How Solar Carports are Transforming UK Energy Use

Executive Summary

Car parks represent a significant area of impervious surface in the UK, with more than 8million non-residential parking spaces nationwide (British Parking Association, 2012).Much of this space lies in direct sunlight throughout the day, and yet remains inactive from an energy perspective. A growing number of these car parks are owned by councils, retailers, and private companies with sustainability obligations and rising electricity costs.

Content

• Introduction - Untapped Opportunity in Car Parks
• What is a Solar Carport
• Market Potential
• Rooftop vs Carports
• Conclusion

The Untapped Opportunity in Car Parks

Vast Underused Space

Car parks represent a significant area of impervious surface in the UK, with more than 8 million non-residential parking spaces nationwide (British Parking Association, 2012). Much of this space lies in direct sunlight throughout the day, and yet remains inactive from an energy perspective. A growing number of these car parks are owned by councils, retailers, and private companies with sustainability obligations and rising electricity costs.

Quantified Potential

A recent study commissioned by RenEnergy identified 629,000 business-owned parking bays in the UK that could be converted to solar carports, with the potential to generate 1.57 GW of new solar capacity and over 1.4 TWh of electricity annually (RenEnergy, 2025). This estimate only includes a subset of private sector car parks. A parallel study by Energy Systems Catapult estimated that up to 24 GW of solar could theoretically be installed on public sector controlled parking facilities, underscoring the sheer scale of the national opportunity (Energy Systems Catapult, 2025).

Strategic Importance

As traditional rooftop space becomes saturated or limited by structural or legal constraints, the spotlight is shifting to ground-level options. Carparks are often adjacent to the buildings they serve, allowing behind-the-meter energy use and co-location of EV infrastructure. Given the UK Government’s Clean Power 2030 ambition and long-term net-zero targets, solar carports offer a highly scalable means to support local generation, reduce reliance on the grid, and demonstrate visible climate leadership.