Business Insider says that Turner is outfitting a 2 acre parking lot with a number of solar canopies, which will help generate a massive amount of energy:

“When completed, the total solar capacity of the project will be nearly 200 kilowatt hours. Georgia Power Co. has said that this project is the largest solar project that’s been installed in downtown Atlanta. Turner’s headquarters house Turner Enterprises, the Turner Foundation, Ted Turner’s penthouse (which serves as his Atlanta residence) and Ted’s Montana Grill restaurant as well as the restaurant chain’s headquarters.”

As the amount of electric car owners begins to increase throughout the world, Turner says that he sees this project aiding in the recharging of electric cars as well as powering the building and the restaurant. The story says that the total project cost will hit $1 million, which may seem expensive for such a demonstration project. However, this kind of project can show the many uses for carports.

Not only would these solar carports generate electricity, but they would serve as a way to keep cars cool in the sweltering southern sun. At the same time, any adverse weather would be taken out of the equation for those walking to their vehicles. By adding electricity production to these carports, the overall use of them has been added to exponentially.

Firewood Racks – In the winter months, many people like having fires in their home as a natural heat source to add to not only warmth, but also to give homes some ambience. However, where do you put all of the wood you need to keep the fire going? That’s where firewood racks come in.  Inside or out, a 4’ Covered Firewood Rack is an excellent place to store your logs. It can hold an 1/8 cord of wood up to 24” in length and also has an adjustable black polyester cover.

Animal Shelters – As you know, the winter can bring some seriously cold temperatures that are not only dangerous for people, but for our furry friends as well. Faced with the cold, animals can sometimes develop frostbite, leading to serious medical issues. Portable animal shelters such as kennels provide a great way for you to protect your pets and even livestock. For instant shelter from the elements, a 4x8x4 dog kennel with a green polyethylene cover will have your pet safe from the storm. Don’t forget a run-in shed for your horses too!

Barn Style Portable Garage – A portable garage is an excellent item for anyone needing to store a vehicle or space for hay storage. Ratchet tie down systems and durable covers keep any snow away from your expensive farm equipment.  A barn style portable garage is perfect for any farmers wanting to store things away during the winter.

As you know, solar photovoltaic panels can absorb the rays of the sun and convert them into energy for use anywhere. By affixing these panels to rooftops, they are able to collect as much sunlight as possible. For instance, carports have become an incredibly popular place for solar panels, especially with the growth of the electric car industry. This type of installation is occurring in Branchburg, N.J., where the township is working on such a project. According to NJ.com:

“The Township Committee agreed on Dec. 12 to install carports topped with a 50 kw solar array in the north parking lot of the municipal building rather than retrofit the roof of the Department of Public Works garage with a 22 kw system. According to Township Administrator Gregory Bonin, both projects had approximately the same price tag, about $400,000,…”

Initially, the panels would have been affixed to the roof of the garage, but extra support would have been needed, making that option less profitable. The article says that a major part of this decision was also the number of years it would have taken to generate money from the project. By installing the panels on carports, the amount of time has been lessened:

“… the time it would take for the township to recoup its investment would have been 17 years — compared with a six-year span for the carport project…”

I would expect that more of these solar carport projects will be springing up over the next few years, especially with the rising cost of gasoline and prominence of electric vehicles.

According to a story in St. Petersburg Times, Florida set up a program years ago to provide mobile home owners with anchors to destruction in the face of gale-force winds. Unfortunately, the well-meaning program didn’t quite work out:

“Of the more than 23,000 mobile homes retrofitted so far, few appear to have received enough anchors to bring them up to the state’s tough safety standards. Mobile homes requiring a dozen or more new tie-downs instead got just a handful. And state-mandated devices that keep a home from sliding end to end were not always installed.”

Even though Florida spent $33 million on the 23,000 outdated homes, it seems that many of these homes are beginning to fall apart. The article says the problem lies within the legal constructs of the program, which has lax installation standards:

“Despite some homeowners’ expectations, the program does not require [the anchor installation] company to make old mobile homes comply with today’s installation standards. Instead, it lets the company determine how many anchoring devices can be installed. State inspectors randomly check the retrofitted properties to see if equipment is installed correctly. But they do not determine whether the number of anchors meets state rules.”

This is problematic, especially if you have dealt with wicked weather and portable buildings. Anchors and other canopy accessories are extremely important when considering the safety of your carport, which isn’t even a home. Let’s hope Florida can work out its issues.

This is absolutely true in the case of Tauranga, a city in the North Island of New Zealand. According to SunLive, the waterfront in Tauranga will be home to a new playground and a number of portable buildings:

“The playground, along with a boardwalk through to Pilot Bay, and the upgrade of Greerton Library, are plans going out for public consultation in 2012. Tauranga City Council is also applying for resource consent to install 10 portable buildings of 18sqm to cluster around the Edgewater Fan.”

Part of a $4.9 million plan to help boost tourism at the Waterfront, the $300,000 playground is only the beginning of bringing people into the area. The article says that town authorities are hoping that additional spending on portable buildings will not only drive the local economy through the lease of land, but also by bringing tourists to the city walkway:

“Priority One city centre manager Duarne Lankshear says the portable buildings are an opportunity for the tourism, hospitality and recreation industries to provide commercial activities in various areas of the waterfront. ‘They can be used by food and hospitality sectors, for tourism type operations like jet boat tours and water taxis, and a place for events and activity.’”

Although the costs of the buildings will be a major undertaking for private businesses, the yearly rental is inexpensive, costing only about $2000 – 10,000 a year. The driving force behind using portable buildings is the ability for these structures to be used by any business that is interested.

