Case Study - Solar Carports For Car Dealership (Elite Acura)
Solar carports for car dealerships solve two problems at once: they lower energy costs, and they protect inventory from direct sun, hail, and other destructive weather.
TerraSol Energies put that to the test at Elite Acura, a Group 1 Automotive dealership in Maple Shade, NJ, installing rooftop solar power and a solar carport structure as part of Group 1's North American initiative to bring renewable energy to dealerships across the continent.
This case study covers why the project made sense, how it was built, what it cost, and what it produces.
TL;DR
TerraSol installed rooftop solar and a solar carport at Elite Acura, a Group 1 Automotive dealership
The system produces 364,100 kWh of clean energy annually
It offsets 284 tons of carbon emissions every year
Solar carports for car dealerships typically cost $19,000–$32,000 to install
They can integrate EV charging stations powered by clean solar energy
They protect vehicle inventory from hail and harsh weather
Federal tax credits and accelerated depreciation improve the ROI
Why Solar Carports for Car Dealerships Make Sense
Auto dealerships are some of the highest energy users in the commercial space. Showroom lighting runs all day, service bays draw heavy power, and lots stay lit well past closing. Add a growing number of electric vehicles to the showroom floor, and annual power consumption climbs further.
Rooftop solar alone can offset a meaningful share of that load, but a building's roof only has so much square footage. A solar parking canopy adds a second power source without using a single extra foot of land — unlike ground-mount systems built on agricultural land or vacant lots, a carport structure sits directly over space the dealership is already paying to maintain.
There's also a protection angle most auto dealers don't think about until a hailstorm hits. A solar panel carport structure shields vehicle inventory from harsh weather and reduces vehicle damage from hail, sun exposure, and storm debris.
And because most U.S. electricity still comes from fossil fuels, every kilowatt-hour a dealership generates on-site instead of pulling from the grid cuts its carbon footprint and greenhouse gas output. For a full breakdown of what solar power for auto dealerships involves, including rooftop, carport, and EV charging options, TerraSol's dealership solar page covers the basics.
Ready to see what solar carports could do for your dealership? Request a free quote from TerraSol Energies.
The Elite Acura Project: A Group 1 Automotive Case Study
Elite Acura is a high-end dealership in Group 1 Automotive's network, and it was one of the first stops in Group 1's push to equip dealerships nationwide with solar power.
Retrofitting existing businesses with solar power solutions has become a game-changing strategy in the quest for environmentally conscious practices. By harnessing the untapped potential of solar energy, companies can reduce their carbon footprint and benefit from long-term cost savings.
TerraSol has equipped Elite Acura with PV solar power systems, allowing the dealership facilities to move toward renewable energy solutions as Acura integrates EV and hybrid technology into its vehicles.
With the increasing number of electric vehicles in Elite Acura's lineup, the dealership can now conveniently charge its cars using clean and renewable energy generated directly from rooftop solar installations.
This project was completed in conjunction with Group 1 Automotive's North American initiative to equip dealerships across the continent with solar power systems.
In addition, customers waiting in the showroom to test drive their cars can also benefit from the cooling shade provided by innovative solar carports. The customers' current cars will stay cool while contemplating their next auto purchase.
The TerraSol installation at Elite Acura will produce 364,100 kWh annually, offsetting its carbon footprint by an astonishing 284 tons.
By embracing solar power solutions, Elite Acura will see significant long-term cost savings and establish itself as a pioneering leader within the auto dealer community, showcasing a commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship.
How TerraSol Builds a Solar Carport Structure
A solar carport solar installation isn't just rooftop solar moved outside. The structure's framing system has to carry the weight of the panels, hold up under wind and snow loads, and meet local building codes for the site.
TerraSol typically uses pre-fabricated steel for the carport configuration, which keeps installation costs more predictable than a fully custom build, and can incorporate an attractive curved design where the dealership wants a less industrial look over its showroom entrance.
Solar panels on a carport are usually set at a five-degree tilt, steep enough for water to run off the rooftop decking and shed debris, low enough to keep ground clearance for vehicles underneath and limit wind load on the structure, a tradeoff carport design guides point to as standard for parking canopy applications.
The panels themselves have to hold up to more than weather assumptions. Under IEC 61215, the industry's minimum impact test fires a 25mm ice ball at a panel at 23 meters per second, and the module has to pass without cracked glass or a meaningful drop in power output, according to Solar Power World.
That’s the baseline standard carport panels are built to clear before they ever go up over a customer's car. On-site, the electrical components tying the carport into the dealership's existing service usually require a dedicated crew.
TerraSol typically runs a project like this with eight crew members working from a designated staging area to keep the installation from disrupting daily dealership operations. A challenging solar panel installation around an active showroom means coordinating around customer traffic, the dealership's sales department, and service bay schedules, not just the mechanical work itself.
