Solar carports an ‘open goal’ for business to reduce energy costs
New research by renewable energy specialist RenEnergy has revealed that over half a million car parking spaces across the UK could host solar carports, generating an estimated 1.3GW of electricity annually, and offering a potential solution to businesses’ energy and decarbonisation challenges.
The ongoing research has already identified car parks at hotels, golf clubs, hospitals, airports, amusement parks, and sports centres as prime locations for solar installations. RenEnergy expects to find hundreds of thousands more suitable spaces in other commercial sites such as train stations, supermarkets, retail parks, colleges, universities, and sports stadiums as the project continues.
Preliminary findings estimate that these solar carports could generate 1.3GW of electricity annually—enough to power the Houses of Parliament for 28 years or meet the energy needs of over 350,000 homes. Businesses installing solar carports could not only secure their own energy supply but also sell excess energy back to the grid, potentially offsetting the cost of installation.
Solar carports have a streamlined approval process, with most installations qualifying under permitted development and receiving approval within eight weeks. Further approval from the District Network Operator (DNO) is required to secure grid capacity, a process that RenEnergy supports.
The findings come amid rising energy costs and concerns about energy security in the UK. Solar carports, already mandatory for large car parks in countries like France and Slovenia, could represent a significant step towards renewable energy adoption.
According to RenEnergy, by entering long-term power purchase agreements businesses can have solar carports installed at no upfront cost, paying only for the energy used at rates lower than grid electricity. This approach provides a cost-effective and sustainable energy solution, potentially easing pressure on the national grid.
RenEnergy MD Damian Baker comments:
“There is untapped power waiting for many businesses in their car parks and our research has only scratched the surface of defining the solar power generation opportunity from commercial carparks. They could harness enough energy to cover their electricity needs and even sell energy back to the grid, paying for their investment in the process. Without needing to gain planning or landowner permission, harnessing the power of solar carports is truly an energy open goal for businesses in the UK.”
