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A recent study has found that solar canopies in car parks have an enormous potential to contribute to the green energy transition, to reduce our reliance on the grid and save (car park owners) a great deal on their energy bills.
Solar panels mounted above over half a million suitable car parking spaces could generate enough electricity to power 350,000 homes, the study claims.
Installing solar panels above more than half a million car parking spaces in England could generate at least 1.3GW of clean electricity.
According to calculations, mounting solar panels above suitable spaces at the likes of schools, colleges, hotels, hospitals, airports and sports centres could generate enough electricity to power 350,000 homes a year.
Moreover, the spaces identified by its report only scratch the surface of a potential solar boom, with tens of thousands of further locations expected to provide suitable sites for solar canopies at commercial car parks at train stations, service stations, supermarkets, and retail parks.
The installation of solar panels on car parks is already mandatory in a number of European countries, including Slovenia and France.
The new regulations in France - which came into force this month - cover both new and existing car parks and require those with a capacity for between 80 and 400 cars to install rooftop solar within five years. Owners of car parks with more than 400 cars have only three years to comply with the new rules.
There is now a compelling business case for organisations with car parking space to install solar arrays.
Energy security and costs are ongoing concerns for businesses and are likely to continue as the energy transition continues. To balance energy resilience and cost with reducing carbon emissions in line with targets, companies across the UK should look at all of the options available.
There is untapped power waiting for many businesses in their car parks and the 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.
According to analysis by the National Energy System Operator (NESO) the UK's solar capacity will need to triple to 47GW by 2030 if the government is to achieve an ambitious target of delivering a clean power system by the end of the decade.
While solar provided 14TWh during 2024 as the UK's electricity mix reached its "cleanest ever" level, experts have warned the target remains challenging and have urged the government to move quickly to ease planning barriers for new clean energy projects, including solar installations.
Businesses are now able to make use of an energy supply in their car park at no extra cost, we co and to integrate EV charging as part of the schemes. And there are fully funded options available for schools and colleges at Solev Energy, see www.solevenergygroup.co.uk