A solar car park (SCP) at Five Rivers Health & Wellbeing Centre in Salisbury, constructed using carbon-friendly material, is due to be opened by Wiltshire Council.
The SCP aims to contribute more than 10% of the Five Rivers Centre’s electricity demand, as well as save up to £50,000 on annual energy bills.
The new SCP structure is made from Glulam, renewable, recyclable wood laminations bonded together to offer a natural alternative to steel or concrete.
The material has minimal environmental impact from its production, is highly repairable, and is an excellent biofuel at the end of its life, further minimising waste.
The solar installation at Five Rivers comprises three gullwing solar canopies covering 70 car park spaces, with a combined total capacity of approximately 220 kWp. The SCP is expected to generate 186MWh of electricity in its first year of being fully operational.
The canopies are fitted with transparent Glass-Glass solar panels from German manufacturer Solarwatt. The panels offer high efficiency and long-term yields thanks to their bifacial technology, which means solar energy is captured on both sides of the panel, increasing total energy generation.
The EV adaptation
In addition to its large-scale SCP, Five Rivers recently became the first leisure facility in England to install 3ti’s Papilio3 solar car park and electric vehicle (EV) charging hub. The site joins Raigmore Hospital in Inverness, which opened in February 2024 as the first Papilio project of its kind in Scotland.
Both sites are able to fast charge up to 12 EVs simultaneously at 7kW, 11kW or 22kW and the chargers stationed in Inverness are made from recycled shipping containers.
Raigmore Hospital’s SCP uses solar from an existing array with a total capacity of 19.32kWp, generating an average of 18MWh of electricity annually, which is then integrated with “existing local power” to power the 12 chargers.
Tim Evans, Founder & CEO at 3ti, said: “Our job is to champion workplace and destination EV charging to promote a ‘charge where you stop’ mentality across the UK while supporting customers to achieve their sustainability goals.
“Better EV charging infrastructure at destinations with long dwell times – offices, hospitals and leisure facilities like Five Rivers – will encourage greater EV adoption rates; it’s refreshing to see Wiltshire Council adopting such a forward-thinking approach, and we are honoured to play a part in their sustainability vision.”