- Supermarkets, retail parks and offices could save money up to £28,000 a year on solar carports
- Mandating solar on car parks supports the government’s mission to become a clean energy superpower
- Miliband has already approved 3GW of new solar capacity since July 2024
Solar canopies or ‘solar carports’ could be installed in car parks to save drivers money, as part of the government’s Plan for Change.
The government has launched a call for evidence to better understand how to use car parks to generate solar energy across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Supermarkets, retail parks and offices could save money up to £28,000 a year on their energy bills, by turning their car parks into ‘solar carports’, according to Energy Secretary, Ed Miliband.
Mandating solar on car parks supports the government’s mission to become a clean energy superpower, Miliband added, unlocking underutilised space, which can be used to power homes and businesses with clean, cheap, secure power.
“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,” he said.
“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.
Miliband has already approved 3GW of new solar capacity since July 2024, enough to power around 1 million homes, and Miliband said these proposals will help boost Britain’s energy security by bringing bills down in the long-term.
Solar carports are already mandatory in some European countries, including France and Slovenia, providing their countries with an abundance of cheaper solar power.
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.
Ben Cox, director, Sovereign Centros from CBRE, asset managers of Metrocentre, said great steps have already been taken towards a “more sustainable future” after it installed solar panels on its Green and Blue Mall car parks, as well as the largest number of EV charging points of any shopping centre in the UK.
“We welcome the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero’s call for evidence, which will allow us to invest further into these facilities to support the government’s national agenda,” Cox commented.
Solar canopies aim to help improve customer experience, providing shaded cover for cars during heatwaves, creating a cooler environment for both vehicles and pedestrians.
Petrol and diesel motorists are also set to be supported by the government’s Fuel Finder scheme that has now appointed a supplier to begin the first phase of delivery that requires all petrol stations to share prices within 30 minutes of a change.
This, according to Miliband, will drive down prices at the pump and save drivers between 1p to 6p per litre on average.
Future of roads minister, Lilian Greenwood, said the government remains committed to ensuring electric car drivers are always close to a charger and the update is “another positive example” of how they are harnessing the net zero transition.
“There are now more than 76,500 public EV charging devices across the UK, as we continue to deliver our Plan for Change by investing £2.3bn to help drivers switch to EVs, while backing British carmakers and protecting jobs.”
