I've been working on this type of strategy for a long time but our design team asked me a question I could not answer:

For a project in a hot, arid climate we are designing parking coverage for 100% of the parking spaces - freestanding canopies - and we want to leave some open-ness so that air can move through and to minimize sand and dust accumulation on the canopies.

Is there guidance on how "covered" the covered parking needs to be? If we have 100% of parking that is 80% covered, is that equivalent to 80% of parking 100% covered? The template only offers a space for number of covered spaces, but is this a valid alternative compliance path?

Is the cover calculated by sunlight directly overhead? 12 noon on the equinox? Average of 10 AM and 2 PM?

Thanks!