3ti, a leading UK designer, installer, funder, and operator of solar car parks (SCPs) is installing what is reportedly the first large-scale SCP in Europe to be constructed from sustainable Glulam timber beams and Glass-Glass solar panels.
The company said: “Opening to the public in April, the new SCP at Wiltshire Council's Five Rivers Health & Wellbeing Centre is a significant leap in maximising the lifetime sustainability of solar installations, and showcases several advanced technologies that revolutionise the construction, efficiency, and visual appeal of SCPs. The new SCP structure is made from Glulam, renewable, recyclable wood laminations bonded together to offer a natural alternative to steel or concrete. The engineered timber affords significant advantages over structural steel; it is three times stronger, and a third lighter, and uses only a tenth of the energy it would take to produce an equivalent steel beam, contributing to a more sustainable building process. The material has minimal environmental impact from its production, is highly repairable, and is an excellent biofuel at the end of its life, further minimising waste.”
As part of the construction, 3ti has used special Spirafix ground anchors to secure the SCP structure, without using conventional concrete bases or steel piles. It says this achieves significant carbon savings, speeds up installation, is more durable, and can be recycled or properly disposed of once the anchors reach the end of their lifecycle.
The solar installation at Five Rivers comprises three gullwing solar canopies covering 70 car park spaces, with a combined total capacity of around 220 kWp. The leisure centre will use 100% of the solar generation on-site, which will contribute approximately 10% of overall electricity demand at the site, saving around £50,000 a year on electricity bills. In its first year, the Five Rivers SCP is expected to generate 186 MWh of electricity, enough to drive 679,856 miles in a modern EV, saving 36 tonnes of carbon emissions – the equivalent of planting nearly 600 trees and powering 50 homes.
The canopies are fitted with transparent Glass-Glass solar panels from German manufacturer, Solarwatt, which reportedly offer high efficiency and long-term yields thanks to their bifacial technology, which means solar energy is captured on both sides of the panel. The solar cells are embedded in a highly durable Glass-Glass composite, protecting them from challenging environmental and mechanical stress, including snow and hailstorms, and are ammonia and salt mist-resistant.
In addition to its large scale SCP, Five Rivers recently became the first leisure facility in the UK to install 3ti’s award-winning Papilio3 pop-up solar car park and EV charging hub. Papilio3 is built around a recycled shipping container, and can be installed in under eight hours. It can fast charge 12 EVs at 7, 11 or 22 kW simultaneously, ideal for a range of destinations with longer dwell times, removing the reliance on carbon-intense and costly ultra-rapid charge points. Pre-fitted with a range of innovations and safety features, including motion lighting, CCTV, advertising screens, and full accessibility for wheelchair users, Papilio3 can be rented on a monthly basis from 3ti.
Philip McMullan, Senior technical lead on Major Energy Projects at Wiltshire Council, said: “We have invested heavily in sustainability to achieve our 2030 carbon neutral goals. The new solar installations at Five Rivers will help reduce our carbon footprint, and support the local community with the transition to zero emission motoring by strengthening the county's EV charging infrastructure.”
