(Car) parklife! Unlocking the latent renewable energy in UK car parks
In light of the government’s call for evidence on the viability of solar carports, Damian Baker, MD and founder of RenEnergy, explores the latest research around the technology and how businesses in the UK could benefit from it.
In December 2024 the government launched its action plan to deliver a clean power system by 2030. At the time of writing, that is a mere five years away. To say it’s ambitious would be an understatement. It will require fundamental changes to how energy is generated, procured and consumed, requiring a formidable level of investment to succeed.
Alongside grid upgrades, Clean Power 2030 will also require a major expansion of renewable energy capacity. Onshore and offshore wind will need to increase considerably, as will solar generation.
For the latter, carports have emerged as an important resource, offering businesses a low-risk means to generate clean electricity on-site without the need to engage in the type of lengthy planning processes often found with other renewable projects. So much so, the government has made a call for evidence for their viability in the UK as a means of producing solar power and contributing to EV charging infrastructure.
These structures, however, have yet to be fully exploited despite the considerable prize on offer for both businesses and the government. So, what exactly are solar carports and why should we care?
Clear direction of travel
So-called ‘distributed energy resources’ (DERs) are now regarded as a central feature of the future energy mix, providing opportunities to generate more renewable power while also offering organisations a more dynamic relationship with the grid. Rooftop solar panels are perhaps the most visible example of DERs in action, though it’s known there are far more opportunities to expand generation across commercial sites.
This is where solar carports come in. As the name suggests, these structures combine the function of a traditional carport – i.e. providing shelter for vehicles – with photovoltaic panels fitted on top to generate electricity. On first inspection, it may seem like they have limited potential, only providing a small amount of capacity. But that thinking is actually misplaced if recent moves in Whitehall are anything to go by.
Late last year, for example, the government called for evidence on the role solar carports can play in pursuit of Net Zero targets. Part of this evidence was used in support of the Sunshine Bill, which was ultimately rejected on its second reading in parliament.
While that piece of legislation has hit a roadblock, it’s clear there is still enthusiasm for expanding generation beyond the traditional rooftop and ground arrays. The recently relaunched solar taskforce is a case in point, having been revived in late 2024 with the stated purpose to speed up delivery of new solar projects.
Untapped potential
These are positive developments, but in many respects the industry is already well ahead, not least in terms of the evidence that showcases the untapped potential of solar carports. In 2024, for instance, RenEnergy’s nationwide research was able to identify over 629,000 UK car park spaces with solar carport potential.
What does this mean in power terms? Even using a fairly rudimentary formula shows the generation opportunity to be significant. Based on our calculations, the initial 629,000 spaces identified in the research would produce 1,456GWh per year. That’s the annual power consumption of more than 400,000 UK homes – an area roughly the size of Birmingham. Or, to think of it another way, it’s roughly 10% of all the solar energy produced by the UK in 2023.
For clarity, our research focused on hotels, hospitals, universities, amusement parks, airports and sports facilities. These were selected first due to their scale, high energy usage and large visitor requirement. However, there are plenty of other small to medium-sized locations where these installations would be just as effective, such as retail parks, supermarkets, train stations and offices. Because of this, it’s safe to say the true number of car park spaces that are suitable for a solar carport install is likely to be much higher.
In other words, we have the space and technology to add a much larger volume of renewable power to the UK’s energy mix. And all that’s needed is a relatively simple intervention: construction of solar-ready carports where appropriate or the addition of panels wherever existing canopies exist. This may sound difficult to deliver but, unlike other renewable projects, these structures are easier to progress through planning because land use permissions are effectively unchanged.
One for today and the future
Solar carports have a role in the ‘big picture’ mission of Clean Power 2030, but it would be remiss to overlook the immediate benefits for businesses. Even a modest-sized run of solar carports can make a real difference to a site’s energy profile, allowing a business to supply its own operations with legitimately renewable energy generated at source.
Although EV charging ports are what may first come to mind, there are additional, even more sophisticated options available. Used alongside a battery energy storage system (ESS), carports can provide back-up power during periods of low solar generation or be used to operate as part of a sophisticated microgrid, where energy usage is intelligently engineered to provide cost savings. There’s also a possibility to sell stored energy back to the grid once adjustments with a local distribution network operator (DNO) have been made. In these cases, RenEnergy has handled the logistics, freeing customers of the paperwork burden.
The system design can incorporate existing structures and site functionality such as drainage to make integration smooth, in addition to other optional extras including lighting, rainwater harvesting and company branding. The carports are also designed to take traffic flow, visibility and usage, such as allowing for car doors to fully open, into account.
Those with higher energy requirements can also consider an installation as part of a power purchase agreement, whereby a business only pays for the energy it uses. RenEnergy, for instance, can install an array free of charge, maintaining it throughout the lifetime of an agreement. This gives businesses long-term price stability, reduces risk and offers potentially significant cost savings when wholesale energy prices increase.
The sheer volume of energy that’s available from solar carports represents an open goal on its own. But it’s the promise of greater autonomy where these installations come into their own, not least in a time when electrification is asking fundamental questions of the grid.
What’s deemed novel today may be essential for energy security in the not-too-distant future.
