Solar canopies and electric vehicle charging

Closes 18 Jun 2025

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.

8. Do you agree that we have identified all the potential wider societal benefits?
9. Do you think that solar capacity installed on car parks would be new capacity, or would it displace solar capacity from elsewhere in Great Britain? Please provide any evidence to support your answer.