In the UK most of our solar panels are fitted on roofs yet they can limit the amount of energy produced in terms of space and orientation.
Car parks, on the other hand, are essentially flat blank canvases, offering maximum solar capacity because carports can be installed with solar panels orientated and angled for maximum sun exposure.
What’s more, solar carport installation can offer double, treble or quadruple the solar generation capacity of a rooftop solar installation.
France is already ahead of the curve after its government announced in 2022 that existing and new car parks with space for at least 80 vehicles must be covered by solar panels.
Car park owners with between 80 to 400 spaces have five years to comply while those with more than 400 spaces need to go solar by 2025, covering at least half their spaces with solar panels. It’s expected that solar carport installations will add a massive 11 gigawatts of power to the French grid, enough to provide energy to nearly eight million homes, equivalent to the capacity of ten power stations.
As the French have discovered, one of the biggest advantages of covering car parks with solar carports is they’re usually located next to existing buildings like offices and schools.
This makes electricity connections to buildings and the grid not only more cost-effective but straightforward too. In the same way, car parks are always located in areas of high demand so reduce the electrical infrastructure required to send electricity where it’s needed.
Doubling up your car park with solar panels means you’re not only generating your own electricity, but customers and employees can still use your car park unlike solar farms, which take up valuable land which could otherwise be used to grow crops or graze cattle and sheep.
Depending on the size of your car park, the energy generated by a solar carport can help you slash bills in an unstable energy market where prices only ever seem to go up.
Again, depending on how many spaces you convert to solar carports, you may also be able to generate additional income by selling the electricity back to the grid or to the public.
For example, two of our Solspan carports covering a total of 80 spaces with 1000m² of solar panels can save between £29,000 to £42,000 per year in electricity bills.
Energy produced can also be offered as a staff benefit for those employees with electric cars by providing EV charging points. Just two Solspan carports covering a total of 80 spaces with 1000m² of solar panels can charge 3,500 electric vehicles a year.
Tenants whose business is at constant risk from high energy bills also find solar carports extremely attractive because businesses are able to budget for the future, without the constant worry of soaring energy prices.
If you haven’t started your Net Zero journey, then converting car parking spaces into solar carports is a giant step to help you hit the government’s target by 2050.
Just two of our Solspan carports covering a total of 80 spaces with 1000m² of solar panels can save 31 tonnes of CO2 a year.
Solar carports are also a highly visible brand statement which demonstrates your commitment to Net Zero to customers, investors, staff and media and the wider public.
Going greener and helping reduce your carbon footprint is a great news story and provides ongoing PR and marketing opportunities.
Make sure you capture your journey via social media to let people know what steps you’re taking and why because customers and other businesses will be interested in your experience of installing solar carports.
Many people prefer to buy from greener companies, so you may find your customer base grows combined with an increased loyalty from current customers.
In the same way, installing solar carports may inspire more loyalty among your employees as people become more aware of the carbon footprint created by businesses and choose to work for those who take global warming seriously.
In conclusion, while rooftop solar panels have been the traditional choice, solar carports offer a more efficient and versatile solution by maximizing energy production and providing additional benefits such as EV charging and income generation. Embracing solar carports not only supports sustainability goals but also enhances brand visibility and financial stability in an ever-evolving energy landscape.