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Solar Power: Electric Vehicles and Parking

Asked by Martin WrigleyLiberal DemocratDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled Answered 10 July 2026UIN 15228

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to the response to the consultation entitled Solar on car parks and electric vehicle charging, what reasons the department has for it's response to Section 1.

Answered by Michael Shanks

Whilst it is possible for businesses to benefit positively, it was identified that there is a significant risk that businesses cannot recover the cost of installing the solar panels over the 30-year assumed lifetime of the panels.

Additionally, under the Future Buildings Standard, new non-domestic buildings are expected to include solar PV equivalent to 40% of the building’s ground floor area. The Future Buildings Standard allows on-site generation within the curtilage of the building to meet energy performance requirements, including the car park, which means mandating new car parks to include solar would have resulted in very little additional solar deployment.

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