Clean Energy Where It Counts: The Case for Solar PV in the Science Park Community
Science parks are where business and academia meet.
They’re the engine for research and development, as purpose-built communities designed to tackle some of society’s most intractable challenges. Chief among these challenges is decarbonisation.
To make good on this work, many of the UK’s 150 science parks are now engaged in some form of net zero pathway of their own. Savills Earth, for instance, has worked with some of the country’s largest science parks to improve energy efficiency and drive down the emissions generated by the offices, laboratories and research spaces found across these estates.(1)
Many of the interventions in these studies involve some form of retrofit work, such as building fabric upgrades. Longer-term changes involving electrification and microgrids are also mentioned. However, there is one notable omission. And it has the potential to make a significant impact on emissions without as much disruption: solar in car parks.
Mounting evidence
Highlighting the omission above is not to suggest a lack of care or insight on the part of Savills. Rather, it’s to show there’s a wealth of potentially useful space across the country that’s often overlooked simply because it’s already being used in some capacity – just not to its full capacity.
As the name suggests, solar carports combine the function of a traditional car park canopy – i.e. providing shelter for vehicles – with photovoltaic panels fitted on top to generate electricity. They’re convenient and powerful – and now attracting attention in Whitehall.
In May 2025, the government called for evidence on the role these installations can play in support of its Plan for Change – a cornerstone initiative which, among other objectives, seeks to make the UK a ‘clean energy superpower’.
Early assessments have been positive. According to Ed Miliband, supermarkets, retail parks and offices could save up to £28,000 a year on their energy bills by fully exploiting the latent potential found across many existing estates. As part of his statement, Miliband referred to the “hundreds of thousands of car parking spaces across the country, which can be used to power homes and businesses with clean, cheap and secure power.”(2)
Miliband’s comments are accurate, though science parks have one key advantage over these other sites as they are often occupied and managed by the landlord. So, while they typically use more electricity than an office park of a similar size, it’s also easier to make changes as companies like RenEnergy will be dealing directly with the owner and decision-maker.
Noticeable improvements
Gareth Ellis, Head of Energy and Environment at Cranfield University, has firsthand experience of maximising the potential on campus with solar PV.
Much like the nearby technology park, Cranfield University is research-driven and focused on advanced STEM topics at postgraduate level. Because of this work, the site requires a substantial amount of energy; somewhere in the region of 20GWh annually, with peak demand around 5MW.
“We use a lot of energy each day,” says Gareth “so it was essential to explore on-site renewables as a way to drive down emissions in line with our 2030 net zero target.”
Cranfield’s large rural campus, which totals 600 acres, made it an ideal candidate for a solar array. Recognising the available space, Gareth’s team working with RenEnergy first installed a standard 1MW ground array in 2017. “This first project was installed on the east side of the campus, near our airfield. It was effective and reliable. And it led to us adding 0.5MW in 2021 and then a further 1MW in 2023, the latter being installed on disused car park.”.
The latest project – which can be seen in the photo – is typical of the opportunities found across universities and science parks. Many of these estates feature underused or even neglected space that can be put to work more effectively with relatively little planning required.
According to Gareth, this unique low-level array on a disused car park was more cost effective: “These installations supply Cranfield and the adjacent technology park with green energy via a private wire. It’s a noticeable improvement, especially during the week when our electricity consumption is at its highest. And it’s space we’d have otherwise left. Really, we’d like to add a lot more solar but DNO restrictions limit us”.
Cranfield finds itself on the edge of the local electricity distribution network and for a long time has been unable to obtain a licence to export electricity. This constraint means solar output can be wasted if site demand is too low. It’s a common challenge for organisations seeking to maximise on-site generation in pursuit of decarbonisation targets. According to Ofgem’s July statement, an estimated £80 billion is needed to improve grid transmission infrastructure in the future, so projects like those at Cranfield can come online without overloading the network.(3)
Still, even without these infrastructure upgrades the university can use its solar as a stepping stone to support other initiatives on site. Moving forward, the team plans to upgrade its building fabric and phase out gas in favour of ground and air source heat pumps. This electrification will increase demand but it’s a change easier to accommodate with the ability to generate green energy on site.
Beyond the practicalities, the work at Cranfield showcases the financial advantages of installing solar arrays in previously disused space. “We managed to get an interest-free loan from Salix,” Gareth adds. “It was among the first sizable projects in the country without any feed-in tariff. We went ahead with just the interest free loan, which paid for itself quickly, much quicker than we thought it would really. Everyone was very pleased with that first solar farm.”
Cranfield is just one example, but it makes clear why the government is doubling down on this type of solar installation, not least with mandatory EPC ratings of C and B fast approaching. And there are still so many plots left that are ripe for development without having to sacrifice the land’s primary function. In places at the cutting edge of research and development, it makes good sense to also lead with new ways to decarbonise energy.
Discover more online
For more information on RenEnergy’s Solar Carports, visit: www.renenergy.co.uk/carports