Car parks could be covered in solar panels to deliver EV charging as part of latest Net Zero push
EV drivers could benefit from cheaper public charging if the Government goes ahead with new 'solar car parks'.
The introduction of solar canopies in car parks aims to give EV drivers cheaper charging costs and save motorists money - and also would mean fewer panels being built on fields.
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband has announced a call for evidence to understand how to harness the untapped potential of solar car parks across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Lilian Greenwood, Future of Roads Minister, said: 'We're committed to ensuring electric car drivers are always close to a charger and can save money when making the switch.
'Today is another positive example of how we're harnessing the net zero transition to give drivers more choice and help them get around with greater peace of mind.'
The Government pointed to multiple examples of solar carports, the biggest being the Bentley Motors manufacturing facility in Cheshire - the largest solar carport in the UK.
Its 10,000 solar panels generate 2.7MW and work in tandem with 6.6MW of battery storage so that all Bentley's manufacturing operations can be solar powered.
The move is part of the Government's Plan for Change, and would help supermarkets, retail parks and offices also save money on their energy bills by turning their car parks into 'solar carports', by being powered by clean, cheap and secure power.
The savings, of up to an estimated £28,000 a year for an 80-space car park, could also be coupled with companies making back the cost of installing solar in car parks by selling energy back to the grid.
Solar carports are already mandatory in some European countries, including France and Slovenia, providing an abundance cheaper solar power.
As well as delivering cheap EV charging, solar canopies provide cover and shade cooler environment, a benefit to both car and customer.
Ben Cox, of Sovereign Centros - a group that runs shopping centres and retail parks - said: 'With the largest number of EV charging points of any shopping centre in the country, and over 5,000 PV panels in action, including those on car ports in Green and Blue Mall car parks, we have already taken great steps to secure a more sustainable future.
'We welcome the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero's call for evidence which will allow us to invest further into these facilities to support the government's national agenda.'
Examples of solar carports across the UK
Last year This is Money visited Dundee Council's solar charging hubs.
The council has a multi-model charging hub on Queen Street, Broughty Ferry – which has six contactless payment 50kW chargers and five 22kW chargers powered by a solar canopy – and a Clepington Road charging hub, which has a state-of-the-art Bluewater rain water filtration system fitted in the canopy roof.
The Greenmarket multi-storey car park's 20 charging bays are also powered by solar canopies which output 41kW.
One central unit controls the chargers, releasing energy when needed under 'dynamic load management', making energy output cheaper.
Second life EV batteries – which can no longer power an EV - store solar energy to use when energy demand is higher.
This innovative battery storage system is also in play at the Clepington Road charging hub.
Each of Clepington's two second-life battery storage units can store energy – either from the sun or cheap off-peak energy - to power 5,000 charging sessions (if each driver uses an average 20kW), making charging more eco and cheaper.
The government has also pointed to the examples of Eastbourne District General Hospital which became the first solar carport to power a hospital, cutting the hospital's emissions by 222 tonnes in the first year, and Stourton Park & Ride in Leeds which hosts a 1.2 MW solar carport, providing EV charging infrastructure for 26 spaces.
The Metrocentre in Gateshead also has over 5,300 rooftop and carport solar panels providing enough power to supply 40 per cent of their annual electricity usage.
How solar panels can reduce cost of public charging - InstaVolt
InstaVolt's Winchester Superhub is the first InstaVolt site to feature an on-site solar farm.
The 870 panels and advanced battery storage systems with 960kW/4MWh total capacity, reduce reliance on the national grid, enabling the site to generate and store clean energy.
This cost-effective and self-sufficient energy model keeps operational costs low and shields against energy price volatility, with savings passed directly to drivers through reduced tariffs.
As such there's a standard charging rate at the flagship Winchester Superhub of 65p per kWh which can be accessed using the InstaVolt App or RFID card.
Off-peak charging is even less thanks to the solar panels, at just 50p per kWh, from 7pm to 7am daily. This is one of the cheapest PAYG ultra-rapid rates in the country.
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