Oakley Executive RV & Boat Storage in Oakley, Calif., which has generated solar energy from its carport rooftops since the facility opened in 2013, has installed new FLEX-02 solar panels by MiaSolé on the facility’s front office. The project was designed to demonstrate how solar modules can be used on existing carports without the need for additional racking or structure reinforcement, according to a press release by MiaSolé, which produces thin-film CIGS (copper indium gallium selenide) solar cells and panels.
“The MiaSolé FLEX module installation was incredibly fast. The peel-and-stick application was ideal for our carport roof, and the completed design isn’t visible from the ground level. MiaSolé allowed me to add solar-energy generation to the carport without any changes to the structure,” said Robert Hayworth, CEO of Baja Construction Co. Inc., which built the property. Oakley features 170,000 square feet of canopy parking on more than 10 acres of land.
The installation of solar carports on private- and public-owned parking lots provides a cost-effective opportunity to generate renewable energy without consuming additional land resources, the release stated. Parking lots have more solar potential and less shading issues than rooftop solar, and can be easier and less disruptive to install.
The FLEX-02 thin film modules allow owners of existing carports to add solar-power generation without having to reinforce or rebuild the structure. The product offers the same high-efficiency power output as standard crystalline modules while weighing less than 9 ounces per square foot compared to 3 to 5 pounds per square foot, the release stated.
The solar modules can be installed over new and existing carports designed with 7.2 corrugated and standard architectural standing-seam metal panels. They feature a self-adhesive, peel-n-stick application.
Based in Martinez, Calif., Baja Construction designs and engineers solar-support structures and light-gauge steel structures, including those used at self-storage facilities. The company has built carport and steel structures for more than 25 years and has installations in 34 states.
Founded in 2004, MiaSolé began as a Silicon Valley startup. It’s now a part of Hanergy Holding Group Ltd., a multi-national clean-energy company and provider of thin-film solar power.
