Service Specialism

Solar Carport UK Installation

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

Free Feasibility Study View Costs

150-1,500 kWp typical 100-1,000 spaces 5-8 years payback

At a glance

590/mo

UK search demand for "solar carport"

25 yr

Performance-warranted panels

100%

AIA first-year tax relief

G99

Grid-connected by default

A solar carport is an engineered steel structure built above a car park, fitted with solar PV panels on its roof. It turns previously unproductive tarmac into a high-yield commercial solar asset while providing shelter for vehicles below. In the UK, solar carports are now one of the fastest-growing categories of commercial solar — outpacing rooftop in projects over 250 kWp.

Why it works

The Five Reasons Solar Carports Make Commercial Sense

No roof needed

Many UK commercial sites have unsuitable roofs — flat membrane that won't take load, asbestos, steeply pitched, or shadowed. A carport sidesteps the roof question entirely.

Bifacial advantage

Modern carport designs use bifacial panels. The rear face of the panel picks up reflected light from the tarmac below — typically 5-12% extra annual yield over rooftop installations.

Genuine staff perk

Sheltered, sunburn-free, frost-free parking is the kind of fringe benefit staff actually notice. Several clients now report tangible recruitment impact, particularly in NHS and hospitality.

EV-ready from day one

Adding 22 kW or 50 kW chargers later is a cabling exercise, not a structural one. We design DC stubs into every carport at construction.

Brand-visible asset

Unlike a rooftop array, a carport is visible from the street. Customers, staff and visitors see your commitment to decarbonisation every time they park.

System sizing

How Big Should Yours Be?

Solar carport sizing follows a simple rule: ~1.5 kWp per parking bay for a single-deck flat carport with bifacial Tier-1 panels. A 200-bay car park therefore supports ~300 kWp. At UK midlands solar yield (~850 kWh/kWp/yr), that's ~255,000 kWh/yr of generation — enough to offset roughly £110,000-£125,000 of grid electricity per year at 47p/kWh.

Site size	Bays	System (kWp)	Annual yield (kWh)	Capex (turnkey)
Small	50	75	~64,000	£95k-£115k
Medium	150	225	~191,000	£245k-£290k
Large	300	450	~382,000	£430k-£510k
Estate	750	1,125	~957,000	£1.0m-£1.2m

Delivery

Step-by-Step Process

Five phases from feasibility to switch-on.

Feasibility week 1-2

Free site visit. Structural and irradiance modelling. Indicative system size, capex band, and ROI delivered within 5 working days.

Design week 2-6

Concept drawings to detailed engineering. Structural calculations, foundation design (typically pad-and-screw or pile), DNO G99 application submitted week 4.

Planning week 6-18

Full planning application via the relevant local authority. We typically receive determination within 8-12 weeks. National Planning Policy Framework explicitly supports renewable schemes.

Build week 18-28

Foundations, steel erection, panel install, DC and AC commissioning, EV charger fit-out (optional).

Operate week 28+

Switch-on, MCS certificate, optional 25-year O&M wrap with annual cleaning, monitoring portal access, and warranty management.

Finance

Three Routes to Pay For Your Solar Carports

Three finance routes dominate UK solar carport projects: (1) Outright capital purchase — the simplest, captures all generation savings, eligible for Annual Investment Allowance (100% first-year corporation tax relief on plant up to £1m). (2) Asset finance / lease — typically 5-7 year term, blended interest 6-9% over base, monthly payments lower than your electricity bill reduction. (3) PPA (Power Purchase Agreement) — we fund and build the carport at zero capex to you, you pay only for the electricity it produces at a fixed price below grid (typically 25-40% discount on day 1, inflation-linked).

See grants & funding routes

Common questions

Solar Carports FAQs

What's the difference between a solar carport and a regular carport?

A regular carport is just a shelter. A solar carport carries an integrated PV array on its roof, with the panels structurally and electrically engineered into the design. Solar carports are slightly taller (typically 2.8-3.2m clearance vs 2.5m for a basic carport) and use heavier-gauge steel to support PV plus snow and wind loading.

How tall does a solar carport need to be?

UK commercial solar carports are typically 2.8-3.2m at the lowest point, rising to 3.4-3.8m at the high side. This accommodates everything from compact cars to light vans. Where HGVs or coaches need to park, we design 4.2-4.5m versions on a heavier-gauge frame.

Can you build a solar carport over an existing car park?

Yes — and that's the majority of our projects. We work over live car parks using temporary fencing and a phased construction sequence, typically taking 1-3 rows of bays offline at a time. A typical 200-bay car park needs around 6-8 weeks of partial closure.

Are solar carports MCS-certified?

Yes. Every system we install is certified under MCS for solar PV (MCS 005) plus, where relevant, MCS battery storage (MCS 023). The carport structure itself is CE-marked and CDM-compliant.

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