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Written question asked by Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat) on Wednesday, 1 July 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 6 July 2026. It was answered by Michael Shanks (Labour) on Friday, 10 July 2026 on behalf of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.

Solar Power: Electric Vehicles and Parking

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.

Answer

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.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
15228
Session
2026-27
Subjects
Electric vehicles Parking Solar power Charging points
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk