Following the government’s proposal of rooftop solar being mandated for new homes, a renewable energy and solar expert is warning that policy must go further to address energy for commercial buildings.
Damian Baker, Founder and Managing Director of RenEnergy (a British renewable energy company), says, “While it is good to see solar being mandated for new homes to support homeowners with lowering bills, the government is not solving the issue of energy costs for commercial buildings and the high-energy industries that use them.
“Commercial premises use significantly more energy than homes, and rising energy costs for businesses continue to pose a challenge as the economic landscape remains uncertain. Solar production can provide a significant opportunity for businesses to take back control of their energy, particularly when it comes to installing solar car ports in car parks.
“Car parks for buildings such as supermarkets and retail parks, offices, hotels, golf clubs, train stations, and airports can introduce significant savings on energy costs, and surplus energy can be sold back to the grid, significantly reduce their operating costs, improve margins, and potentially pass on energy savings to consumers in the form of lower prices.
“In turn, car ports on commercial premises can provide much-needed, large-scale EV charging infrastructure that can boost the uptake of electric vehicles, particularly for homes with no driveway.
“Most importantly, car ports offer the potential for the UK to significantly improve its energy security and reduce reliance on the already overstretched electricity grid, with solar carports able to gain planning approval within eight weeks under permitted development with prior approval.
“We believe the potential is enormous with RenEnergy’s own ongoing research already identifying over 629,000 suitable parking spaces and counting that could provide over 1,456 GWh of solar energy per year. The government has called for evidence on their viability, but it is already clear that there is opportunity to produce significant solar energy to benefit British businesses and, in turn, the public. Now is the time to build on this residential mandate and get serious about solar production for commercial premises to improve energy security and lower costs for all.”
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