UK's #1 Solar Carport Specialists

Solar Car Parks: Turn Tarmac Into a Revenue Asset

A commercial solar car park installation combines shelter, generation and EV charging in a single canopy structure — slashing energy bills, futureproofing your fleet, and turning under-used tarmac into a 25-year income stream.

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£950-£1,300/kWp installed 4-7 year payback 100% planning success

What you can expect

+185k

Annual saving (300 kWp / 200-bay site)

25 yr

Performance-warranted lifetime

85%

Of projects now include EV charging

100%

AIA first-year tax relief

Key figures

£950+

per kWp installed

1.5 kWp

per parking bay

8–12 wks

typical planning

G99

DNO connection

£500

WCS per socket

AIA

100% first-year relief

Our services

From 50-bay Car Parks to 5,000+ Space Estates

Eight specialist solar carport service lines — each designed for a different commercial use-case. Each covers design, planning, MCS installation standards, DNO connection and funding routes.

Solar Carports

Bespoke steel-frame solar carports for commercial car parks. From 50 to 5,000+ spaces, fully designed, planned and installed UK-wide.

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Solar Canopies

Architectural solar canopy solutions that combine shelter, shade and clean energy generation. Cantilever, hip and butterfly designs for any site.

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Commercial Solar Carport

Commercial solar carports in the UK explained — feasibility, DNO, planning, build and O&M for 200-2,500 kWp schemes, plus AIA tax relief.

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Solar Car Park Canopy

Engineered solar car park canopies covering entire bays or aisles. MCS-grade construction, integrated rainwater management, EV-ready DC stubs.

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Car Park Solar Panels

Car park solar panels from £950/kWp — Tier-1 bifacial, MCS-certified, EV-ready. Turn tarmac into a 25-year income stream. Free UK feasibility within 5 working days.

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EV Charging Canopies

Integrated solar canopy plus rapid EV charging — single-source design, OZEV WCS grant eligible, dynamic load balancing built in.

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See full service comparison

Why choose a solar carport

One Structure. Six Revenue and Risk Wins.

Solar carports are the rarest of commercial decarbonisation projects: they deliver real returns and almost-zero downside. Here's why finance directors say yes.

Net energy saving £125k-£385k/yr

A 300 kWp carport over a 200-bay car park typically generates ~270,000 kWh/yr — enough to offset around £125,000 of your commercial electricity bill at current 47p/kWh tariffs.

4-7 year payback (3-4 after AIA)

Annual Investment Allowance lets you write off the entire capex against corporation tax in year one. After-tax payback for a £290k system is closer to 3.2 years.

25-year Tier-1 panel warranty

Tier-1 panels from Trina, Longi, JA Solar and JinkoSolar carry 25-year linear performance warranties. Inverters typically warrantied 10 years, extendable to 25.

EV-ready by design

Every carport built with DC stubs at column bases. Add 7 kW, 22 kW, or 50 kW chargers at any time. OZEV Workplace Charging Scheme covers £500/socket up to 40 sockets.

Real ESG and Scope 2 evidence

Each MWh on-site solar self-consumed cuts ~0.21 tCO₂e from your Scope 2 inventory. A 300 kWp carport offsets ~80-100 tCO₂e/yr — material evidence for CSRD, SECR and B Corp reporting.

A genuine staff and customer perk

Sheltered cars stay 8-12°C cooler in summer, dry in winter. Add EV charging and the bays become the most-used in your car park. Several clients now report higher staff retention.

How it works

From Site Visit to Switch-On in 16-28 Weeks

The four phases of a typical commercial solar carport project.

Feasibility

Free site visit, structural and irradiance modelling, indicative system size and ROI within 5 working days.

Design & Planning

Concept to detailed design, planning application, DNO G99 connection, building regulations sign-off (4-12 weeks).

Build

Foundations, steel frame, panel install, DC and AC wiring, EV charger commissioning (6-10 weeks).

Switch-on & O&M

Commissioning, energy meter and monitoring portal, MCS handover. Optional 25-year O&M wrap.

4–7 yrs

Typical simple payback

£290k–£390k

Typical 200-bay turnkey scheme

5–12%

Typical bifacial yield uplift

25 yrs

Typical panel performance warranty

Sectors we serve

Engineered for Your Industry

Sector-specific compliance, grant routes, and structural designs — from supermarket forecourts to hospital staff car parks.

