Commercial
Solar Car Ports in Ormskirk
Cover the car park, generate from it, and charge vehicles underneath it — one structure doing three jobs across Lancashire, Merseyside, Cheshire and Greater Manchester.
Free survey and written quote typically within 1–2 working days. MCS certified, OZEV approved, in-house install team.
MCS
Certified solar PV & battery installer
OZEV
Approved EV charge point installer
2 Yr
Workmanship guarantee, insurance-backed
~10
In-house technical, operations and design team
A solar car port does three jobs from one footprint: it generates, it shelters staff and customer vehicles, and it provides the natural mounting point for EV charge points. For sites with a large car park and limited roof, it is often the strongest option available.
What a solar car port is
A solar car port is a freestanding canopy structure built over existing parking bays, with solar PV panels forming the roof deck instead of a conventional covering. The structure generates electricity from a car park that would otherwise contribute nothing beyond tarmac and painted lines, while also giving staff, fleet and customer vehicles a sheltered space to park.
Who it suits
It is most often the right answer for sites where roof space is limited, unsuitable in orientation, already committed to plant and rooflights, or leased on terms that make roof-mounted solar difficult. Retail parks, distribution sites, offices, schools, colleges and public sector car parks with a sizeable surface car park are typical candidates.
When it is needed
Solar car ports tend to come into the conversation once a rooftop feasibility study has ruled out or limited a roof-mounted array, or where a business wants to add EV charging infrastructure and recognises that a canopy gives a natural, weatherproof mounting point for the charge points and their cabling.
Why professional design matters
A car port is a structural build as much as a solar installation — foundations, steelwork, wind and snow loading, drainage and vehicle clearance all have to be got right before a single panel goes on. Getting the structural design, electrical design and EV charging integration handled by one team keeps the project coherent and avoids the gaps that appear when a canopy, a solar array and a charging installation are procured separately.
What you get out of it
- Generation from land already committed to parking
- Sheltered parking for staff, fleet or customers
- Natural integration point for EV charge points
- A visible, verifiable commitment to on-site generation
What the work includes
- Free feasibility survey of the car park and supply
- Structural and layout design
- Installation, EV charge point integration where required
- Commissioning, certification and handover
What it costs to wait
What happens when this is left alone
Underused car park space
A tarmac car park is a large, flat, unobstructed area that in most cases faces the sky all day with nothing overhead. Left as it is, it produces nothing and offers no shelter — a missed opportunity on sites where the roof cannot carry a meaningful array.
EV charging retrofitted badly
Adding EV charge points to an open car park after the fact often means new ducting, trenching and standalone posts scattered across the site. Building the charging infrastructure into a car port canopy from the outset avoids repeated groundworks and gives a tidier, more resilient installation.
Structural work done without solar in mind
Canopies built purely for shelter, without solar loading, cabling routes and inverter positions considered at design stage, are expensive and disruptive to retrofit later. Specifying the structure and the generation together from day one avoids that double spend.
Our process
How we deliver the work
- 01
Free feasibility survey
We visit the site to assess the car park layout, available bays, existing electrical supply, grid connection point and any structural or access constraints, and provide a written quote typically within 1–2 working days.
- 02
Structural and layout design
Our team designs the canopy structure and array layout to suit the number of bays available, working out foundation positions, vehicle clearance heights, drainage and wind and snow loading for the specific site.
- 03
EV charging integration
Where charge points are required, we design the electrical distribution, cabling routes and charge point positions into the canopy structure itself, avoiding separate groundworks later. As an OZEV approved installer, we handle this as part of the same project.
- 04
Installation
Our in-house team installs the foundations, steelwork, Tier 1 solar panels and any EV charge points, coordinating around your operational hours and car park usage to minimise disruption.
- 05
Commissioning, certification and handover
Once installed, the system is commissioned and certified to MCS, NAPIT and Part P standards as applicable, with all documentation handed over along with your workmanship guarantee, insurance-backed via QANW.
Benefits
What this changes for you
Generation from land already spoken for
The car park footprint is already committed to parking. A solar car port generates electricity from that same land without taking anything away from its primary use.
Sheltered parking as standard
Staff, fleet and customer vehicles gain cover from rain and direct sun, a practical amenity in its own right regardless of the generation underneath it.
A natural home for EV charging
The canopy structure provides an obvious, weatherproof mounting point for EV charge points and their cabling, avoiding the standalone posts and separate groundworks that a bare car park requires.
