SOLARWATT teams up with Centregreat Group to develop solar and storage EV carports

SOLARWATT has teamed up with Centregreat Group to develop solar-power electric vehicle (EV) carports with built-in battery packs.

The German manufacturer’s solar glass-glass photovoltaic panels will be integrated into the off-the-shelf structure, which will be capable of charging four vehicles in daylight hours.

Containerised high-capacity battery packs will sit in the central cabinet and will charge during low demand, increasing the load-balancing capacity of the system.

South Wales-based transport infrastructure and engineering company Centregreat Group has developed the system with help from Swansea University’s solar-focused SPECIFIC Innovation and Knowledge Centre.

Jeff Jenkins, estate manager for Centregreat said the carports feature  “the practical innovation valued by organisations demanding innovation and sustainability as well as efficiency.

“By incorporating robust, high-yield solar panels and battery storage, our modular carports will help users and their visitors play their part in decarbonising the UK economy. SOLARWATT has an industry-leading technology in Vision glass-glass panels, and we’re impressed by the great work it’s been doing with construction partners in Europe.”

Installations will be done by Centregreat’s solar and battery design and installation association SolarCentric. The structures are designed primarily for business and public-sector clients such as local authorities, hospital and park-and-ride facilities, but are also adaptable to domestic spaces.

The partners have created a double-pitch prototype, equipped with SOLARWATT’s Vision 36M glass-glass modules. This now carries 30-year product and performance warranties and free Full-Cover insurance.  

“On-site EV charging is the obvious answer for organisations as they embrace net zero while looking to improve efficiency,” said Neal Goddard, SOLARWATT sales manager, UK.

“SOLARWATT has established a strong position internationally in carport charging due to our performance, advanced glass-glass technology and robust construction. Centregreat is recognised for delivering transport solutions and we look forward to working with them.”

The modular design means that the systems can be delivered and installed with minimal civil engineering below ground, reducing cost, disruption and downtime.

Combining solar and storage to help meet the increased electricity demand created by EV’s is increasingly common, with insurance specialist Aviva opening one of the UK’s largest combined solar and energy storage carports at its Perth Office in November. The installation includes 3,283 solar PV panels set to generate 812,000kWh.

A number of councils have announced plans to develop solar carports, including Cambridgeshire building a 2.5MW site, City of York Council building a 400kW solar carport and both Oxford City Council and Northumberland County Council also building solar carports.

This partnership follows SOLARWATT’s step into the solar and EV space in 2019, when it launched a smart solar-powered EV charging offer in the UK in partnership with Austrian e-mobility solutions manufacturer Keba.