In fifteen years’ time, UK household energy bills could be slashed by £1400 a year if we cut emissions to 87% below 1990 levels, according to the Climate Change Committee (CCC).
The organisation advises the government on reaching net zero and its seventh carbon budget highlights electrification as the key to decarbonising the UK economy by shifting three-quarters of cars and vans and nearly two-thirds of heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) to electric by 2040.
There’s no doubt solar energy can massively boost renewable electricity availability but can solar carports provide a better pathway to help the UK’s transformation than solar farms?
Solar Carports Meet Demand Where It's Needed
The great benefit of solar carports over solar farms is they’re located in carparks which are next to buildings such as offices, schools and other public services.
As such, they are often concentrated in areas of high population and energy demand such as towns and cities compared to isolated solar farms.
Solar carports produce energy using ‘dead space’ throughout the day and at weekends when many office and school car parks aren’t being used and can easily be connected to the grid without any expensive infrastructure.
However, solar farms are usually many miles from urban areas that need the most energy and therefore often require expensive infrastructure to connect to the grid.
A Huge Boost to a UK-wide EV Charging Station Rollout
If the UK government is serious about slashing our carbon emissions via electrification of vehicles, then solar carports are an obvious choice over solar farms.
They provide a fantastic opportunity to install EV charging stations right in the middle of large towns and cities where the demand is highest compared to solar farms located in the middle of the countryside.
Our research shows that solar carports could charge 166 million EVs annually for large businesses in the UK, and an incredible 1.66 billion EVs over 10 years, helping the country to transition to a greener future.
It’s also easy to install batteries alongside solar carports which can help public services and businesses save money by using the cheap energy they’re creating rather than selling it onto the national grid.
Solar Carports Could Help Boost UK Energy
Many countries such as Belgium, Germany, Slovenia and The Netherlands are already transforming carparks into solar carparks to provide energy self-sufficiency and security from spikes in energy prices.
In fact, the latter is the proud owner of the largest solar carpark in the world, generating enough energy to power 10,000 homes.
France also mandated that existing and new carparks with more than 400 spaces need to be covered by solar panels by 2025 while those with 80 or more have until 2027 to comply.
The French government estimate that these solar carport installations will add a giant 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.
And according to our own research, the UK's 500 largest businesses could together save £140mn annually on energy costs by installing solar car ports on their car parks.
Customers, Visitors and Employees All Benefit From Solar Carports
Solar carports with EV charging points benefit shoppers and employees in the very towns and cities where energy demand is greatest.
Electricity can be sold to customers to boost revenue and may attract more customers and increase dwell time as they shop while their cars are being charged.
EV charging stations may also be offered as a perk of the job and may even see businesses attracting higher skilled workers.
Sometimes, solar farms can have charging points but because of their isolation they don’t benefit the majority of the population, only those EV drivers who live nearby.
Solar Carports Use Grey Space
Solar carports cover up dead, uninspiring grey concrete and create a modern and sleek parking and charging area.
However, solar farms can change the aesthetic of much-loved green spaces when large swathes of land are covered in solar panels, also stopping agricultural production and adversely affecting wildlife habitats.
If you’d like to find out more about our solar carports, speak to our experts.
