Following the government’s call for evidence for solar on carparks and electric vehicle (EV) charging, renewable energy and solar specialist Damian Baker, Founder and Managing Director of RenEnergy, said: “The government’s decision to open a consultation on the potential for solar car ports to increase the UK’s ability to generate electric power and improve the country’s energy security is welcome.
“We believe the potential is enormous with RenEnergy’s own ongoing research already identifying 629,900 suitable parking spaces and counting that could provide over 1,456 GWh of solar energy per year.
“It is important, and we intend to make this point in our submission, to view the potential for car ports holistically.
“Commercial premises with land that is already used for car parking – including supermarkets, service stations, golf clubs, train stations, airports and retail parks – can introduce significant savings on energy costs and surplus energy can be sold back to the grid, significantly reduce their operating costs, improve margins and potentially pass on energy savings to consumers in the form of lower prices.
“In turn, car ports on commercial premises can provide much-needed large-scale EV charging infrastructure that can boost the uptake of electric vehicles, particularly for homes with no driveway.
“Most importantly, car ports offer the potential for the UK to significantly improve its energy security and reduce its reliance on the already over-stretched electricity grid, with solar carports able to gain planning approval within eight weeks under permitted development with prior approval.
“As a leading supplier of carports, RenEnergy is working closely with businesses, the public sector and local authorities to install car ports made in the UK with parts sourced locally and from Europe. We are pleased to see the government has recognised their vital role in providing businesses with better resilience, cost-effective energy supply and a renewable source of power.”
For more information on the potential energy solar carports could provide your business, or to find out more about the research being conducted, visit www.renenergy.co.uk/carparkresearch
