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So what's the downside here? And why aren't solar parking lots to be found pretty much everywhere you turn? In a word, the problem is cost. "It's the most expensive type of system to build," says Chase Weir of TruSolar, which rates solar projects based on financial riskiness. "A lot more engineering, a whole lot more steel, more labor, and therefore, it's a relatively small percentage [of solar power] ... but it is growing, and the cost to install a solar canopy today is less than the cost to install a rooftop just a few years ago." Still, there aren't all that many right now. According to Scott Moskowitz of GTM Research, which released a study of the sector last year, by the end of 2014 there were an estimated 600 megawatts (or 2.5 billion dollars) worth of solar canopies installed in the U.S. In energy terms, though, 600 megawatts isn't a very big number. Just consider: The Hoover Dam has a capacity of more than 2,000 megawatts, the world's biggest coal plant is close to 6,000 megawatts, and even the world's largest solar plant is 550 megawatts. So at least for now, the market remains relatively niche. The carports seem to be particularly popular with large companies, which can afford them and where they can provide an impressive display at their corporate campuses. Thus, they've been installed by Munich RE, Dow Jones & Co., and Staples, among others. They've also been used to adorn hotels, such as one just unveiled at the Phoenician, a luxury hotel in Scotsdale, Arizona: A solar array now sits atop a parking structure at The Phoenician in Scottsdale, Ariz., on Jan. 14, 2015. The project is the first of several planned as a result of a partnership between Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. and NRG PA