Government considers solar carports to cut energy costs and boost clean power
7 May 2025
The UK government is exploring the potential for installing solar canopies over car parks in a move aimed at reducing energy bills for businesses and expanding access to electric vehicle charging.
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero launched a call for evidence on Wednesday to assess the feasibility of installing solar canopies – or ‘solar carports’ – in supermarket, office, and retail car parks across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The initiative forms part of the government’s broader “Plan for Change” strategy.
Initial estimates suggest that an 80-space car park could save around £28,000 per year in electricity bills by installing solar carports and using all electricity generated. The call for evidence is seeking additional evidence on the potential benefits of the policy.
Companies could also make back the cost of installing solar in carparks by selling energy back to the grid or through long-term power purchase agreements.
While not yet a requirement, the approach echoes policies already in place in countries such as France and Slovenia, where certain car parks are required to include solar installations.
Several sites in the UK have already adopted similar systems. At Bentley Motors’ facility in Cheshire, a large-scale solar carport contributes to powering the company’s manufacturing operations. In Eastbourne, a hospital has reduced its carbon emissions through solar infrastructure in its car park, while a park-and-ride site in Leeds uses solar canopies to support its electric vehicle chargers. At the Metrocentre in Gateshead, thousands of rooftop and carport panels now provide a significant share of the shopping centre’s electricity.
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband comments:
“Right now, the sun is shining on hundreds of thousands of car parking spaces across the country which could be used to power our homes and businesses. We want to work with businesses and car park operators to turn our car parks into solar carports to save families and businesses money with clean, homegrown British energy through our Plan for Change.”
Solar canopies have proven to improve the experience for customers, providing shaded cover for cars during heatwaves, creating a cooler environment for both vehicles and pedestrians.
The consultation aims to better understand the costs, benefits and technical challenges of scaling up solar in car parks. No final decision has been made on whether new rules or incentives will follow.
Case studies
- The Bentley Motors manufacturing facility in Cheshire is the largest solar carport in the UK, with 10,000 solar panels and a capacity of 2.7 MW. Along with other installed solar arrays and 6.6 MW of battery storage, the car park enables all of Bentley’s manufacturing operations to be powered by solar
- Eastbourne District General Hospital became the first solar carport to power a hospital, cutting the hospital’s emissions by 222 tonnes in the first year
- Stourton Park & Ride in Leeds hosts a 1.2 MW solar carport, providing EVcharging infrastructure for 26 spaces
- The Metrocentre in Gateshead has over 5,300 rooftop and carport solar panels providing enough power to supply 40% of their annual electricity usage.
