Solspan Solar Savings Index

Thousands of businesses across the UK have large car parks which, after the working day, often sit relatively unused for most of the evening and weekends.

At Solspan we’re passionate about turning this under-utilised space into cash and carbon savings, and new analysis has revealed that UK businesses could save more than £1.4 billion over the next decade by utilising solar energy in their car park spaces.

Solspan’s Solar Savings Index collected data about the estimated number of car park spaces for 500 large businesses across the UK and used this information to calculate the financial and energy savings from wider adoption of solar carports.

Our research shows that solar carports - canopy structures fitted with solar panels - could generate energy to offset 570,000 tonnes of CO2 annually.

Collective Savings

500 of the UK's largest businesses could together save £140 million annually, totalling £1.4 billion over ten years.

Environmental Impact

Potential to reduce emissions by 570,000 tonnes of CO2 each year.

Industry Insights

Solar carports are increasingly popular in Europe as businesses strive to meet net-zero and ESG targets.

In 2023, France passed a law requiring all car parks with more than 80 spaces to install solar canopies over at least half their area. Car park owners have between three and five years to comply with these regulations. To support this, the government has made it easier to install solar panels on land adjacent to roads and railways - but what could this mean for the UK?

“Energy costs have become a huge strain on all businesses, especially in energy-intensive industries. Despite the UK's reputation for cloudy weather, regions like London benefit from approximately 1,526 annual sunlight hours, which can be harnessed to reduce expenditure and support sustainability targets.”

Clifford Huntley, Research & Development Director at Solspan

The Environmental Impact

The environmental benefits of solar carports are significant. According to our analysis, the 500 businesses analysed can collectively save 5.7 million tonnes of CO2 over a decade.

For the 8,000 large businesses currently operating in the UK, the potential CO2 savings are even more impressive: 9.3 million tonnes annually and 92.6 million tonnes over 10 years. These savings are equivalent to taking approximately 2 million cars off the road or powering around 1.2 million homes annually.

Comprehensive EV Charging Solutions

With the rise of electric vehicles, having the infrastructure to support them is crucial. Solar carports provide extensive EV charging capabilities, translating into the ability to charge 166 million EVs annually for large businesses in the UK, and an astounding 1.66 billion EVs over 10 years.

This increased EV charging capacity is essential for meeting the rising demand for electric vehicles and supporting the transition to a greener transportation infrastructure.

“As well as saving on energy costs, solar carports can facilitate renewable energy to charge electric vehicles (EVs). More businesses are setting ambitious targets to decarbonize their estates, so it’s no surprise that a solar revolution is gaining popularity in the UK, following its rise across Europe and the rest of the world.”

Clifford Huntley, Research & Development Director at Solspan

Tailored Solutions for Every Sector

Solspan's analysis offers customised recommendations for various industries - including oil & gas, banking, insurance, and mining - by considering regional sunlight hours.

For instance, businesses in London, which receive approximately 1,526 hours of sunlight annually, can enhance their operational efficiency based on this data.

This table illustrates the annual cost and CO2 savings that each sector can achieve by implementing solar carports, thus boosting the generation of clean energy. Additionally, we have provided an estimate of the number of electric vehicles (EVs) that could be charged with the same amount of energy.

Sector	CO2 savings (tonnes)	Cost savings (£)	EVs charged
Retail and hospitality	167,873	40,031,152	3,013,097
Financial services	109,736	26,167,861	1,969,624
Education	54,6189	13,024,416	980,332
Aerospace	34,155	8,144,693	613,041
Utilities	31,289	7,461,272	561,601
Telecommunications	30,487	7,269,928	547,199
Transport and logistics	25,649	6,116,287	460,366
Manufacturing	25,109	5,987,510	450,673
Healthcare	23,824	5,680,994	427,602
Automotive	18,651	4,447,537	334,761
Insurance	13,647	3,254,256	244,944
Building and construction	11,764	2,805,356	211,156
IT	10,156	2,421,702	182,279
Legal	5,925	1,412,802	106,340
Recruitment	4,953	1,181,067	88,898

The table showcases the significant impact of adopting green initiatives such as solar carports across various sectors in the UK.

Retail & Hospitality

Potential CO2 savings of around 168,000 tonnes could save approximately £40 million, and support over three million EV charges.

Financial Services

Estimated CO2 savings of about 110,000 tonnes could lead to cost savings of £26 million and facilitate nearly two million EV charges.

Education

Adoption could result in approximately 55,000 tonnes of CO2 savings, saving £13 million, and enabling nearly one million EV charges.

Aerospace

Implementing solar carports could save about 34,000 tonnes of CO2, cut costs by £8 million, and support over 600,000 EV charges.

Start Your Solar Journey Today

Now is the perfect time to leverage the benefits of solar carports. Use our calculator to discover your potential savings and contact us for a personalised consultation.

Methodology

Solspan's analysis uses publicly available data, including average car park spaces per business across various sectors, annual sunlight hours for different UK regions, and current business electricity rates.

The study estimates financial and carbon savings by comparing average annual business electricity costs with potential savings from solar carports, considering car park spaces and solar panel efficiency.

It also calculates the number of electric vehicles that could be charged using the energy generated, based on standard charging requirements and available installation area.

The Solar Savings Index