Are Solar Charging Canopies The Best Green Energy Option?

The need to decarbonise Britain’s energy has been widely accepted in recent decades, which is why we no longer have any coal-fired power plants, the last of them closing in October 2024. However, not everyone is happy with the green alternatives.

In addition to climate change sceptics and those who claim that ‘net zero’ places too high a financial burden on consumers, there are also those who take a dim view of onshore renewables, such as wind farms and solar panels.

Sometimes, especially with wind farms, the main argument against is about their visual impact, but proposals for large solar farms have often received a hostile reception, with some arguing that this is a waste of agricultural land that could otherwise be used for food production. Some proposals have failed to get planning permission.

Proponents argue that this is not the case, as often the land can still be used agriculturally, such as for grazing. Nonetheless, Britain’s solar power capacity can be increased without relying entirely on controversial solar farms.

Why Should Solar Charging Canopies Be Uncontroversial?

Solar charging canopies offer an alternative that answers the sceptics. They can be situated on top of steel frame buildings, which can be designed to create space below to be used in all sorts of ways.

A good example of this would be a car park, where the structure could be built over the parking spaces and even provide shelter that may be appreciated by drivers on wet days. In the meantime, the space above will be covered with solar panels that can collect the energy from the sun and feed it into the national grid.

There are some who would argue against solar power on the basis that the UK is not a very hot and sunny country, especially in winter. As it happens, 2025 has been the sunniest year on record. But these arguments do not stand up to scrutiny anyway, for the following reasons:

·       Solar panels require light, not direct sunshine

·       Although the summer inevitably produces more energy because daylight hours are longer, even the winter months can see around 20-30 per cent of the summer peak amount being generated

·       Solar panels still work when it is raining and when it is freezing

This means they are still useful as part of the energy mix, although they need to be combined with other sources.

Therefore, the case for using them is clear enough and the location will make them uncontroversial. That is why solar canopies may have such a big role to play, not just in generating energy, but dissipating opposition to this technology.

Can Solar Panels Be Fitted Anywhere?

Fitting solar panels on existing structures like houses, offices, leisure centres and sports grounds means everything can be dual purpose, which is an extremely efficient use of space and fits with the ‘brownfield first’ philosophy of urban planning favoured by local authorities.

Specialised solar canopies can add to this list, all while leaving green fields free of solar arrays.  

The canopies can also offer the chance for you to generate some of your own electricity. It is a win-win that even the biggest sceptics about green energy would struggle to oppose.