Retail & Supermarket Car Parks

Cover customer car parks, slash store energy bills, and offer free EV charging as a footfall driver.

Typical: 120-2,500 spaces · 200-3,000 kWp · £185,000/yr

Business Parks & Office Estates

Shared-tenant business parks turning under-utilised tarmac into a Scope 2 emissions reduction and an estate-wide amenity.

Typical: 150-3,000 spaces · 250-3,500 kWp · £245,000/yr

Schools, Colleges & Universities

Salix Finance, DfE Condition Improvement and HE-sector grants — fully-funded solar carports for staff and student car parks.

Typical: 80-1,500 spaces · 120-2,000 kWp · £135,000/yr

Healthcare & NHS Estates

NHS Greener Plan-aligned solar carports for hospital and clinic car parks. PSDS-funded options, sheltered staff and patient parking.

Typical: 150-2,500 spaces · 250-3,000 kWp · £285,000/yr

Councils & Public Sector

Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS) eligible solar carports for council car parks, leisure centres and civic buildings.

Typical: 100-2,000 spaces · 150-2,500 kWp · £175,000/yr

Logistics & Distribution Centres

Large-fleet logistics sites adding solar carports above HGV and staff parking — combining canopy, generation and depot EV charging.

Typical: 200-3,500 spaces · 350-4,500 kWp · £385,000/yr

Hotels, Leisure & Hospitality

Guest car parks providing sheltered EV charging, B Corp evidence, and material reductions on year-round HVAC and laundry loads.

Typical: 80-800 spaces · 120-1,400 kWp · £115,000/yr

Manufacturing & Industrial Estates

Industrial estate operators and manufacturers extending rooftop solar with carport arrays for further capacity over staff and visitor parking.

Typical: 100-2,000 spaces · 200-3,000 kWp · £245,000/yr

UK-wide coverage

Solar Carport Installations Across the UK

The guidance on this site applies to projects anywhere in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

London · Birmingham · Manchester · Leeds · Glasgow · Liverpool · Sheffield · Bristol · Newcastle upon Tyne · Nottingham · Leicester · Coventry · Edinburgh · Cardiff · Belfast · Southampton · Portsmouth · Brighton & Hove · Reading · Milton Keynes · Oxford · Cambridge · Norwich · Plymouth

See all UK locations

Typical project profiles

What a Commercial Solar Carport Looks Like

Modelled examples built from typical UK costs (around £950–£1,300 per kWp installed, roughly 1.5 kWp per parking bay). They are not completed projects.

60 bays · ~90 kWp

Secondary school or small business park

Indicative turnkey cost around £85,500–£117,000. Savings depend on how much generation is used on site during the working day.

See the cost breakdown

120 bays · ~180 kWp

Hospital staff car park or large campus

Indicative turnkey cost around £171,000–£234,000. EV-ready DC stubs are cheapest to fit at build.

EV-ready canopies

200 bays · ~300 kWp

Supermarket or retail park

Indicative turnkey cost around £290,000–£390,000, with simple payback typically around 4–7 years.

Model your payback

Costs & payback

What a UK Solar Carport Actually Costs

Real budget bands by system size. All inc. design, planning, MCS install, commissioning. Exclusive of EV charger hardware (typically £1,200-£3,200 per socket).

System size	Approx. spaces	Turnkey capex	Annual saving	Simple payback	After-AIA payback
75 kWp	~50	£95k-£115k	£32k-£38k	~3.0 yr	~2.2 yr
150 kWp	~100	£165k-£195k	£68k-£75k	~2.5 yr	~1.9 yr
300 kWp	~200	£290k-£345k	£125k-£140k	~2.5 yr	~1.9 yr
500 kWp	~330	£465k-£545k	£195k-£225k	~2.4 yr	~1.8 yr
750 kWp	~500	£660k-£775k	£280k-£325k	~2.4 yr	~1.8 yr
1,000 kWp	~670	£860k-£1.02m	£375k-£430k	~2.3 yr	~1.7 yr
1,500 kWp	~1,000	£1.27m-£1.5m	£560k-£640k	~2.3 yr	~1.7 yr

Estimates assume 850 kWh/kWp annual yield (UK midlands average), 75% self-consumption at 47p/kWh, 25% export at 7p/kWh SEG.

