Funding for Carports with Photovoltaic Roofs

The state of North Rhine-Westphalia promotes the installation of carports with integrated photovoltaic roofs on open parking areas with more than ten parking spaces at non-residential buildings as part of the progres.nrw – Climate Protection Technology program. With a funding share of up to 90 percent, the program supports the additional costs of a solar canopy compared to conventional roofing systems and thus directly contributes to the state's climate protection goals. A maximum of 500 euros per kilowatt-peak of installed capacity is granted, with a maximum funding amount of 50,000 euros per location. Financially weak municipalities may, in exceptional cases, receive full cost coverage. By utilizing renewable energy on municipal parking areas, the local energy transition is simultaneously advanced and the public image of sustainable infrastructure is strengthened.

Eligible to apply are cities, municipalities, districts of North Rhine-Westphalia as well as their associations and special-purpose associations that operate carports on open parking lots constructed before 2022. Funded are the investment costs for photovoltaic modules, substructure, carport structure, and installation. For the application, among other documents, the entrepreneur’s declaration, the declaration regarding companies in difficulty, and the treasurer’s declaration must be submitted. The application is made electronically via the progres.nrw portal; however, the application process is currently suspended. Interested institutions should already prepare for the upcoming opening dates and have the required documents ready. A temporary funding stop does not exempt from the obligation to monitor the formal requirements and submit them in a timely manner once funding resumes.