The Benefit of Steel Shade Covers for Parking Areas

Steel shade parking structures have a positive impact on your business or organisation. They allow you to create a practical space that protects vehicles from the harsh weather conditions that can be a real issue in Australia.

We’ll take a closer look at how steel shade covers bring these practical benefits and dig deeper into what you can achieve by adding steel shade to your parking area.

Protecting Vehicles From Sun Exposure

It’s well known that health problems can result from exposure to sunlight. But it’s not just humans who can be damaged by the UV rays from sunlight; cars can too. Extensive exposure to the sun causes structural and cosmetic damage to vehicles.

Possible damage includes cracks in paintwork, reduction of tyre performance, and diminished battery life. As the climate continues to change, sun damage will become even more of an issue, as will damage from other extreme weather conditions such as heavy rainfall and storms.

This is of particular concern in Australia. As Australian musician and environmentalist Peter Garret said,  

“In particular, Australia, because of its ancient geography, soil profile, and distinctive weather patterns, is more adversely affected by climate variability than some other continents.”

Given the damage the Sun’s UV rays can cause, it makes sense to cover a parking area with a shade structure. Using steel in the construction of the structure is preferable as steel structures are more resilient than fabric structures when exposed to sunlight and other extreme weather.

Reducing the Risk of Other Damage

As the climate continues to evolve, and storms and high winds are more prevalent, damage to cars from debris becomes more likely. Bird poop is another environmental factor that can cause problems, especially if it is left too long in sunlight.

Having car park cover in place for your business or organisation protects customers and other visitors by preventing debris and bird poop from falling on their vehicles from above.

Reducing Heat Build-Up in Vehicles

When temperatures are high, they can damage technology in cars. For example, battery performance can reduce as can air conditioner performance. Heat also causes the deterioration of parts of a vehicle’s cabin, such as the steering wheel, console, and seats. These parts can dry out and crack in the presence of extreme heat.

Covered parking spaces provide shade and reduce the amount of heat in parked cars. This reduction protects a car’s interior, as well as any personal items left in the vehicle. It also makes the interior of a car more comfortable for the driver on their return to the vehicle.

Creating an Obstacle-Free Space Away From the Sun’s Glare

Choosing a cantilevered design for a car park shade structure creates space in addition to providing full cover from sun and rain. This is because cantilever shade structures have fewer columns.

Space is not the only benefit you get from choosing this design option for your parking shade. Fewer obstacles also mean fewer opportunities for accidents to happen. This creates a safer and more practical parking area for drivers to use.

Providing Clean and Cheaper Energy

Cleaner and cheaper energy is needed to protect the future of the planet. As singer and activist Bjork said,

“Solar power, wind power, the way forward is to collaborate with nature -- it's the only way we are going to get to the other end of the 21st century.”

The Australian continent has an advantage in this area. It has higher solar radiation per square metre than any other continent. This means its solar energy resources are amongst the best in the world.

When you cover large areas for parking, you can use these solar resources by installing solar panels on a steel shade cover. This allows you to generate solar power and reduce the energy costs of your business or organisation. Plus, you have a practical space to use for parking below.

The benefits of installing solar panels on a parking shade structure are,

• No additional real estate is needed as you already own the parking area.
• It’s an alternative to installing panels on the roof of a building which is not always possible to do.
• The structure is a visual indication of your organisation’s dedication to sustainability.

Giving Users an Enhanced Parking Experience

The attributes of steel shade cover for parking areas combine to create an excellent place for people to park. Given the increasing number of registered vehicles in Australia, 20.68 million in 2022, providing an excellent parking environment is a vital consideration for organisations that want to attract visitors.

You can increase footfall to your sports arena, business premises, park, or play area by creating a steel shade cover for your parking area. We will help you create a custom-designed structure that can also incorporate lighting for additional security.

To talk about your design requirements, contact us, and we will be happy to help.