An alternative where roof space falls short
For sites where the roof cannot carry a meaningful array — due to orientation, condition, plant, rooflights or lease terms — the car park can deliver generation the roof cannot.
A visible commitment to on-site generation
A solar car port is highly visible to staff, customers and visitors, in a way that a rooftop array is not. For organisations wanting a clear, verifiable statement of on-site generation, that visibility has value beyond the electricity produced.
Funding routes to suit the business
Commercial finance, Power Purchase Agreements and CAPEX purchase are all available for car port projects, so the funding route can be matched to how the business wants to structure the spend.
In detail
Solar Car Ports explained properly
Structure and materials
Car port canopies are typically steel-framed structures with foundations sized to the specific ground conditions and loading requirements of the site. The roof deck is formed from Tier 1 solar panels rather than a conventional roofing material, mounted at an angle designed to balance generation with vehicle clearance.
Sizing and layout
Layouts are designed around the number of bays available, the shape of the car park and any existing site constraints such as lighting columns, drainage runs or access routes. Rows can typically be extended in modules to suit larger sites, and the design accounts for vehicle turning circles and pedestrian routes.
EV charging integration
Where EV charging is required, charge points and their supporting cabling and distribution equipment are designed into the canopy structure itself. As an OZEV approved installer, we specify and install charge points without naming a particular brand as standard, matching the equipment to the site's electrical capacity and expected usage.
Warranties and workmanship
Panels carry manufacturer warranties of 12 to 30 years and inverters 5 years, extendable to 20. All installations carry our 2 year workmanship guarantee, which is insurance-backed via QANW, in addition to the manufacturer cover on the equipment itself.
Public and private sector experience
We have worked with organisations including Premier Inn, the NHS, Greater Manchester Police and Greater Manchester Fire Service, and bring that experience of working around live sites and operational constraints to car port projects across Lancashire, Merseyside, Cheshire and Greater Manchester.
Common questions
Questions about solar car ports
How is a solar car port different from rooftop solar?
A solar car port is a purpose-built freestanding structure over the car park, with panels forming the canopy roof, rather than an array fixed to an existing building roof. It's generally considered where roof space is limited, unsuitable or leased on terms that make roof-mounted solar difficult.
Can EV chargers be built into the car port?
Yes. As an OZEV approved installer, we can design and install EV charge points into the canopy structure at the same time as the solar installation, avoiding separate groundworks later.
Do you install a specific brand of EV charger?
We specify charge point equipment to suit the site's electrical capacity and expected usage rather than committing to one brand as standard. We'll talk through the options that fit your project.
How many bays do we need for it to be worthwhile?
It depends on the site's electrical supply, car park shape and how the electricity will be used. Our free feasibility survey assesses this specifically for your car park rather than applying a generic rule.
Will a car port need planning permission?
This depends on scale, location and any site-specific constraints. We flag planning considerations at feasibility stage so there are no surprises before the project proceeds.
How is a solar car port funded?
Commercial finance, Power Purchase Agreements and CAPEX purchase are all available for business customers. There is no domestic finance product in place at present. We'll talk through which route suits your organisation.
How long does installation take?
Timescales depend on the number of bays, structural complexity and whether EV charging is included. We schedule installation around your site's operational hours to minimise disruption to staff and customer parking.
What warranty and guarantee cover applies?
Panels carry manufacturer warranties of 12 to 30 years and inverters 5 years, extendable to 20. All installations carry our 2 year workmanship guarantee, insurance-backed via QANW.
Related services
Commercial Rooftop Solar
Turn unused roof space into a hedge against commercial electricity prices, with finance, PPA or CAPEX routes available.
Commercial Ground-Mount Solar
Where roof area runs out, ground-mount arrays put spare land to work at scale.
Commercial Solar PPA & Funding
Commercial finance, PPA and CAPEX routes so a solar project does not have to compete with your other capital priorities.
Areas we cover
Not listed? See the full coverage area or ask us directly.
Get a free car park feasibility survey
If your car park has enough bays and the right supply capacity, a solar car port can generate power, shelter vehicles and host EV charging from one structure. Book a free survey and we'll provide a written quote typically within 1–2 working days.
MCS certified for solar PV and battery storage · NAPIT and RECC registered · OZEV approved · 2 year workmanship guarantee backed by QANW.