Industries
Solar Canopy for Business Parks
Business park landlords and occupiers are increasingly installing solar canopies to meet ESG commitments, reduce common parts energy costs, and attract tenants seeking sustainable office space.
In short: A business-park solar canopy covers 50–500 spaces at £900–£1,400/kWp, feeds daytime office demand for 3.5–6 year payback, and adds covered parking plus EV charging as tenant amenities.
Business Parks: Growing Solar Canopy Demand
Business parks have become one of the fastest-growing solar canopy sectors in 2025-26. Three trends are converging:
1. ESG tenant requirements: FTSE companies now routinely specify minimum sustainability standards in office lease requirements. A BREEAM Very Good or Excellent building with solar canopy helps landlords attract and retain premium tenants.
2. EPC minimum standards: MEES (Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards) requires commercial buildings to achieve EPC E (in force since 2023). The previously trailed interim EPC C by 2027 has been dropped, and EPC B is now proposed for 2031 and expected to apply to properties over 1,000 m² — treat the trajectory as directional, not settled. Solar PV improves EPC ratings. Canopy solar feeding into common parts supply contributes to the building's asset rating.
3. EV fleet charging: Business park occupiers are transitioning company cars to EVs. Employees need workplace charging. A solar canopy with 7-22 kW AC chargers provides this without relying on the grid for all charging energy.
Common Parts Solar Allocation
For multi-tenanted business parks, the most common funding structure is:
1. Landlord installs canopy on their own MPAN (common parts meter) 2. Smart controller allocates generation to common areas first (lighting, lifts, HVAC) 3. Surplus allocated to tenant sub-meters on a proportional basis 4. Tenants charged at 80% of grid rate for allocated solar — savings shared between landlord (income) and tenant (cost reduction) 5. Any remaining export goes to SEG
This structure requires a landlord's electricity supply licence exemption under the Electricity Act or the use of a licensed electricity supplier as intermediary. Specialist suppliers provide this service.
Business Park EV Infrastructure
We recommend a tiered EV strategy for business parks:
- Phase 1 (now): 7 kW AC chargers under canopy for all-day parkers. Funded by solar revenue.
- Phase 2 (when EVs reach >30% of site vehicles): 22 kW AC chargers at key bays. Smart load management across all chargers.
- Phase 3 (when public charging demand exists): 50-150 kW DC rapid at visitor/public bays. Revenue share with operator.
Designing for Phase 3 from day one (cabling, sub-station capacity) avoids expensive retrofits later.
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