Ed Miliband has called for a massive expansion of solar power through the untapped potential of Britain’s car parks.
The Energy Secretary while seeking views on how to spur the construction of solar panel canopies above parking spaces at supermarkets, offices and shopping villages.
The idea is viewed as a win-win because it would make better use of sprawling car parks while also generating more green electricity, potentially lowering bills for businesses.
Motorists would also benefit from more shaded parking spots and potentially a larger number of electric car charging stations, which could be powered directly by the panels, the Government said.
It is understood that the consultation will seek to understand why such solar canopies are more common in Europe than in the UK and what can be done to encourage more to be built here.
Ministers are thought to be considering whether measures used in Europe, which require outdoor car parks to have solar canopies, could be introduced.
Mr Miliband said: “Right now, the sun is shining on hundreds of thousands of car parking spaces across the country which could be used to power our homes and businesses.
“We want to work with businesses and car park operators to turn our car parks into solar carports to save families and businesses money with clean, home-grown British energy through our Plan for Change.”
It comes as Mr Miliband is seeking to ramp up the deployment of wind and solar farms across the UK to deliver the Government’s promise of a 95pc clean power system by 2030.
That will require the installed amount of solar capacity to jump from about 17GW (gigawatts) today to between 45GW and 47GW within just five years, according to the clean power action plan.
Mr Miliband has approved nearly 3GW of new capacity since he was appointed Energy Secretary in July, enough to power about 1m homes.
So-called solar carports and canopies are seen as yet another way for solar deployment to be boosted.
According to the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero, one 80-space car park could save about £28,000 a year in electricity bills by installing solar carports and using all electricity generated.
One of the biggest existing schemes is at the Metrocentre shopping centre in Gateshead, which has more than 5,300 rooftop and carport solar panels. These provide 40pc of the site’s annual electricity needs.
Chris Hewett, chief executive of the trade association Solar Energy UK, welcomed the consultation but warned that grid connection issues across Britain were the real blocker to having more carports.
“Encouraging or mandating the creation of solar-roofed car parks would be another win-win for the industry, creating greater access to charging points, cutting bills for businesses, driving down emissions and creating jobs,” he said.
“What has held this back from happening already is largely a lack of capacity in local electricity networks to accept the power generated.
“Resolving that challenge is of critical importance, not just for solar car parks but to decarbonise warehouses, supermarkets, factories and hospitals, too.”
