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.
What you can expect
From 50-bay Car Parks to 5,000+ Space Estates
Eight specialist solar carport service lines — each designed for a different commercial use-case. All include design, planning, MCS install, DNO and grant routing as standard.
Solar Carports
Bespoke steel-frame solar carports for commercial car parks. From 50 to 5,000+ spaces, fully designed, planned and installed UK-wide.
Learn moreSolar Canopies
Architectural solar canopy solutions that combine shelter, shade and clean energy generation. Cantilever, hip and butterfly designs for any site.
Learn moreCommercial Solar Carport
End-to-end commercial solar carport delivery for businesses: feasibility, design, DNO, planning, finance, install, O&M.
Learn moreSolar Car Park Canopy
Engineered solar car park canopies covering entire bays or aisles. MCS-grade construction, integrated rainwater management, EV-ready DC stubs.
Learn moreCar Park Solar Panels
Tier-1 bifacial panels mounted above existing tarmac. No surface lost, full generation, optional integrated EV charging.
Learn moreEV Charging Canopies
Integrated solar canopy plus rapid EV charging — single-source design, OZEV WCS grant eligible, dynamic load balancing built in.
Learn moreTrusted by buyers at
Anonymised — see case studies for project sizes and outcomes.
From Real UK Project Buyers
Anonymised but verifiable quotes from finance directors, sustainability heads and estate managers on projects we delivered in 2024-25.
"PSDS made the capex question disappear. The savings now fund our community climate grants programme — direct, visible reinvestment from one bit of decarbonisation infrastructure to another."
Deputy Chief Executive
District Council, South East · 460 kWp
"We needed a delivery partner who could keep the store trading every day of the build. They did exactly that. The carport has become a marketing feature in its own right."
Head of Sustainability
National Supermarket Chain · 525 kWp
"Salix funding turned a 4.5-year payback project into year-one positive cashflow. Student curriculum integration was the unexpected win — engineering students study a live UK renewable asset they walk past every day."
Pro Vice-Chancellor (Sustainability)
Russell Group University, Midlands · 412 kWp
Names and identifying details withheld at clients' request. Project sizes, savings and locations are accurate. Read the full case studies.
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
Trina, Longi, JA Solar and JinkoSolar panels we install all 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 £350/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.
From Site Visit to Switch-On in 16-28 Weeks
Our proven four-phase delivery process keeps planning and construction risk on us, not you.
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.
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
Solar Carport Installations Across the UK
Project teams operating from London, Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds. Site visits available within 10 working days anywhere in England, Wales, Scotland or 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
Recent UK Solar Carport Installs
National supermarket — Greater London
420 sheltered customer bays, 28 × 22 kW EV chargers, full Asda-Walmart sustainability reporting integration. £225,000/yr saving, 4.1 year after-AIA payback.
Read case studyNHS Foundation Trust — South West
Staff and patient car park, PSDS-funded carport with 18 EV charging bays prioritised for patient transport. £148,000/yr saving offset against energy hardship fund.
Read case studyRussell Group University — Midlands
Salix Recycling Fund-financed carport over staff and visitor car park. Live-data dashboard embedded into student sustainability curriculum. £178,000/yr saving.
Read case studyWhat 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.
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?
Do you need planning permission for a solar carport?
How many parking spaces do I need for a solar carport to make sense?
Can a solar carport be combined with EV charging?
What grants are available for solar carports in the UK?
How long does a solar carport project take from sign-off to switch-on?
Do solar carports work in cloudy UK weather?
Who owns the carport — you, or the site owner?
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.