Solar canopies and electric vehicle charging
Potential Benefits to Wider Society
Decarbonisation Commitments
By harnessing under-utilised land in car parks, solar PV installations on car parks directly support the UK’s decarbonisation ambitions as outlined in the Clean Action Plan 2030 (CPAP). Thus, solar PV deployment on car parks optimises land use and accelerates progress toward net-zero emissions.
Energy Security
Enhancing the UK’s renewable energy capacity through solar PV deployment on car parks may help to mitigate dependence on imported hydrocarbons, reducing exposure to volatile global energy markets. The decentralised nature of PV energy generation could fortify the resilience of the national grid by diversifying generation points, thereby enhancing system stability. It could reduce transmission losses by generating energy closer to the user.
Effective Use of Land
Car parks are currently single-use spaces for storing vehicles. The addition of solar canopies in these spaces could increase the productivity of the land. This elevation of use represents a societal benefit that is currently being missed. Optimising land use to obtain maximal value is the focus of a government consultation run by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
Supporting Growth
Stimulating the solar PV and EV industries supports high-skilled jobs in the installation and maintenance of solar panels. This would bring wider economic benefits to local communities. The latest ONS estimates suggest that the solar sector has supported 17,500 direct and indirect jobs across the UK. The roll out of additional generation capacity is expected to increase this number.
Questions
These are the wider societal benefits that have been identified that could emerge from the installation of solar canopies on car parks. The government would be interested to understand views on these benefits.