunlight, its refrigeration unit must work harder to maintain the required internal temperature, whether for chilled or frozen cargo. By parking beneath the canopy, direct solar exposure is significantly reduced. As a result, the trailer body absorbs less heat, the refrigeration unit operates under reduced strain, and immediate energy savings are achieved through passive shading alone.
Visionpark also enables refrigerated trucks to be connected directly to the site’s photovoltaic power system. During the day, solar electricity generated by the canopy can supply power to refrigeration units in parked vehicles. At night, battery storage systems can provide electricity, drawing on energy stored during peak production hours.
The benefit is twofold: canopy shading reduces cooling demand, while the photovoltaic system allows parked vehicles to be powered by a local, decarbonized energy source. For example, a diesel-powered refrigeration unit operating while stationary can consume between 1.5 and 3.5 liters of diesel per hour, depending on conditions. Over an eight-hour stop, this amounts to approximately 12 to 28 liters of diesel, or roughly €26 ($30.2) to €62, assuming a diesel price of €2.20 per liter.
In terms of emissions—assuming approximately 3.1 kg CO₂e per liter of diesel—an eight-hour stop can generate between 37 and 87 kg CO₂e per refrigerated truck. If shading and electrical hookups reduce reliance on diesel units by 50% during these stops, the potential savings reach approximately 19 to 43 kg CO₂e per stop, per truck.
Scaled across a fleet, the impact becomes significant. According to Visionpark, if 25,000 refrigerated trucks were to use such facilities, averaging 120 extended stops per year and saving 10 liters of diesel per stop, this would equate to approximately 30 million liters of diesel saved annually. This corresponds to nearly 93,000 tonnes of CO₂e avoided and roughly €66 million in fuel savings.
Such figures are likely to attract interest from major transport infrastructure operators, including French industrial conglomerate Vinci, which manages 32,500 parking spaces dedicated to heavy goods vehicles.
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