See detailed cost breakdown Use the ROI calculator

Frequently asked

Solar Car Park Questions, Answered

The eight questions we hear most often from finance directors, sustainability heads, and estate managers.

How much does a solar car park installation cost in the UK?

UK commercial solar carport costs range from £950 to £1,300 per kWp installed for projects between 100 and 1,000 kWp, before any grant funding. A typical 200-space site (~300 kWp) costs £290,000-£390,000 turnkey and saves around £125,000 per year at current commercial electricity tariffs, giving a 4-6 year simple payback or 3-4 years after AIA full-expensing.

Do you need planning permission for a solar carport?

Yes — commercial solar carports almost always require full planning permission under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990. Unlike rooftop PV (which often falls under Permitted Development Rights), a solar carport is a new structure and triggers a planning application. National Planning Policy Framework paragraph 158 explicitly supports renewable energy schemes, so well-prepared applications are generally supported.

How many parking spaces do I need for a solar carport to make sense?

We typically deliver projects from 50 spaces up to 5,000+ spaces. At 50 spaces (around 75 kWp), the unit economics still work but the fixed planning and design overhead becomes a larger share of total budget. Sites of 150+ spaces (~225 kWp upwards) are usually the sweet spot for commercial business cases.

Can a solar carport be combined with EV charging?

Yes, and roughly 85% of our installations now include EV charging integration. Carports include DC stubs at design stage, allowing 7 kW, 22 kW, or 50 kW chargers to be added at-build or later. The solar feeds the chargers behind-the-meter, dramatically reducing the cost-per-kWh delivered to drivers and qualifying the project for OZEV Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS) grants.

What grants are available for solar carports in the UK?

The biggest schemes are: (1) Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS) for councils, NHS Trusts, schools and universities — up to 100% capex grant; (2) Salix Recycling Fund — interest-free for public sector; (3) OZEV Workplace Charging Scheme — £500 per EV socket (raised from £350 on 1 April 2026) up to 40 sockets; (4) Annual Investment Allowance — 100% first-year tax relief on plant and machinery up to £1m. We help every commercial client identify and apply for the right combination.

How long does a solar carport project take from sign-off to switch-on?

A typical 200-500 space project takes 16-28 weeks end-to-end: 4-6 weeks design and DNO G99 application; 8-12 weeks planning determination; 6-10 weeks build window (foundations, steel frame, panels, cabling, commissioning). Larger sites (1,000+ spaces) typically run 32-44 weeks and are usually phased.

Do solar carports work in cloudy UK weather?

Yes — the UK average of 850-1,100 kWh per kWp per year is more than enough for strong financial returns. Tier-1 monocrystalline PERC panels generate even in diffuse light; on a cloudy day a 400 kWp system still produces 30-50% of peak output. UK solar yield is broadly comparable to northern Germany, which has one of Europe's biggest solar fleets.

Who owns the carport — you, or the site owner?

Both models are available. Most clients buy outright with capital or asset finance, capturing all generation savings and the AIA tax relief themselves. A growing share opt for a PPA (Power Purchase Agreement) — we fund, build and operate the carport, the client pays only for the kWh consumed at a fixed price below grid (typically 25-40% saving) with no capex outlay.

See all 30+ FAQs

Ready to Talk Solar Carports?

Send the basics — site location, approximate parking bays, and what you're trying to achieve. We'll come back inside 24 working hours with indicative system size, capex range, and a feasibility-study booking slot.

Further reading: Solar carports work best as part of an integrated energy strategy alongside EV charging and storage, so sites planning multiple measures should brief commercial solar installers to coordinate canopy, charge points and grid connection under one contract.

For the engineering detail on car park solar canopy systems — panels-per-bay, structural specs and cost by car-park size — see the dedicated commercial canopy resource.

Canopy systems often export heavily at weekends, so the commercial SEG rates on offer matter to the business case.

For domestic and small-commercial sites in Yorkshire, EV charger installation from an NICEIC-approved installer is the practical first step.