“…faculty, staff and students on the Morrisville State College campus are doing [much] to raise education, action and awareness about hunger and homelessness during National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week Nov. 14-20. The campus will be hosting food drives and other associated activities, including a hygiene drive challenge.”

The most interesting part about this campus’s involvement is one professor’s decision to include a design-specific class as a pivotal part of the efforts. The article says that one architecture class has been tasked with designing homemade portable shelters that will act as a home for one night of the week-long observation. The shelters have a few stipulations that will act as a learning experience for many of the students:

“In preparation, Englot’s students have been researching rural homelessness and will design individual makeshift shelters on a shoestring budget. Innovativeness, like using donated and recycled materials, scraps and castoffs will be an important consideration in their design. The task comes with rules and guidelines—shelters must be habitable, portable, resistant to moisture and cold, provide light and ventilation to the interior, and must be aesthetically pleasing.”

As the winter approaches, I don’t expect any of our readers to develop and create their own personal shelter solutions for your property. You should always purchase portable storage sheds and temporary garages from reliable sources to ensure not only proper protection, but also safety.

-          Shelters of America carries products made from galvanized steel frames instead of powder coated steel. The latter has the ability to rust, scratch and be unreliable, negative traits that galvanized steel doesn’t have. There is also the anti-corrosion that galvanized steel offers to people relying on canopies in terrible weather conditions like rain, snow, etc.

-          Galvanized steel also has a much higher threshold for tension and can handle larger amounts of weight if necessary. It won’t wear itself thin from the inside out like power-coated steel. You can’t go wrong with strength and corrosion protection in one package.

-          Always be aware of the warranties that come along with your shelters – this can add a lot to the value of the product you buy. Even though we have some of the best canopies and garages you will ever find, having a strong warranty is a benefit that pays off in case of problems.

-          The buildings at Shelters of America are built to withstand all kinds of weather, but that doesn’t mean that you should overlook bigger storms that require special attention to your portable shelter. If a large storm is on its way, make sure to secure your shelters extra carefully with appropriate anchors and canopy accessories as well.

California is becoming part of a newer movement to be more prepared for disasters that may come its way by securing the use of tent shelters for displaced citizens and medical crews in case of earthquakes. An article from Whittier Daily News says that the new procedures are being enacted in preparation for the ‘Big One’:

“A devastating earthquake in Southern California would almost certainly collapse bridges, destroy roads and render hundreds of hospital beds useless, while leaving tens of thousands in need of medical care. After experts predicted in 2008 that a magnitude-7.8 earthquake would knock out 60 percent of the hospital beds in Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Riverside and Orange counties, first responders have become prepared with alternative medical care policies for when a catastrophic event strikes.” 

The field hospital tents that are discussed in the article would be incredibly difficult to set up were it not for the progress made in portable buildings. Think about instant shelters that are easy to set up and place wherever they are needed. Without these, imagine how long it would take to get treatment to those who need it. Luckily, California is on its way to being totally prepared:

“A quake-stricken area would also have access to at least one of the state’s three mobile hospitals – a series of huge tents, each large enough for 200 beds. The tents include emergency rooms, laboratories, intensive care units and up-to-date supplies. Stored at undisclosed sites around the state, they are designed to be deployed within 72 hours.”

Carport Fight – Alabama Live has an editorial talking about the storm shelters that were set up by the Federal Emergency Management Agency after tornadoes hit in April. These shelters were set up at schools in various counties around the state with FEMA fronting 75% of the cost. Now FEMA wants the money back and some Alabamians aren’t too pleased:

“School officials learned later that…they would either have to buy the temporary shelters, sell them at “fair market value” and give the money to FEMA, or tear them down. Only one of the school systems said it has enough money to buy its shelter. Many would agree with Charles Warren, the DeKalb County superintendent who helped raise a fuss about the policy. Warren told Robin DeMonia of The Birmingham News. ‘…I didn’t want to see a half-million-dollar safe room torn down.’”

FEMA should probably just leave the shelters up until the county can figure out the financing or maybe just let them keep the shelters. After all, this probably won’t be the last time Alabama needs a shelter.

Prettying Up Carports – Carports are usually placed outside the home and not always attached in any way. Some architects are seeking to change this, according to My SA. The story says that some groups in San Antonio are looking to make carports a design element in homes that also act as a useful resource for space. One of the examples cited sounds like a beautiful economic storage option:

“The home on Encino Avenue…also uses a carport in a very prominent way. The detached wood and stucco carport was designed to complement the main house with sensitivity to the small lot and existing shade trees. It serves as the anchor for the outdoor living space.”

“At its meeting Thursday, the Unified Government Board of Commissioners heard from about a dozen people who question the fairness of the city’s carport regulations. Between 100 and 150 people attended the meeting, more than the number attending many budget hearings last summer.”

Currently Kansas City, Kansas requires that its residents keep their carports 60 feet from the street; this means that carports sometimes end up back yards where it is impractical or difficult to use. There is also a permit process that residents must adhere to if they want to utilize their carports at their home. And not only do these people have to pay for their permits they also have to pay to modify their canopy to ensure that it meets city code requirements. As you can see the cost of using a carport in Kansas City, Kansas can add up quickly.

“Vicki Hackett asked that the city evaluate each property individually rather than imposing a blanket policy.

“Why is it so important that we have these behind the house?” she said. “It’s like we have to hide them.”

At the meeting several of residents came forward to explain why they need their carports and how important they are in their every day life. However, no one spoke out against the carports but several commissioners and staffers claimed they had been approached about the issue in private. Upon the completion of the meeting Mayor Joe Reardon expressed that he understood the frustrations of many of the Kansas City residents who utilize carports and agreed that the permit process needed to be simplified.