Steel structures for solar
Make more of your parking or open land. Atlas provides the steel support structure for your solar array, with layouts you can explore and price online.
Steel structure supply. Panels and electrical systems are arranged with your solar contractor unless expressly quoted.
Covered parking. A platform for solar.
Choose by site
The right structure starts with how your property is used. A carport makes parking work harder; a ground mount turns available land into a dedicated solar platform.
Parking plus solar generation
Turn open parking areas into productive solar infrastructure. Atlas solar carports provide a purpose-designed steel support system for PV panels while adding shade and weather protection for vehicles.
Open-land solar arrays
Build a stable support platform for ground-mounted PV arrays where roof space is limited, unsuitable or simply not the best option. The structure can be configured around the site, array size and project requirements.
Quick comparison
Both systems support PV panels. The useful difference is the space they put to work.
Discuss your site| Consideration | Solar carport | Ground mount |
|---|---|---|
| Best suited to | Existing or planned parking areas | Open ground with good solar exposure |
| Primary benefit | Solar support plus covered parking | Dedicated, scalable panel support |
| Layout starts with | Parking bays, circulation and panel count | Available land, row spacing and panel count |
| Typical users | Businesses, schools, retail and fleets | Farms and commercial sites |
Carport: Existing or planned parking areas
Ground mount: Open ground with good solar exposure
Carport: Solar support plus covered parking
Ground mount: Dedicated, scalable panel support
Carport: Parking bays, circulation and panel count
Ground mount: Available land, row spacing and panel count
Carport: Businesses, schools, retail and fleets
Ground mount: Farms and commercial sites
Built example
A solar carport needs to work as both infrastructure and usable parking. This installation shows how the steel structure creates clear parking bays while supporting the PV array above.
Commercial application
Designed around daily site use and vehicle access.
PV-ready support
A dedicated steel platform for the solar array.
Budget planning
There is no useful one-price-fits-all figure for a solar structure. A credible estimate starts with the intended array, site and project scope.
Estimate a solar carportBay count, row length, panel quantity and usable site area.
Ground conditions, levels, access and foundation requirements.
Wind region, structural loads and project-specific design inputs.
Project location, installation scope and required finish.
South Africa
Smart Steel works with homeowners, contractors and commercial project teams. Share the site location early so delivery, installation and local conditions can be considered from the start.
Common questions
Smart Steel focuses on the steel support structure. Solar panels, inverters, batteries, cabling and electrical installation are normally supplied by your solar or electrical contractor unless specifically included in a project quotation.
Choose a solar carport when you want to use a parking area and gain covered bays at the same time. Choose a ground mount when suitable open land is available and the priority is an efficient, scalable solar array. Our team can help compare the options for your site.
Yes. The Smart Steel solar carport estimator gives you a practical starting point based on your parking layout. A final quotation follows once the site, engineering inputs and project scope have been confirmed.
The main factors are the number of bays or panels, structural layout, site and foundation conditions, wind loads, finish, delivery location and whether installation is included.
Smart Steel supports solar structure projects across South Africa. Delivery and installation scope depend on the project location and requirements, so contact us with the site address for accurate guidance.
Start with your site
Tell us whether you are working with parking or open land, where the project is located and how many panels or bays you have in mind.