A Bristol-headquartered canopy and shelter supplier, Kensington Systems, has launched a new company which will become the one of the only solar carport installations specialists in the UK.

The new company, Solspan, will combine decades of experience of bespoke canopy installations with the latest solar energy technology to help businesses turn their car parks into energy and deliver on sustainability goals.

Solar carports are increasingly popular in the UK as businesses explore solar energy generation, with structures varying from large industrial-scale carports to smaller installations designed for just two cars.

They have been more widespread in other countries in Europe, with France recently passing legislation which requires all car parks with more than 80 spaces to install solar canopies over at least half of its area.

Clifford Huntley, research and development director at Solspan and director of Kensington Systems, said:

“After gaining so much experience designing and installing bespoke canopies for commercial, education and healthcare clients with Kensington Systems for the last ten years, I’m very excited to launch Solspan.

“We’ve seen a huge amount of interest for solar carports from businesses over recent months, with a clear need to provide a turnkey solution, with full, end-to-end project management. It can be a complex process, so Solspan takes care of every aspect from initial designs to final commissioning.

“As well as facing rising energy costs over recent years, more businesses are setting ambitious sustainability goals as part of their ESG strategies. Solar carports offer a practical and tangible solution to increase production of their own clean energy and reduce their carbon footprint.”

Kensington Systems was founded in the late 1970s, manufacturing blinds for domestic and commercial customers in Bristol, before diversifying to launch its Spaceshade canopy system in 2014 and Solspan in 2023.

For more information about Solspan, visit solspan.uk