System Sizes & Pricing
Solar Canopy Sizes — 50 kWp to 500 kWp+
From a 20-bay office car park to a 200-space supermarket, canopy systems are sized to your parking geometry and electricity demand. Here is what each tier delivers.
Accredited for UK commercial projects
Small
50–100 kWp
20–40 spaces
£60k–£140k
Installed cost
- Annual generation
- 47,500–95,000 kWh
- Annual saving
- £10,500–£21,000
- Payback period
- 5.5–7 years
- CO₂ prevented
- 10–20 t/year
Best for
Office car parks, small retail, independent schools, care homes
Typical structure: Mono-pitch typical
Medium
100–250 kWp
40–100 spaces
£120k–£320k
Installed cost
- Annual generation
- 95,000–237,500 kWh
- Annual saving
- £21,000–£52,500
- Payback period
- 5–7 years
- CO₂ prevented
- 20–50 t/year
Best for
Hotels, hospitals, business parks, MAT schools, leisure centres
Typical structure: Mono-pitch or T-frame
Large
250–500 kWp
100–200 spaces
£300k–£600k
Installed cost
- Annual generation
- 237,500–475,000 kWh
- Annual saving
- £52,500–£105,000
- Payback period
- 5–6.5 years
- CO₂ prevented
- 50–100 t/year
Best for
Supermarkets, retail parks, large hospitals, universities
Typical structure: T-frame typical
Enterprise
500 kWp+
200+ spaces
£600k+
Installed cost
- Annual generation
- 475,000+ kWh
- Annual saving
- £105,000+
- Payback period
- 4.5–6 years
- CO₂ prevented
- 100+ t/year
Best for
Multi-site retail, logistics parks, large NHS Trusts, airports
Typical structure: T-frame or double cantilever
How system size is calculated
1. Parking geometry
We take your car park dimensions and calculate the maximum number of canopy bays that fit your layout, accounting for access routes, fire lanes, and any structural constraints (underground services, trees, overhead cables).
2. Electricity demand matching
We pull your half-hourly meter data and model self-consumption against the proposed system's generation profile. For 24/7 sites (hospitals, cold storage) we can size aggressively; for 09:00–17:00 offices we size more conservatively to avoid over-generation.
3. DNO capacity check
Grid export capacity at your connection point constrains the maximum system size in some cases. We run a DNO pre-application check before finalising the design to avoid a surprise at connection stage.
Pricing assumptions and what drives cost
Installed canopy cost ranges reflect the three main variables our designs have encountered across 180+ UK installations:
- Ground conditions: Pad foundations on competent chalk or gravel are the cheapest option (£700–£1,100 per column). Pile foundations on made ground, soft clay, or over services add £600–£1,200 per column. We commission a ground investigation before fixing the foundation design.
- DNO connection: A simple meter upgrade costs £2,000–£8,000. A new DNO-owned substation on a 500 kWp+ site can run £80,000–£250,000. We model this at feasibility stage — it can materially change the business case.
- EV charging integration: Add £2,500–£8,000 per AC charger or £15,000–£40,000 per DC rapid charger to the canopy cost, offset partly by the OZEV Workplace Charging Scheme (£350 per socket, up to 40 sockets).
- Architectural specification: Standard galvanised or painted steel in a standard RAL colour adds nothing to the base cost. Custom column profiles, corten steel, glass-glass bifacial panels, or premium architectural finishes add 10–25%.
- Planning complexity: Permitted Development adds zero planning cost. Full LPA application adds £5,000–£18,000 in planning consultant, architect, and application fee costs, plus 8–13 weeks of elapsed time.
All prices shown are indicative for budgeting purposes. Your actual cost will be fixed at proposal stage following the site survey and ground investigation. We do not change fixed-price proposals once signed — our full project cost risk is included.
Get a fixed-price proposal for your site
We need your car park dimensions, a recent electricity bill, and 15 minutes of your time. We return a full proposal — system design, cost, generation forecast, payback model, and grant summary — within 7 working days.