Lendus.

Solar Carport Finance

Finance solar carports and canopy structures for car parks from £30,000 to £400,000, often paired with EV charging. HP, lease, or refinance, compare rates from 40+ lenders.

Can you finance a solar carport?

Yes, solar carports are financed as a standard asset purchase, usually on hire purchase or a lease, with the machine itself acting as the security. UK prices typically run £30,000 to £400,000, and most deals are written over 12–84 months with a deposit of around 10–20%. Decisions typically take 24–48 hours. Used machines are financeable too, usually with a shorter term.

200+ UK lenders
2-minute application
No credit check to apply
FCA-regulated brokers

Typical Cost

£30k – £400k

Approval Speed

24–48 hours

Structure + panels + EV points in one facility

Rates From

4.3% APR

What would a solar carport cost per month?

£120,000
10%
60 months
9%
£0

Your estimate

Indicative only. Not a quote and not an offer of finance.

Pre-filled with a typical solar carport price. Indicative only, not a quote.

Compare solar carport finance rates from 200+ lenders

Check Eligibility

Finance options

Hire Purchase (HP)

Rate
From 4.7% APR
Term
12–84 months
Deposit
10–20%
Ownership
Yours at the end
Best for
Businesses wanting to own the structure and the panels outright

Finance Lease

Rate
From 4.3% APR
Term
12–84 months
Deposit
None required
Ownership
Return or buy (balloon payment)
Best for
Tax-efficient, claim 100% of payments against profit

Operating Lease

Rate
From 5.2% APR
Term
24–60 months
Deposit
None required
Ownership
Return at end
Best for
One payment covers structure, panels and EV points

Representative example

On a purchase price of £120,000: a 10% deposit of £12,000, then 48 monthly payments of £2,531 at 5.9% APR representative (fixed). Total amount payable £133,488, including the deposit. The rate you are offered depends on your business and the asset.

What buyers actually specify

Guide prices for sizing a finance agreement, not quotes. Manufacturers in this market mostly price on application, so where a current UK list price could not be confirmed the row describes a specification class rather than naming a model. Your supplier quote is what the agreement is written against.

Machine or specification Guide price Type
Steel Carport Structure (per bay) £2,500 – £4,000 Structural Framework
JA Solar DeepBlue Panels (per carport roof) £150 – £220 per panel Mono PERC Module
20-Bay Solar Carport (60kWp) £70,000 – £110,000 Small Site Carport
50-Bay Solar Carport with EV Points (150kWp) £210,000 – £320,000 Large Site Carport + Charging

Ready to compare solar carport finance? 2 minutes, no credit check.

Check Eligibility

Tax benefits

Solar carports combine a steel structure with plant and machinery (the panels, inverters and any EV chargers), and the two elements are sometimes treated differently for capital allowances purposes. It's worth asking your accountant to split the supplier's quote into structure and equipment before you finance, so the plant and machinery element can be claimed correctly against taxable profits.

Market context

Solar carports suit retail parks, distribution centres, colleges and office sites with large surface car parks and a roof that is either unsuitable or already spoken for. The business case usually combines two things: shading and weather protection for parked vehicles, and on-site generation feeding the building or, increasingly, an EV charging bay built into the same structure. Because the canopy adds structural cost beyond a simple rooftop array, the per-kWp price is typically higher than a roof-mounted system of the same output, and that difference is worth setting against the added value of covered parking and EV integration rather than treating the project as pure generation.

Bad credit?

Several of our 200+ lenders specialise in businesses with imperfect credit histories. You may need a larger deposit or personal guarantee, but options exist. Checking your options here does not affect your credit score, because we do not run a credit search to match you. A lender will run their own checks only if you decide to apply.

Compare rates from 200+ lenders, takes 2 minutes.

Check Eligibility

Frequently asked questions

Is a solar carport more expensive than a rooftop array of the same size?
Generally yes, because a carport needs to fund a standalone steel or timber structure as well as the panels, inverters and cabling, whereas a rooftop array uses an existing roof. The structural element typically adds a meaningful share of total project cost. Where roof space is limited, unsuitable, or already allocated to other equipment, a carport can still be the more practical option despite the higher headline cost, and financing spreads that extra structural spend over the asset's working life.
Can EV charge points be included in a solar carport finance agreement?
Yes, most lenders are happy to fund the charge points, cabling and any load management equipment alongside the structure and panels in a single agreement, provided everything is itemised on the supplier's invoice. Combining them into one facility is usually simpler than running separate finance for the carport and the chargers, and can also make it easier to model the combined running costs and any income from public or fleet charging.
What deposit is typical for a solar carport?
For hire purchase, most lenders ask for 10–20% deposit, in line with other commercial solar projects. Finance leases and operating leases typically require no deposit. Because carports are a less standardised asset than a rooftop array, some lenders will want a firm, itemised quote from an experienced installer before confirming terms, rather than a rough estimate. If the project combines a carport with EV charge points, some lenders will also want the charging equipment itemised separately on the quote, since it can affect how the deposit and overall facility are structured.
Do I need planning permission for a solar carport?
Often yes, because a carport is a new structure rather than an addition to an existing building, which puts it outside some of the permitted development rights that apply to rooftop solar. Height, position relative to boundaries, and whether the site is in a conservation area can all affect this. We'd suggest checking with your local planning authority before ordering equipment, since planning timescales can affect when you want a finance facility to start drawing down.
How quickly can I get solar carport finance approved?
Most straightforward applications under roughly £150,000 are approved within 24 to 48 hours once accounts and a supplier quote are in place. Larger, multi-bay installations with EV infrastructure or where planning consent is still pending typically take longer, as underwriters want sight of the final specification and any conditions attached to planning approval before releasing funds. Providing a full set of recent accounts and a firm, itemised supplier quote at application stage generally speeds up the underwriting process, since most delays come from lenders chasing missing paperwork rather than from the credit decision itself.

Related equipment finance

More energy & sustainability finance

See how lenders treat energy & sustainability assets

Guides and resources

Ready to finance your solar carport?

Compare rates from 200+ lenders. No credit check.

Check Eligibility →
Check Eligibility, 2 min, no credit check