Solar car port tipped to save UK council £150,000 a year

Northumberland County Council in the north of England has unveiled a solar car port at its headquarters which is expected to cut energy costs by £150,000 (US$191,145) a year.

Designed and built by UK Power Networks Services, the park includes a covered parking area with a canopy made from photovoltaic panels and 120 electric vehicle (EV) charge points.

In addition to costs savings, it is estimated that over 250 tonnes of carbon emissions will be saved each year, helping the council to meet the target of halving its own emissions by 2025.

“This is a historical moment for Northumberland County Council and one we should be very proud of,” said Council Leader Glen Sanderson, who also serves as cabinet member for climate change.

“It’s great to see this initiative finally come to fruition which will save a massive amount on council energy supply spending and will also reduce the need for us to rely on fossil fuels to power our main building.

“I want to say a huge thank you to everyone involved in making this happen. It is a real example of using innovative technologies to move us towards a cleaner and more sustainable future.”

Funding

The initiative – which cost £3.8 million – was funded through the England European Regional Development Fund and a matched contribution from the council. It is one of the largest car port array installations in the UK, featuring 800kW solar panels and a 400kW battery energy storage system with smart controls to optimise energy use, carbon emissions and costs throughout the day.

Energy from the solar panels will power the main building and provide electricity to electric vehicle charge points for fleet and staff vehicles. Excess energy will be stored to optimise costs and carbon efficiency.

A total of 120 EV charge points have been installed, including 100 fast chargers and 20 rapid chargers, with some dedicated for accessible parking bays.

The council plans to use this model to test the suitability of installing similar solutions in other public car parks in the county to reduce costs, meet carbon targets, and improve the resilience of energy supplies.

“This solar energy infrastructure is one of the largest solar car port installations in the UK and will change the way the council’s fleet operate to reduce cost and improve carbon efficiency,” said David Mitchell, director of UK Power Networks Services.

Image: Northumberland County Council