EV charging infrastructure Here comes the sun Tim Evans, CEO at 3ti Energy Hubs, shines a light on the nuanced world of EV charging here are around 20,000 public car parks with four million spaces and a further nine million workplace spaces in the UK. The vast majority of these do a great job as parking spaces, but opportunity exists for them to be of greater use. The French government has introduced legislation that says all car parks with more than 80 spaces must be fitted with solar canopies, and this should inspire the UK to follow suit. Debate rages in the UK around the merits of solar farms competing for land required for food production, but by making better use of the countrys car parks, we can counter the greenfield argument and improve the image of the humble car park. If just 20 per cent of the UKs 13 million or so parking spaces were converted to solar car parks (SCP), annual solar generation would be around seven terawatt hours of electricity T sufficient to replace all the UKs remaining coalfired power stations. Two major hurdles currently hinder the growth of the SCP market: planning permission and grid connection. But when the concept includes electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure and batteries, old habits and lack of understanding add two more problems to overcome. Creatures of habit Most drivers are creatures of habit and have spent decades driving petrol or diesel vehicles, pulling over to refuel when the needle dips below a comfortable level. Chargepoint providers have tried applying this approach to the world of EVs, but drivers are finding that it doesnt always work and, more importantly, they are finding it an expensive option. Solar-powered workplace and destinationcharging provide a more convenient, low-cost, 20 PN Mar 2023 pp20-21 3ti.indd 20 22/02/2023 11:47