Why Government Agencies Are Investing in Shade Structures
Government agencies are increasingly adding shade structures to enhance the comfort, usability and long-term value of their outdoor amenities.
Whether covering open gathering spaces, playgrounds, employee areas, outdoor fitness stations or parking lots, commercial shade structures offer practical benefits that support comfortable, usable spaces, enhance safety and wellness and improve overall community satisfaction.
Creating More Comfortable, Usable Public Spaces
Outdoor public spaces are essential for community engagement, recreation and wellness. However, without adequate shade, temperatures in these spaces can quickly become uncomfortable or even hazardous.
Apollo Sunguard’s outdoor shade structures reduce ambient temperatures under the canopy by as much as 20 degrees, creating environments that remain usable during peak daytime hours.
For picnic areas, outdoor spaces and multi-use open grounds, permanent shade canopies encourage longer and more consistent public use. Recently, Apollo Sunguard installed a shade canopy at an amphitheater at Daisy Stocking Park in Daytona Beach. The giant sales provide protection and improve comfort while people listen to live music and performances on stage in the popular public park.
Shade also helps prevent surfaces like metal benches, tables or playground equipment from overheating, which improves visitors’ comfort and reduces the risk of incidental burns.
Improving Employee Safety and Productivity
Government campuses increasingly integrate outdoor break areas, collaborative workspaces outside, and wellness-oriented amenities like outdoor fitness stations. Installing shade structures for government facilities supports employee health by offering cooler, more comfortable places to take breaks or hold informal meetings.
By providing thermally comfortable and protected environments, agencies help reduce heat-related health risks and reinforce workplace wellness initiatives.
Outdoor fitness equipment—an amenity many municipalities and parks departments now offer—also benefits significantly from shade. When protected from direct sun exposure, shade for outdoor fitness areas keeps equipment cooler, more inviting, and safer for public use.
UV Protection and Public Health Considerations
One of the most significant advantages of modern shade systems is their ability to provide UV protection.
Apollo Sunguard’s shade cloth have been tested by International Testing Laboratories, an independent US laboratory. Many of the colors meet a minimum of 93% UV Block as recommended by sun safety organizations and advocates, and some block up to 96% of UV rays. This significantly reduces the risk of sunburn and long-term skin damage. This is particularly important in public environments where children, seniors, and other vulnerable people gather.
Equipment beneath the shade – such as picnic benches, fitness equipment, seating and even flooring and the paint of court lines – are also protected from weathering due to UV exposure. This means less replacement costs by taxpayers long term.
For agencies responsible for public health and safety, integrating UV-blocking shade structures aligns strongly with mission-driven goals. It is a visible and effective way to demonstrate stewardship of taxpayer-funded assets and care for the wellbeing of community members.
Shade for Playgrounds: Encouraging Safer, Longer Play
Playgrounds are among the most important spaces to protect from direct sunlight. Without shade, play surfaces – including slides, decking and metal components – can become dangerously hot.
Apollo Sunguard’s playground shade structures help prevent equipment from reaching temperatures that could cause burns, ensuring that children can engage safely with the play environment. Apollo Sunguard’s heat study revealed playground equipment was 65-degrees cooler under a shade structure in comparison to one without shade.
Additionally, shaded playgrounds promote longer play periods. Instead of avoiding outdoor recreation during the hottest parts of the day, families will use their local parks for longer periods more comfortably and safely. For parks departments and planners, this leads to higher utilization rates and a better return on investment for playground facilities.
Parking Lot Shade: Improving Safety, Efficiency, and Asset Protection
Shade structures over parking areas provide benefits that extend well beyond occupant comfort. Parking lot shade structures reduce interior vehicle temperatures dramatically – up to 40 degrees or more – improving safety for drivers and passengers.
This is especially important for government facilities with high traffic, such as courthouses, libraries, administrative centers and recreational complexes. People will seek out shaded, cooler spots.
From an asset-management perspective, shaded parking protects vehicles, pavement, and equipment from UV degradation. Fleet vehicles, public-safety cars, and staff automobiles all benefit from reduced exposure. With cars are parked under shade, agencies can reduce wear and extend the lifespan of interior materials and electronic components.
Shade canopies also protect parking-lot surfaces by reducing heat-related expansion and cracking, reducing long-term maintenance costs for pavement.
A Long-Term Investment in Public Infrastructure
For government agencies seeking to upgrade their outdoor environments, shade structures represent a cost-effective, visible improvement that enhances safety, comfort, and public satisfaction.
Apollo Sunguard’s high-quality commercial shade structures are engineered for durability, wind-load compliance and long-term performance. The company’s patented Quick Release System™ allows maintenance staff to easily remove and reinstall the sail canopies with a simple wrench – no special tool needed.
Apollo Sunguard has installed systems throughout the country and accommodate the various weather conditions – including snow. For wind storms, our shade structures are engineered to withstand 115 MPH wind load per 2015 International Building Code (IBC) or 105 MPH wind load per 2017 Florida Building Code (FBC). We recommend cover removal when winds are forecasted to exceed a Category 1 hurricane of 74-95 MPH, 119-153 km/h. All structures are engineered to withstand 180 MPH wind load with the covers off.
By integrating shade solutions for public spaces—whether for parks, campuses, recreation areas, or transportation hubs—agencies create environments that are more resilient to heat, more welcoming to the public, and more protective of valuable assets. We make purchasing easy with a GSA contract. Have a project in mind? Contact us today.
