Solar canopies and electric vehicle charging

Overview

As part of the Clean Power Action Plan, the government committed to gathering evidence about the potential for solar canopies in car parks to contribute to our solar generation ambition. Increasing renewable generation reduces greenhouse gas emissions, supports the government’s decarbonisation commitments, and may help to address energy security challenges.  

The potential for solar canopies on car parks lies in leveraging their vast, under-utilised surface area to contribute meaningfully to the UK’s renewable energy generation capacity, and provide additional revenue for car park owners. By being situated close to existing centres of electricity demand, car parks have the potential to reduce the external electricity demand (and bills) of those who host them.

Fully understanding the potential benefits of solar canopies on car parks, fully considering the impact on businesses and motorists, and addressing ownership structures and infrastructural limitations, will require overcoming significant evidence gaps.

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) is seeking evidence and feedback on a proposal to mandate the introduction of solar canopies on new outdoor car parks and explore opportunities for deployment on existing car parks, above a certain size; this includes car parks in both public and private ownership. Mandating solar canopies on new car parks may have many benefits for their owners, including self-consumption from electricity generation, shelter for cars and drivers, and localised power for EV charging points.

This call for evidence is seeking responses from motorists, owners, and operators who plan to own or operate new car parks or who currently own, operate or lease existing car parks, including multi-storey and residential ones. DESNZ aims to better understand and gather evidence on the potential benefits, feasibility, and costs of the proposal, as well as its impacts on stakeholders. We also wish to identify the types of car park that should be in scope of any proposal. Simultaneously, we are aiming to understand the ownership structures for outdoor car parks, identify barriers to implementation and understand the role for government in overcoming these.

The second section of this call for evidence addresses and welcomes responses on electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure and the planning system. Decarbonising road transport is crucial, given transport is the largest greenhouse gas emitter in the UK, and road transport contributing 89% of domestic transport emissions. To support this decarbonisation, the government wants everyone, no matter where they live or work to be able to access reliable and affordable charging. Significant progress has already been made and there are now over 76,000 public charging devices installed throughout the UK and over 680,000 domestic homes have access to a private charge point.

However, while significant progress has been made, more can be done to make it easier, quicker and cheaper to install electric vehicle charge points. Permitted development rights (PDRs) allow certain building works and changes of use to be carried out without needing to submit a planning application.