TerraSol has run similar large-scale commercial work, including a 1-megawatt solar installation for an industrial client and an energy storage microgrid project for a recycling facility in Chester County — both useful references for how TerraSol scopes a complex commercial build.
Once the entire structure is up, proper maintenance is light: periodic panel cleaning and a structural check, similar to what TerraSol recommends for any commercial solar installation.
Want to cut energy costs and protect your inventory at the same time? Talk to TerraSol about solar carports for car dealerships.
Solar Carport Costs and Tax Credits
Cost is usually the first question a dealership owner asks. Installing a solar carport from scratch — the carport structure itself plus the solar panel installation- runs about $19,000 to $32,000 for a standard structure, according to pricing data from SolarReviews and Alan's Factory Outlet.
Commercial dealership canopies covering more parking bays scale up from there based on size and electrical complexity. Labor for the solar panel installation portion alone typically runs $0.75 to $2.50 per watt depending on system size and site access, per industry cost breakdowns from Angi.
The higher upfront cost is the tradeoff for stable future power costs. Once a system is installed, a dealership locks in a known cost of producing its own electricity instead of riding utility rate increases for the next 25 years.
Tax credits can significantly enhance the ROI for solar carports — the federal Investment Tax Credit and accelerated depreciation both apply to commercial solar carport installations, and TerraSol handles the incentive paperwork as part of a project, just as it does for its residential PECO-area solar installations.
EV Charging Integration and the Showroom Experience
Solar carports can integrate EV chargers directly, which means a dealership's electric vehicle charging stations run on clean solar energy instead of fossil fuel-generated grid power.
Commercial solar carports increasingly treat EV charging as a built-in amenity rather than a separate project, the carport generates electricity, and the charging stations underneath draw straight from it, reducing a dealership's reliance on fossil fuels for that load.
Because solar carports can also integrate with a building's existing electrical systems, adding chargers later doesn't always require a full rewiring of the lot.
There's a customer-facing benefit too. Customers waiting in the showroom or a dealership's VIP lounge can step outside to a shaded, comfortable environment instead of a hot, exposed lot, a small detail, but one that shows up in customer experience surveys for dealerships that have made the switch.
TerraSol has applied similar battery and EV-ready thinking on the residential side with its off-grid solar and storage project, and covers the broader shift toward renewable energy across the region in its piece on why renewable energy is gaining ground in the Mid-Atlantic grid.
Join Group 1 Automotive and other dealerships going solar. Start your dealership solar project today.
The Business Case for Auto Dealers
Beyond the dealership's electricity costs, solar carports affect a few line items that dealership management doesn't always connect to a solar project.
Vehicle inventory protected under a carport sees less weather-related damage, which can factor into escalating insurance premiums over time — a benefit some commercial solar carport adopters cite directly when explaining their decision to install one.
A visibly sustainable infrastructure on the lot also functions as branding: solar carports improve a dealership's image with environmentally conscious car buyers, the same demographic increasingly shifting to online car buying before they ever set foot on a lot.
When they do show up in person, a dealership with visible solar and EV charging signals it's keeping pace with where the industry is headed.
A solar carport can also operate as a revenue-generating asset over its life, through reduced utility bills, net metering credits where available, and the tax benefits already covered above.
None of that requires giving up usable parking — the dealership's showroom floor, service department, and lot keep running exactly as before, just on cheaper power.
For dealerships weighing whether to start with rooftop solar, a carport, or both, TerraSol's guide on simple ways businesses can lower costs while going green and its breakdown of building an energy-efficient commercial property are good starting points before requesting a quote.
Talk With TerraSol Now!
Elite Acura's results are 364,100 kWh produced annually and 284 tons of carbon offset — showing what's possible when a dealership combines rooftop solar with a carport.
Connect with TerraSol now at (888) 873-9995 to plan your auto solar installation.
For dealership owners weighing the investment, the Elite Acura project is a working example of what solar carports for car dealerships can deliver in real numbers, not just projections.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a solar carport cost for a car dealership?
A standard solar carport structure costs roughly $19,000 to $32,000 to install from scratch, with commercial dealership canopies scaling higher based on the number of bays covered and the electrical work involved.
Can solar carports power EV charging stations?
Yes. Solar carports can integrate EV chargers directly into the structure, letting a dealership charge electric vehicles with clean solar energy generated on-site rather than relying solely on grid power.
Do solar carports protect vehicles from hail?
Yes. Solar panels used on commercial carports are built to pass a minimum impact test of a 25mm ice ball at 23 meters per second under IEC 61215, and the carport structure itself shields vehicles underneath from hail and other harsh weather.
How long does a solar carport installation take for a dealership?
Timelines vary by system size and site complexity, but TerraSol typically runs commercial dealership installations with a dedicated crew working from a staging area to limit disruption to daily operations.
Do tax credits apply to commercial solar carports?
Yes. The federal Investment Tax Credit and accelerated depreciation both apply to commercial solar carport installations, and these credits can meaningfully improve the project's return on investment.
