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31 Aug 20232 minute read

Leeds City Council opens all-electric, all-solar park-and-ride

ECAtoday
Leeds City Council opens all-electric, all-solar park-and-ride

Leeds City Council has opened the UK’s first fully-electric, fully solar-powered park-and-ride service. 

The site, located in Stourton, is serviced by electric buses that link to Leeds city centre. Stourton is Leeds' third park and ride site, and the first to be powered by solar modules coupled with a battery storage system.

The project comprises a 1.2MWp SolarEdge solar system, smart EV charging infrastructure and a 950kWh battery that allows solar to power the site outside of daylight hours. The system is expected to generate 852,000kWh of electricity a year.

An array of solar PV panels are located canopies above the parking spaces. Solar energy generated by the system also powers the depot’s lighting, CCTV and heating in the waiting room.

The project is a key part of Leeds City Council’s strategy to reach Net Zero Carbon by 2030, and reduce congestion and pollution in the city centre. The project was partially funded by the Department for Transport and a grant awarded by the European Regional Development Fund.

With the battery storage in place, around 12% of the energy produced by the site will be exported to the grid. By load shifting using the battery, grid import to the site is expected to be zero for most of the time.

Using integrated SolarEdge SafeDC technology, the inverters installed on the site are designed to reduce the system to a touch-safe 1V to allow routine maintenance or in the unlikely event of an emergency. 

ECA works closely with its Members, industry partners and Government to help Britain transition to Net Zero Carbon. We produce regular guidance notes, technical bulletins, and industry updates to keep Members at the forefront of the Net Zero transition. Learn more here.

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