Hail bounces off, rain flows off. For a very light duty structure like a smoking shelter, bike shelter or trolley corral, they sometimes have a curved plexiglass roof that snow can just fall off or be blown off. A person is a much more intense load than snow (a person’s whole weight can be on one foot). The frame might take it, but the cladding may not.
My parents just bought and installed a small off the shelf carport, it has its own built-in gutter system and the ability to hold 100s of pounds on its metal roof. Nobody is covering cars with plexiglass, that would literally defeat the purpose of having shade.
I’m not doubting they exist, it sure looks cool. I’m just doubting it would stand up to a couple years where I’m from, and I don’t think that you would even need to stand on that to install solar panels anyway.
Where are you designing these that they don’t need to support hundreds of pounds of snow or rain, or stand up to hail?
Northern/Western Europe.
Hail bounces off, rain flows off. For a very light duty structure like a smoking shelter, bike shelter or trolley corral, they sometimes have a curved plexiglass roof that snow can just fall off or be blown off. A person is a much more intense load than snow (a person’s whole weight can be on one foot). The frame might take it, but the cladding may not.
Usually they are just a product off the shelf.
My parents just bought and installed a small off the shelf carport, it has its own built-in gutter system and the ability to hold 100s of pounds on its metal roof. Nobody is covering cars with plexiglass, that would literally defeat the purpose of having shade.
I’ve seen the plexiglass ones he was talking about
I’m not doubting they exist, it sure looks cool. I’m just doubting it would stand up to a couple years where I’m from, and I don’t think that you would even need to stand on that to install solar panels anyway.
Here’s one for sale in Denmark, where I am, and where it snows. Polycarbonate instead of PMMA. Same thing. I wouldn’t stand on it.
https://dancovershop.dk/products/carport-arizona-2-89x4-95m-palram-canopia-gra
Get an opaque sheeting if you want to keep UV off. Point stands.
… that thing wouldn’t protect your car from shit where I’m from… that wouldn’t even protect your car from the sun except at like noon.