Thousands of solar panels to be installed at Lakeside in Portsmouth

A CGI of the proposed solar car park canopies due to be installed at Lakeside Business Park in Portsmouth. Credit: Portsmouth City Council

The multi-million pound installation of thousands of solar panels at a council-owned business park in the north of Portsmouth is due to begin this week.

Described as “possibly the largest solar parking canopy project” in the country, 7,000 solar panels will be installed above Lakeside’s car park with another 2,000 on its buildings’ roofs.

The project is being financed through the city council’s £30m Low Carbon Projects Fund, was awarded planning permission last and is not expected to be completed until autumn next year.

“We are constantly aiming to improve our solar power in Portsmouth and to begin working on possibly the largest solar canopy project in the UK is a great step in coming closer to our goal of net zero by 2030 and using greener energy in the city,” councillor Kimberly Barret, the council’s cabinet member for climate change said.

Cllr Barrett approved the Low Carbon Projects Fund in July 2022 to fund sustainable energy projects across the city, with the Lakeside scheme being the largest. The £30m in borrowed through the Public Works Loan Board.

The work at Lakeside will include 1,820 roof-mounted solar panels across five buildings, 7,105 solar panels installed above car parking spaces, more electric vehicle charging points and the infrastructure to add more at a later date.

It will also include the installation of a 2MW battery to store excess energy which will be used to support demand at peak times.

The system will have a peak production of 4.5MWp and is expected to produce the equivalent of enough electricity to power 1,300 homes for a year, saving 860 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions a year.

Lakeside will use just under two-thirds of the this power, about 37 per cent of its electricity needs.

Simon Bateman, the business park’s manager, has welcomed the work. “This is a fantastic opportunity for Lakeside businesses to benefit from the council’s 2030 net zero target at no direct cost to them,” he said. ”This solar project will enable us to have a 100 per cent green electric supply for all 55 businesses at Lakeside.”

Installation is due to start today (Monday, August 21) and take just over a year to complete.

The council has commissioned Custom Solar, which is owned by Mitie, to carry out the work, although it will be managed by council staff.

“This latest solar project at Lakeside North Harbour continues Portsmouth City Council’s trailblazing approach to decarbonise and diversify energy sources in the city which will also benefit the many businesses based at the business park,” Guy Sucharewycz, Custom Solar’s sales director of solar and storage solutions, said.

“With this unique project we’ll be bringing together expertise from across Mitie to deliver a broad range of technology solutions, including rooftop solar and solar car ports, battery storage, LED lighting, electric vehicle charge points and electrical infrastructure services.”